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Dandelion wine (one) (medium)

Dandelion wine (one) (medium)

A quarter of dandelion heads weigh 225 g ( half a pound), and a quart of petals alone 340g (three-quarters a pound).

1. The flowers should be freshly gathered (traditionally, St. George's Day, April 23, is the appropriate occasion), picked from their stalks, and placed into a polythene bucket.
2. There's no need to remove the petals; use the whole heads.
3. Bring the water to a boil, pour it over the dandelions, and leave it for two days, stirring daily.
4. Keep the bucket tightly covered.
5. On the third day, transfer everything into a boiler, along with the sugar and the rinds of the lemons and orange.
6. Boil for 10 minutes.
7. Return it to the bucket and add the juice and pulp of the lemons and orange, allowing it to stand until cool.
8. Then, incorporate the wine tannin and yeast nutrients, as this liquor is likely to be deficient in desirable elements.
9. Keep it tightly covered for three days in a warm place,
10. then strain it into fermenting bottles and add the concentrate.
11. Fit airlocks and leave it until fermentation has ceased,
12. then rack and top up when the wine clears.
13. This wine, made in April or early May, will be ready for drinking by Christmas, but it improves significantly if kept for an additional six months.