Flower flower honey cheap crashy recipe

Picking dandelion flowers and you can make this delicious homemade vegetable honey. Cheap and easy, it’s a great way to exploit the treasures of nature.

With the abundance of dandelions adorning our surrounding gardens and fields, why not explore the delights that this plant can offer?

Dandelion flower honey is a real treasure of nature and a perfect alternative to people wishing to get more involved in a zero waste approach or aimed at reducing consumption, those who seek to reduce costs during this period of inflation or simply take advantage of what nature can bring us. An old -fashioned little recipe so much in tune with the times. And a delight.

Where does the Cradailotte come from

Of Franc-Comtois origin, the word CraiaMalotte actually designates dandelion and not this recipe. It means “little rack”. This nickname which comes to him from the serrated edge of his leaves The dandelion is also called lion tooth.
I saw two different spellings, with one or two T, Cramailota or Cramailotte. I choose the second, choosing the one used by the famous Gault & Millau.

Everything is good in dandelion. You can eat both the leaves (in salads for example) and the buds (in pickles) or the flowers like here in honey.
But why call this honey preparation? Certainly because its texture of liquid consistency with semi-liquid and its light color in gold are really very close to that of honey, more than jam or jelly. For vegans, it is a perfect alternative to honey.

The manufacturing methodology is closer, however, of the jelly because we cook and then keep only the recovered liquid which will become syrup with the addition of sugar.

The taste is also close enough I find good mountain honey. Its delicate, slightly sweet flavor is embellished with subtle floral notes characteristic of dandelion flower.

Dandelion honey, or Cradaiens, is therefore a really simple preparation at the reach of all based on dandelion flowers, water, sugar and to bring a little apple pectin and lemon juice.

Easy to make, and above all very economical when compared with honey, this recipe will allow you to discover all the subtlety of dandelion flavors. Read the preparation and cooking steps carefully to obtain quality honey, intense flavor and optimal nutritional profile.

First the picking of dandelion flowers

During picking, be sure to choose large well open flowers located far from potential sources of pollution and to harvest them on a sunny day to guarantee a maximum nectar content. Avoid the edges of the paths with passage or animals, prefer your garden or the little frequented meadows. It is a very fun activity to do with children. You will see, they will love it.

We only need flowers, so no need to cut the plant in the whole. With your fingers, pinch the rod below the flower to cut it. Choose the biggest. Depending on the recipes, the number varies a little from 300 to 400, or can be announced by weight which is really not easy to gauge when a basket is walked in hand. In my recipe, I suggest you pick 365 flowers, a very effective technical memo, 1 flower per day of the year.

Before using the flowers, tap them gently to eliminate any insects. You can possibly rinse your dandelion flowers with water and a little white vinegar. In this case, rinse them well in the mop them with a damp cloth then let them dry upside down on a dry cloth or absorbent paper. Then quickly proceed to the next step because you will not be able to completely dry them and if you wait too much, the quality of your flowers will alter.

Then separate the flower petals

To prepare your dandelion honey, you will only keep flower petals, eliminating the green parts which could add unwanted bitterness. It’s a bit long so do this in good company or listening to music or your favorite podcast. Throw the green base of your flowers, ideally in your compost.

First cooking

Cook the dandelion flowers with water and apples and lemons cut into large quarters. Above all keep the skin and the seeds, they are the ones who will bring pectin and will help obtain a beautiful syrupy texture. If you want a citrus -free version, replace pectin. Rinse apples and lemons beforehand, cut them in four or eight and add them as is. Hence the interest of choosing them organic.

Cook then filters by passing through a Chinese or Tyrian with a very fine sieve to recover the liquid. Press to recover as much as possible. Do this above a saucepan because we are going to get away.

Second cooking

Add the sugar to the liquid thus obtained and cook. As with a jam, test the texture to verify that your dandelion is ready.

If possibly it remains too liquid, you can add a little agar agar, boil a small minute, it helps. It’s something I sometimes do for my homemade jams.

It’s over. Put in previously sterilized or minimum pots passed under boiling water. Close well.

Once ready, your it can be used in multiple ways. Integrate it into a vinaigrette to give a little pep or a sweet and savory side, spread it on sandwashes at breakfast or snack, suck your yogurts with it, mix it in a refreshing smoothie, use it in your pastries or to pimp a fruit compote … in short use it as you would do with honey, agave syrup or flower syrup Coco … or sugar of course.

The hidden benefits of dandelion

Dandelion has multiple medicinal virtues. It has been traditionally used to treat a multitude of ailments, ranging from liver and biliary disorders to anemia, including skin problems and rheumatism. But as in this preparation the dandelion flower is cooked for a long time, I cannot really tell you if these beautiful properties for our health are kept in the Cramailotte.