Start by picking dandelion heads. You want ones that are fully flowered out and mature. If the centers are still closed, they are not yet mature and will taste more bitter.

Remove the yellow petals from the flower and add them to your 4 cup container or quart jar. You can either pick the petals off by hand, or cut them off with scissors, but try to avoid getting any of the green leafy parts into the jar. You will continue doing this until the petals are filled all the way to the top. Then lightly press down. The slightly compressed flower petals should equal approximately 3 cups. 

Heat up 4 cups of water until boiling, and add it to your jar until completely full of the boiling water and flower petals. Let this “tea” steep for a minimum of 4-5 hours. I’ve let it sit overnight as well.

Strain the liquid away from the mixture. I found that lining a colander with a flour sack towel was the best way to do this. You can then give the towel a squeeze to get any remaining liquid out of the flower petals. 

Heat up your jars and prep your canning supplies if you will be canning the jelly. I like to fill my canner to the height of my jars with water and bring it to a boil while I’m prepping my recipe. If you need to sterilize your jars, let them boil for 10 minutes. If you are just heating them, shut off the heat and let them sit in the hot water until you are ready to use them. 

You will then pour the strained liquid into a pot over medium heat. If you want to be precise, the liquid should measure 3 ¼ cup. 

Add ¼ cup of lemon juice and 4 tsp. of calcium water to the mixture, and stir well. If you have never used Pomona’s Pectin before, follow the instructions that come with it for making and storing the calcium water.

Whisk well, and slowly bring the mixture to a boil.

While the mixture is heating up, measure out 1 ½ cups of honey into a separate bowl. 

Add 4 tsp.of the pectin powder to the honey, and whisk well until fully dissolved in the honey. 

After your tea mixture comes to a boil, slowly start adding the honey and pectin, whisking briskly to combine. 

Bring the mixture back to a boil, continuing to whisk well so that the honey and pectin are evenly distributed. It will foam up a bit. Just continue to stir until it boils at a rolling boil for 1 full minute. Make sure you are getting along the bottom edge of your pot with your whisk, as the pectin likes to settle there.

Then, after boiling for 1 minute, shut off the heat and immediately distribute the mixture into your canning jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace.

Wipe the edges of the jars with a wet paper towel and place your canning lids and bands on. Tighten the bands with one hand, secure, but not too tight!

Place the jars in your canner, making sure they are covered with 2-3 inches of water. Cover and bring to a boil.

Process for 5 minutes in your water bath canner. Turn off the heat and let cool 10 minutes before removing jars.

Let cool on the towel without disturbing them for 12 - 24 hours. Ensure that the lids have sealed before storing.