06 May 2008

Dandelion Wine, Blessed Beltane, Happy Summer!


The Dandelions are Blooming! They bring forth the Happy Child of my heart!

We are making the wine this year, and the Yeast are happily bubbling away, munching their feast of sugar in the wine pot. What a Glorious sound...well brewing wine. Care is taken in every step. And love is communicated and shared amongst Plant, Human, and Yeast Culture. We are merrily partaking in the process together. Ahhh... I do love winter's snows and the crisp fall air. And yet how we can experience that there is everything to love about every season, about this most precious place called Earth.

Bless everything, and the Blessings return...


Here is the receipe I use for Dandelion Wine, from the book, Healing Wise, by Susun Weed:


"Dandelion Wine a la Laughing Rock
our year's supply for rituals and medicine

2 gal/8 liter crock
3-5 qts/3-5 liters blossoms
5 qts/5 liters water
3 pounds/1.5 kg sugar
1 organic orange
1 organic lemon
1 pkg/8 grams live yeast
wholewheat bread toast

Find a field of dandelions in bloom on a glorious shining day.
Follow the honey bees to the finest flowers.
Pick them with a sweeping motion of your parted fingers, like a comb.
I leave the green sepals on, but get rid of all stalks.
Back home, put blossoms immediately into a large ceramic, glass, or plastic vessel.
Boil water; pour over flowers.
Cover your crock with cheese cloth.
Stir daily for three days.
On the fourth day, strain blossoms from liquid.
Cook liquid with sugar and rind of citrus (omit rind if not organic) for 30-60 minutes.
Return to crock. Add citrus juice.
When liquid has cooled to blood temperature, soften yeast,
spread on toast, and float toast in crock.
Cover and let work two days. Strain.
Return liquid to crock forone more day to settle.
Filter into very clean bottles and cork lightly.
Don't drink until winter solstice.
Preparation time: A week's worth of effort yields a drink
not only delightful but good for your liver, as well."