# Here's a new label...



## Joanie (May 19, 2007)

...for the dandelion that's underway.


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## NorthernWinos (May 19, 2007)

So...that's where you've been...out picking dandelions.....How many gallons are you making??? 






Nice label.


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## Wade E (May 19, 2007)

So you have started yours huh, what recipe did you use? Very nice but would have expected nothing less!


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## Joanie (May 19, 2007)

Thank you! I have 3 gallons in a carboy. I used Jack Keller's recipe #14 but I added a pound of golden raisins for body. I steeped for 5 hours.

I've been busier than a nine-tailed cat in a nursing home full of rockers! Then I went crazy and bought a dozen grape vines! (Like I don't have enough to do!



) What was I thinking??


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## Wade E (May 19, 2007)

Very cool Joan!


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## Trigham (May 19, 2007)

Very nice indeed, Nice to meet you Joan, I luv your label. very vivid picture may I ask where it came from?


P.S. The dandelions really havent come up here yet we had2.5 inches of snow on thursday past. I saw about ten dandelions on someones lawn and figured hmm maybe i shoud check the big fields, but oh well the snow came, and now its been raining for the past three days with the end insight being wednesday next week if were lucky!!


Trigham


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## Joanie (May 20, 2007)

Nice to meet you too, Trigham! And thank you! The picture is a photograph I took and then adjusted and filtered with Photoshop.

Snow, eh? You have my deepest sympathies! And I thought summer came late here!


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## JWMINNESOTA (May 20, 2007)

Another awesome label!


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## Joanie (May 20, 2007)

Thank you, JW!


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## jsmahoney (May 20, 2007)

Joan, I so wanted to pick the dandelions and make wine from them, but by the time I got outto pick them,(in my yard), they turned to the fuzz. Actually I thought it was only a couple of days. Boy I kick myself now for not jumping right in on them. But, work didn't allow the time. I don't think midnight would have worked out well. I love the label Joan!Really makes me want to goout this a.m. and get started trying to find enough. I have the week off this week and so maybe I can check and seeif I canget enough to make some wine. Just by looking out the window this morning I'd be lucky to get three cups worth. Thanks for the picture of the label.


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## Joanie (May 20, 2007)

Thank you *JS*. When I picked mine there weren't a lot of them. There are tons of them now! I found the ones along fields have much bigger blossoms than my yard ones did. I went for the big ones! It meant I needed fewer of them! I look at what's there now and I think of all the wine going to waste! 

*Trigham*, this was the cropped photo I used. I had plenty of them to choose from! =)






*Edited by: Joan *


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## Trigham (May 20, 2007)

Joan, your an accomplished photographer as well, I was wondering if there is a special method to getting the flowers, shouldI just pull the heads off or actually cut them right there to only get the yellow end of the plant? I think when the heat finally comes to us ill go and get a bucket or two and try one for my very first time!!Oh yes how many will I need and is there a better recipe I should perhaps look at?
Thanks again
Trig


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## Joanie (May 20, 2007)

Thank you again, Trig!

I had no idea what I was doing! I just looked for the biggest blossoms and pulled. Sometimes a little of the stem came with it but that was ok. When I got a bunch, I sat down and started pinching off the very bottom of the blossom with my thumb. About 50 blossoms later I knew that wasn't going to work much longer. My thumb was killing me and I had enough green matter under my thumb nail, it stayed green and sore for 3 days! Then I got smart and went for a pair of Fiskars!



I didn't cut all the green off. That would be way to tedious even for me! Some recipes call for just the petals, some call for the heads, and some use both. Just be sure you don't have any stems. They make things bitter.

As for recipes...there are 30 of them here. http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/dandelion.asp

Look them over and see what looks good to you. Jack's prize-winning one is #30. I'll be interested to know which you make so keep me posted!


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## Wade E (May 20, 2007)

I used the scissors myself to cut all the petals off and have them all in a ziplock bag in the freezer till Im ready.


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## Trigham (May 20, 2007)

Thanks to both of you, I will definately be picking the yellow flowers someday soon I hope. Joan I will check out the site, but what recipe did you try?


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## NorthernWinos (May 20, 2007)

Gee...I feel kind of like a looser...I mowed off the dandelions as the whole place is covered with dust from our recent wind and dust storms....I look at the new flowers that have arisen and really have no desire to make dandelion wine...it seemed like a good idea a couple months ago...Looks like a lot of work and the critics aren't really giving good press. 


We have a wonderful crop of lilacs too...but peoples reviews seems mixed....


So....I go out and fertilize and water the strawberries, fertilize the raspberries and pray for rain...I know the fruits make good wine....and maybe I'll try flower wine next year....maybe not...perhaps you all have to give good reviews this summer.



*Edited by: Northern Winos *


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## grapeman (May 20, 2007)

Another beautiful label Joan as usual. Everytime I go by a field or orchard or roadsid and see millions of dandelions, I think- should I make a batch this year? I keep telling myself maybe tomorrow, maybe tomorrow....... Usually they are gone in a couple weeks, but they just seem to hang on this year taunting me. Maybe tomorrow...........


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## Joanie (May 20, 2007)

NW, I've always like things that are $19.99 or less. I like "free" even better!



I just made some because "it was there" and the price was right. I had a primary was was begging to be full! Picking dandelions is much easier than all the things you do! I was exhausted just reading it!


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## Joanie (May 20, 2007)

Trigham said:


> Thanks to both of you, I will definately be picking the yellow flowers someday soon I hope. Joan I will check out the site, but what recipe did you try?



I used #14 and added a pound of chopped golden raisins.

I'm sure you've said in a post somewhere but where in Canada are you? BTW... you folks have the best national anthem!


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## Wade E (May 20, 2007)

NW, I really havent heard good things about the Danedlion wine myself
but as my mother always says, dont knock it until you try it. So Ill
make a batch to have so later on when someone else says that they never
tried it theyll have some to try wether good or bad!


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## Joanie (May 20, 2007)

Thanks Appleman! I was out walking this afternoon and our dandelions have mostly gone to seed. If you're going to do it, work fast! =)


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## Waldo (May 21, 2007)

Great label Joan for your Dandelion wine. Some pictures of the winemaking process would be really nice too.


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