How to make dandelion wine

June is actually the perfect time of year for making dandelion wine to be enjoyed in December

At this time of the year the fields and hedgerows are full of the beautiful golden flowers of the dandelion. In our gardens we battle against these intruders from the wild, so why not turn them into something to be enjoyed in the winter; a little reminder of the summer. Dandelion wine 1.5 litres flowers 64 fluid ounces water 700grams. sugar Rind and pulp of 1 lemons and 1/2 orange 5 grams yeast 250 grams raisins

Method: 1. Gather fresh flowers, picking off their stalks and place them in a large bowl 2. Bring the water to the boil and pour over the dandelions 3. Cover the bowl with butter-muslin and leave for three days, stirring each day 4. After the third day, add the rinds only, of the lemon and orange 5. Pour the mixture into a pan and boil for one hour and pour back into the bowl, adding the pulp of the lemon and orange 6. Cover and allow to cool. Then add the yeast 7. Let it remain covered for three days 8 Strain the liquid into bottles, leaving a space at the top 9. Divide the raisins equally between the bottles 10. Do not cork tightly until fermentation ceases

This wine if made in June is great for a Christmas party.

Vicky Wilkes
Vicky worked at The Saturday Telegraph Magazine before joining Country Life. She was a judge for the British Life Photography Awards in 2014 and 2015. When she isn’t visiting an exhibition, Vicky enjoys being outdoors and she can often be found walking on the Ridgeway or at a music festival.