Friday, April 12, 2013

It's day 3 in the Authors in Bloom Blog Hop!

Join 63 authors in this fun celebration of spring. The Grand Prize is an eReader plus a gift certificate, and each participating author is offering up something as well. It's a win win win! The winners will be chosen from comments left at each blog so be sure to leave your email address when you stop to share a few words with us.



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To find your next stop on the hop, click here:
Authors in Bloom!



Dandelion Jelly
Pick blossoms at their freshest in the late morning when they first open. This recipe needs a  lot of flowers. I recommend going for the largest blossoms you can find.
4 c. dandelion blossoms, no green parts at all. I use scissors and snip away.
3 c. boiling water
4 ½ c. sugar
2 T Freshly-squeezed lemon juice
1 envelope powdered pectin

Separate the yellow blossoms from the green stem and sepals (little green leaves around the bud). Any green will impart a bitter flavor. Pack the blossoms into a 4-cup measure. More blossoms mean more flavor for the jelly. Bring the water to a boil, add dandelion blossoms. Gently simmer 10 minutes over low heat. Strain through cheese cloth or a jelly bag. Squeeze excess to get the last bit of juice. Add more water if needed, to make 3 cups. Combine lemon juice, sugar and pectin. Bring to a rapid boil, stir constantly until sugar is dissolved. Boil hard for one minute. Skim if necessary. Pour into hot sterilized jars and seal. The flavor is hard to describe. It tastes bright like sunshine. Make a very nice gift and goes on anything. I like it on toasted English muffins myself.

Important to know about wild foods:
Whether you're new to wild harvests or an old pro at munching your way through the weeds in your backyard, it's
worth repeating a few things here. Some populations of plants are barely surviving due to competition by aggressive invaders and  mindless harvesting. Just because you can eat that native species, doesn't mean you should. It's best to just eat the weeds and leave the rest, especially mushrooms which play an important role in the ecosystem. As far as exotic species go, munch away. They don't belong here anyway. Be safe. Before you start picking, be sure  no pesticides or herbicides have been used there. Only pick where you know for sure.

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My prize, seen below, are two flower-themed hand-enameled copper pendants crafted by a talented jewelry-artist friend of mine. They are one of a kind creations, no other pieces like them. I'm sorry to say my picture doesn't do them justice (new camera, old eyes). Their much prettier in person. Both are strung on black cords, the blue one has a hand-enameled copper bead. He does custom work too, if you're interested.


After you've visited all the wonderful Authors in Bloom blogs, check out my main blog.
I'm posting an interesting topic a day through the alphabet in the month-long 

 

I'm also in the Let's Get Lucky Blog Hop! http://calliopesotherwritingtablet.blogspot.com/


 Boy am I busy!

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Rose Anderson – Love Waits in Unexpected Places
WEBSITE | BUY eBOOKS & PAPERBACK | TWITTER
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Don't forget!
Leave your email with your comment on every blog to win.
Visit daily for wild foods recipes and more!


8 comments:

  1. Never heard of Dandelion Jelly.

    I love one of kind jewelry; these are very cute {the white one is my favorite} Thanks Heather

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    1. Thanks for stopping Heather. He does really nice work. He made a bracelet for me that's just gorgeous.

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  2. Thanks for the recipe. My dad made dandelion wine. Never tried it or the jelly but would be great to find something to do with those weeds! :)

    Melissa
    daringzoey@yahoo.com

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    1. The wine takes SO MANY flowers. Hats off to him for his patience! Thanks for stopping Melissa. :)

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  3. My question, Rose, is how the heck did these plants ever get picked in the first place for anyone - ancient people, modern people - to eat. Who was the first person who said, "Gee, this thing growing out of the ground might taste good." Just something I'm thinking about. ;-)

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    1. I wonder about things like this all the time, especially where mushrooms are concerned because if you don't know what you're doing, you could end up killing yourself by eating the wrong kind. It just shows you how old this hunter/gatherer stuff is. We've learned what's edible and what isn't and the learning has taken a very long time.

      Thanks for stopping Jane. :)

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  4. Nice to *meet* you, Rose! I love the name of your blog; Calliope is my daughter's name. :)

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  5. Thanks Shelley. The series of events that lead me to become a romance author could only have been inspired. (I'm only writing romance to learn on. I have other projects I'm working on.) I figure since Calliope was the writer's Muse, I'd dedicate my adventure to her. :) I think it's a lovely name for a daughter. Thanks for stopping.

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