[Seasonal Recipe] “Cramaillotte” or Miel de Pissenlit (Dandelion Honey)

One of my fondest childhood memory involves the making of dandelion honey, called miel de pissenlit in French, or « cramaillotte » : plucking flowers on a sunny afternoon with my parents and sisters, filling our basket with yellow fluff smelling of fresh pollen, and coming back home to pour everything in a giant copper pot. The whole house smelled of warmth, summer, and liquid sunshine for days. Miel de pissenlit, truly is gold in a jar. The subtle flavored substance proves excellent as a digestive remedy, and to cure scorching throats in the winter. It is a deeply generous and comforting substance, soothing as honey, and with pretty much the same applications.

Dandelion honey makes a great offering for land spirits, faes, ancestors, and solar or healing gods and ungods alike. In Ireland, dandelion flowers were said to be sacred to Brighid, called breanan Brìde or « the little notched of Brìde ». When I make cramaillotte, I typically invoke the goddess with little runes, charms and prayers to bless the produce at each and every step of the process, imbuing the honey with restorative qualities. Some jars will be gifted to friends, some will kept for us, but I make sure to save a full jar just for Her, pouring the honey over some yarrow and juniper to serve as a libation.

For this recipe, you will need :

• - 500-800 dandelion flowers

• - 2,5L of clear water

• - 3 oranges

• - 2 lemons

• - 2,5kg of granulated sugar

Instructions :

1. Around April-May, fetch a dandelion field sheltered from cars, dogs and children. You want to pick the right time, when the flowers are most open, to pluck your dandelions : between 11am-2pm is best. Keep only the flower heads.

2. Come quickly home, before your flowers start closing and wilting away. You will need to proceed to the leaf removal : remove the flower petals and leave the green flower crown behind to keep only the yellow part of your flower. Gently brush aside any insect that may be caught still in your harvest. This step is the more tedious, yet the more important : removing the green stems ensures the good taste of your honey, with no bitterness.

3. Cast your flowers in a cooker (traditionally, a big copper pot or basin you can heat over fire is in order, but we make do with modern means !). The secret is to not pre-wash your flowers, to keep all their pollen in - hence why you wanna be cautious with the place you pick them from. Cover them with the water and the juice from the oranges and lemons. Boil for 45-60min, checking your water and flowers level, and adding more water if necessary. Turn off the heat, and cover for the night to let your flowers infuse. The longer you live it, the better. Aim for at least 12h.

4. The day after, proceed to filter the flowers. You can do that by hand, pressing the petals delicately to draw all juice out, or by putting them in a muslin cloth. You should be left with a clear yellow juice.

5. Add your sugar, and put to a boil. Once your honey starts producing consistent bubbles and foaming, the cooking time varies greatly. Count at least 45min up to 2,5h for your honey to set. The quantity will reduce, leaving you with anything from 1/2 to 2/3 of your initial quantity. You can test the cristallisation of your honey by dropping a bit in a cold dish and holding it vertically above your sink or counter : if your honey runs like water, it is still too liquid. If it sits and moves down slowly, like pearls dripping, it is the right consistency.

6. Bottle in clean, sterilized jars that you will put upside down to cool off : the heat of the produce will kill all bacterias from the lid. It should produce a faint « pop » sound once it’s sealed.

7. Store your honey in a cool, dark place, and keep in the fridge once open. The shelf life depends on the storage area : in a cellar, it will be OK for a good year. In a cupboard, about 6 months. I have seen some batches last as long as two years when stored in a cave.
8. Last but not least - enjoy. You may employ the cramaillotte as you would honey, with similar uses. I love it best poured over fresh, creamy yogourt, or spread on a baked loaf - but it does wonders when used to sweeten some tea also.