{"id":305,"date":"2018-04-25T16:21:00","date_gmt":"2018-04-25T14:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/danielboeh.me\/en\/?p=305"},"modified":"2026-01-26T16:25:42","modified_gmt":"2026-01-26T15:25:42","slug":"dandelion-flower-syrup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/danielboeh.me\/en\/like\/dandelion-flower-syrup\/","title":{"rendered":"Dandelion Flower Syrup"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Looks like honey, tastes like honey, but doesn\u2019t come from bees \u2013 and is therefore vegan: dandelion flower syrup!
In spring, dandelions grow almost everywhere in Berlin. So it makes perfect sense to make the syrup yourself. Collecting and cooking together is a wonderful experience for children \u2013 with a sweet reward at the end!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In spring, dandelions grow almost everywhere in Berlin! [CC0<\/a>]<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Connecting with nature instead of the supermarket shelf<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Once every spring, I go out with my children to collect dandelion flowers. We look for a remote meadow in the forest, away from roads and dog-walking routes.
Because the kids know what we\u2019re going to make from the bright yellow flowers, they are as busy as bees and keep on collecting and collecting\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They don\u2019t just end up with yellow fingers \u2013 they also learn mindfulness by carefully examining each individual flower. Sometimes insects live on the blossoms, and those flowers are left untouched. We also don\u2019t clear the meadow completely, leaving plenty of food for bees and other insects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The yellow pollen can be washed off with water. [CC0<\/a>]<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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This amount makes about two small jars. [CC0<\/a>]<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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We collect these blossoms\u2026 [CC0<\/a>]<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\u2026not these! [CC0<\/a>]<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Is this healthy?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Bee honey is often marketed as a healthy alternative to sugar. That is, of course, not true, because honey consists of about 80% sugar. In addition, commercially produced honey often contains pesticides or other contaminants<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our syrup also consists of about 80% sugar. Whether there are pollutants in it depends largely on the choice of sugar we use \u2013 which we, after all, also buy somewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why we don\u2019t exploit bees<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Honey bees do not live in the wild but are kept as farm animals in industrial agriculture. Bees collect nectar and produce honey as a food source for their offspring. Stealing this honey and replacing it with sugar water is something I consider ethically questionable<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instructions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

What we need:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n