Dandelion Soda Recipe

Dandelion soda is such an easy and delicious way to make use of a bountiful dandelion harvest! It truly tastes like spring in a bottle and it is surprisingly easy to make.

We found this recipe in a book at the library and made a few changes to it, and it's safe to say that it was a hit in this household!

The kiddos were of course so excited to help harvest all the flowers, and we sure did need quite a few to make 2.5L.

This is a fermented soda recipe, which means that the carbonation is achieved by creating a fermentation process where healthy bacteria eat the sugar and "poop" out air bubbles. It's a super fascinating process! And in our opinion, it produces a soda that is way more delicious (and a boat load more nutritious) than store bought pop! It even helps to support a healthy gut micro-biome and can help to relieve bloating and stomach pain!

If you've never made homemade fermented soda, here's a few tips:

1. Make sure your jars are clean and sterile to ensure that no potentially harmful bacteria is introduced to the soda as it could interfere with the healthy fermentation process
2. Make sure that you burp your bottles once a day! For the first few days, you might not notice any pressure building in the bottles, but around day 3 you'll notice when you go to open the jars that more and more pressure is building up. It's important to release this pressure frequently! I say this because I have definitely had a bottle of fermented lemonade blow up on my counter and it was honestly quite terrifying!
3. Be patient! It could take up to 5 days and maybe even more to achieve the desired carbonation
4. For this dandelion soda, I recommend taking the time to separate the yellow petals from the green stem, as the green parts are slightly bitter and may effect the overall flavour of your soda
5. I recommend transferring the soda to pop top bottles as they create a stronger seal. If you leave them in the mason jars they might leak 

I think the most important part is to just trust the process! Making soda at home is not super complicated, and once you get the hang of it, you can really make fermented soda out of just about anything.

Anyways, here's the recipe!

Ingredients:

• 2.5L water
• 3 or 4 cups of dandelion petals
• 1 lemon
• 1 cup sugar
• optional 2 tbsp ginger bug

Instructions

1. Boil water and add sugar to dissolve. 
2. Let cool completely. 
3. Add dandelions, chopped lemon, and ginger bug if using.
4. Pour into 2 quart sized mason jars (you could use 4 pint sized jars if needed). Close lids and set aside on the counter or in your pantry.
5. Let sit for 3-5 days, checking daily. Fermentation time will depend on the temperature of your house - the warmer it is, the faster it will ferment.
6. Once some bubbles have formed, you can strain out the liquid and transfer them to pop top bottles to build more carbonation. Again, make sure to burp the bottles daily to release the build up of carbonation.
7. You can store in the fridge or on the counter, but please note that if you do store it on the counter it will continue to build more pressure, so be aware!

Enjoy!

Let me know in the comments if you have ever made or plan to make dandelion soda!

Much love <3