I typically half this recipe since I don't have a big enough pot and it takes a really long time to pick that many flowers. Just don't forget -- as I did, one year -- to halve everything but the sugar. It was gross. My other nugget of wisdom is to respect authority (just this once) and honor the expiration date on the yeast.
Pick the best looking flowers, leaving the green sepals, but get rid of the stalks. Back home, put them immediately into a large ceramic, glass or plastic vessel. Boil water; pour over flowers. Cover your crock for 3 days. On the fourth day strain blossoms from liquid. Cook liquid with sugar and rind of citrus (omit rind if not organic) for 30-60 min. Return to crock. Add citrus juice. When liquid has cooled to blood temp, soften yeast, spread on toast, and float toast in crock. Cover and let work for 2 days. Strain. Return liquid to crock for 1 more day to settle. Filter into very clean bottles and cork lightly. Don't drink until winter solstice.
![]()