Day Lily Wine
The problem with day lilies is that there are around 60,000 varieties in the world and most
– but not all — are edible while some cause nausea, diarrhea and vomiting if ingested. My
sources say you have to gorge yourself on the bad ones to experience this, or eat some of the
green stem attached to the flower base. My personal problem is that I don’t know which are
and which are not edible.
- 2-1/2 qts day lily petals, lightly packed
- 1 11-1/2 oz can of Welch’s 100% White Grape Juice frozen concentrate
- 6-1/2 pts water
- 1 lb 10 oz granulated sugar
- 2 tsp acid blend
- 1/8 tsp powdered grape tannin
- 1 tsp yeast nutrient
- Champagne or Hock wine yeast
But I have learned that the very first day lilies imported to Colonial America were edible
and quickly escaped into the wild. The large clumps of wild day lilies found throughout the
Eastern United States and Canada are descendants of those early escapees. Known botanically as
Hemerocallis fulva, this common day lily is perfectly safe to eat and make wine with.
As for me, I have only made wine from flowers given to me and certified as edible. If you know
that your lilies are edible, then you might try the following recipe.
This recipe makes a wine with 12-1/2% alcohol by volume. Do not make it stronger than this
or the alcohol will mask the flavor of the flower. I like this wine slightly sweet, and by
“slightly” I mean with a specific gravity of 1.002 to 1.004. Serve it chilled. When the season
is right, serve it on the patio with a salad garnished with day lily petals.