Recipe: Lavender Simple Syrup

Lavender simple syrup is the perfect mixer for summer beverages or topper for ice cream! If you make this recipe with fresh lavender blossoms, it will have a deep pink colour.  It will still taste fantastic with dried lavender buds, but will have a much more muted hue.

The first step in this recipe is to make flower water.  When we here at the farm haul in our annual lavender crop, all of the flower stalks that are still in bud are hung and dried for later use, while the flower stalks with open blossoms are brought immediately into the kitchen to be made into lavender flower water. Lavender flower water is a key ingredient in our cooking, and one perfect example of its use is right here: for simple syrup!

We use this syrup to make fresh lavender lemonade and lavender ice cream sundaes for many of our farm events.

With no further ado, here's the method to concoct your very own lavender simple syrup at home!

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons fresh lavender blossoms, or 1 tablespoon culinary lavender buds
• 1 tsp lemon juice (optional - helps produce the deepest colour for syrup)
• 1 cup sugar

Method:

1. Place water, lavender blossoms or buds, and lemon juice in saucepan.
2. Heat over medium heat until simmering.  Simmer 2 minutes, and then switch burner off.  Allow to cool slowly for 30 minutes on stove.
3. Using cheesecloth or fine mesh strainer, strain flowers/buds and save the flower water.
4. Add sugar to flower water in saucepan.
5. Heat over low-medium heat, stirring just until sugar dissolves.
6. Simmer for 1 minute.
7. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
8. Pour into pitcher or glass jar.  If not using right away, keep refrigerated for up to six weeks.

Serving suggestions: 

• mix 1 tablespoon into a glass of your favourite cold beverage - our favourite is lemonade!
• pour generously over vanilla ice cream to make a lavender sundae!