homemade lavender lemonade 💜
let me start with this… lavender lemonade taste exactly as amazing as it sounds.
I’ve been wanting to try making this for a while and suddenly it occurred to me… I literally have lavender growing in my garden outside.
You can buy culinary lavender from the store, but since I had lavender growing right outside my own home, I decided to just pick a bunch of it and dry it myself. You can do this two ways:
1. Baking it at 400° for 10 minutes (as shown in video)
2. Tie a bundle of it together with a rubber band and hang it upside down for about a week (that takes so long but your house will smell so nice)
Adding the food coloring at the end is completely optional… I just wanted my lemonade to be purple!
Here’s the recipe that you can screenshot/save/whatever:
🍋 6 cups water
🍋 1/2 cup granulated sugar
🍋 1/4 cup honey
🍋 3 tablespoons of dried culinary lavender
🍋 2 cups lemon juice
🍋 red and blue food coloring (optional)
1. collect your lavender.
if you bought dried culinary lavender from the store, you can skip to step 6.
if you are gathering lavender from your house or from a farm - it’s better to gather more lavender stems than less. Collect as much as you can and if you have extra… you can just store it for later! Collect your lavender by cutting the base of the stem with scissors.
2. spread out lavender on baking sheet.
it should be a thin layer of lavender on the sheet, don’t just pile them all on top of each other. pre-heat your over to 400°.
3. bake your lavender.
bake for 10 minutes. you will know that your lavender is ready when you break one of the stems, and it snaps nice and crisp. stems should be brittle.
4. remove the buds from the stems.
this is soo tedious but at least your kitchen will smell amazingly. be careful not to get any of the stems into the mixture.
5. check how much lavender you have!
it would really stink to find out later that you did not in fact collect enough lavender for your recipe. You need to have 3 tablespoons of lavender buds for this recipe! measure it out and check now, thank me later.
6. put 2 cups of water into a medium-size pot.
turn your stove on to a medium-high setting.
7. put 1/2 cup sugar into the medium-size pot.
at this point, I use a whisk to stir the sugar and water together.
8. let the water boil until the sugar dissolves.
this only took about 2 minutes honestly.
9. remove pot from the heat and add 1/4 cup honey.
10. add 3 tbsp dried lavender to the pot.
11. steep for 2 hours.
steeping pretty much means that you’re going to let the lavender soak into the sugar and water mixture for a long time. you should have a little bit of heat, but not so much that it’s boiling. when I made this, I kept the heat on the lowest possible setting.
12. strain lavender juice.
cuz who wants chunky lemonade? not me!
13. add 2 cups of lemon juice to a pitcher.
if you’re lazy like me you’re just going to use lemon juice from the store. if you want it to be 100% from scratch though, use 10-12 lemons to get 2 cups of juice.
14. add lavender juice to the pitcher.
15. add 4 cups of water to the pitcher.
16. OPTIONAL! MAKE IT PURPLE!
I love being aesthetic, so I got red and blue food coloring. when you combine these two colors, it creates a beautiful purple, which looks so pretty in my opinion. but it’s completely optional whether or not you want to add this step!
17. add ice and enjoy!! 💜
this was NOT my recipe, this wonderful recipe was created by Becky Hardin. Here’s the link to the recipe page of hers: https://www.thecookierookie.com/lavender-lemonade/
#lavenderrecipes #lemonade🍋 #lemonade #lavenderlemonade #Recipe #summerrecipes #summerdrinks #summerdrinkideas #letschat #lemon8reccomendations
Ever wondered why lemon and lavender are such a match made in heaven? It's all about balance! The bright, zesty acidity of lemon perfectly cuts through the sweet, floral, and slightly herbaceous notes of lavender. This combination creates a surprisingly refreshing and sophisticated flavor profile that's both calming and invigorating. It's not just delicious; lavender is often associated with relaxation, making this drink a perfect chill-out companion. Making your own lavender lemonade is incredibly rewarding, and with a few extra tips, you can elevate your batch to perfection. When you collect lavender from your garden, remember to snip the stems carefully, ideally in the morning after the dew has dried but before the sun is too strong, as this is when their essential oils are most potent. If you're drying it yourself, ensure it's completely dry before use – you can bake it as described in the recipe for 10 minutes at 400°, or hang it upside down in a cool, dark place for about a week. The 3 tbsp of buds are crucial for flavor, so measure accurately! Don't rush the steeping process; those two hours allow the lavender's essence to truly infuse into the sugar and water mixture. For a richer flavor, some even let it steep for up to four hours, then you strain lavender juice thoroughly – no one wants chunky lemonade! For the lemon juice, while store-bought is convenient, freshly squeezed really does make a significant difference in brightness and overall taste. You can also adjust the sweetness to your liking; taste as you go and add more sugar or honey if desired. And finally, for presentation, some people like to add a slice of fresh lemon or a sprig of lavender to each glass for an extra touch of elegance. Once you have culinary lavender on hand, a whole world of aromatic possibilities opens up! You can use your homemade lavender simple syrup (the base for this lemonade) in other drinks like iced tea or cocktails. Try adding a pinch of dried lavender to sugar cookies or shortbread for a unique floral twist. It also works beautifully in savory applications, believe it or not – a sprinkle in a herb rub for roasted chicken or lamb can be surprisingly delicious. For a relaxing treat, consider making lavender-infused honey. Looking to turn your refreshing lemonade into a grown-up beverage? A lavender rum cocktail is surprisingly simple and incredibly delicious. For each serving, combine 1.5 oz white rum, 4 oz of your homemade lavender lemonade, and a splash of sparkling water or club soda over ice. Garnish with a lemon slice and a fresh lavender sprig. The sweetness of the rum complements the floral notes of the lavender and the tang of the lemon perfectly. It's an elegant, refreshing drink that’s perfect for summer evenings!
try butterfly pea tea for it to turn purple too. I made a cup of it and made it into ice cubes. it barely has a taste and it's blue until it's paired with citrus, then it's purple.