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Tuesday, May 28, 2019

Making Lilac Lemonade


The jar on the right contains lilac syrup. I made this a couple of weeks ago when the lilacs were in bloom in my garden. My plan is to serve lilac lemonade at the upcoming reception.

My first attempt at lilac syrup turned out very pungent, so much so that I diluted that batch substantially with additional plain simple syrup. The end result was pleasantly floral when mixed with lemon juice and water.

Lilacs don't naturally impart their beautiful hues to the syrup, so I dyed this batch with the blueberry juice from a thawed bag of blueberries. It's now a beautiful shade of, well, lilac. The carafe to the left contains lilac lemonade. I'll fill my thrifted punch bowl with lilac lemonade for one of two beverages.  We have some lovely magenta roses just beginning to bloom in our garden. Keeping with the floral theme of the lemonade, I plan on making an ice ring filled with rose petals. The second beverage will be a decaffeinated spiced tea, which I'll keep hot in my large crockpot. In addition, I'll also serve water in repurposed cider bottles.

Did you know that lilac blossoms are edible? I didn't until a friend told me just a few weeks ago. You can use the blossoms in scones, tea cakes, and poundcake. In addition to lemonade, the lilac syrup is also delightfully floral when added to a pot of plain black tea. The syrup keeps in the refrigerator for 2 weeks or in the freezer for several months.

4 comments:

  1. This sounds like something that would be served at a fancy tea shop! Unfortunately, our lilacs have very few blooms this year, so I won't be able to try this out. Did you find a recipe online or create one yourself?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Kris,
      there are a few recipes for lilac syrup online. I won't post to a specific one, as I found I had to do a lot of tweaking (adding plain simple syrup) to get the flavor to my own taste. Basically, you rinse the blossoms, then pull them off of the stem (they come off very easily). In a saucepan, combine 1 part sugar and 1 part water, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add the blossoms. Some recipes say to turn the stove off and allow to stand for several hours, others say to simmer for a few minutes, then cool and strain. The amount of the blossoms varies, from 1 part blossoms to 2 parts blossoms. As I said, mine came out too pungent at first and I diluted it. I began with the higher amount of blossoms and allowed to stand for several hours. It may have been less intense if I had either begun with less blossoms, or allowed to infuse for less time. Anyway, for a special occasion, I think this special lemonade is just about right.

      Delete
  2. I have never thought about eating lilac blossoms and I won't get a chance to experiment until next year as all of our bushes have just finished blooming.

    When is the reception?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi live and learn,
      I know. My lilacs are now gone for the year, too. The reception is in a week. I'm busy getting things together! Thanks for asking.

      Delete

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