Flavoring your lemonade with lavender is a great way to relax. Try out this recipe for Melinda Lee’s Lemonade, a delicious beverage with a beautiful color.
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup fresh lavender blooms, stems removed before measuring (1 tbsp dried lavender equivalent)
- 1 cup sugar
- 5 cup water, divided
- 1 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
Makes 6-8 servings
Preparation
- In a saucepan, mix the sugar with 2 ½ cups of the water. Bring to a boil, stirring, to dissolve the sugar.
- Add the lavender to the hot sugar syrup, remove from heat, and allow to steep for at least 20 minutes, or up to several hours as desired.
- Strain.
- Discard solids.
- Add the lemon juice and the remaining 2 ½ cups of water. Stir. The color will change.
- Chill or serve over ice.
- Garnish with sprigs of fresh lavender.
Hidcote lavender will turn the lemonade a rosy-pink color, and other types will make a paler beverage. Do NOT use pine-smelling lavenders such as “spike” lavender due to their camphor flavor. Dried lavender may also be used.
(Adapted from Bristol Farms and Yule Love It Lavender Sweet and Savory Recipe Repertoire)