Yes, there is another reason why I love June. June is when the bees start buzzing because like me, they are drawn to nature’s perfect perennial: lavender. June is the month when (at last!) my French lavender plants are finally ready for harvest.
I wait patiently all year for these few weeks in June, and I do my best each season to create something new with my two dozen French lavender plants. I’ve baked cakes and stitched linen eye pillows in the past. This week, I made lavender lemonade and a summer wreath. More on the wreath next week, but meanwhile . . .
Don’t you love lemonade?
Could anything define summer more than this beverage? I think only iced tea could compete, but there is something about that taste of citrus poured over ice that forces one to pause and appreciate the simple pleasures of summer.
How to Make Lavender Lemonade
Combine ¾ cup of water with ½ cup of sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a low boil and stir until sugar dissolves, remove from heat. Add 3-4 organic lavender buds to heated sugar water mixture and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
Prepare frozen lemonade as directed, minus 1 cup of water. Remove lavender buds from sugar mixture, then pour sugar water into prepared lemonade and add fresh slices of lemon.
For color (optional), mix ¼ cup of water with one drop of blue food coloring and one drop of red food coloring.
Pour into lemonade mixture and add lavender stems as garnish.
Speaking of lavender season, thanks so much to Matthew Mead for the mention in his latest publication: SUMMER. I’m was so happy to be included in a page featuring bloggers and their favorite summer traditions!
I’ll share the lavender front door wreath next week.
Wishing you all a fantastic weekend, and I hope it’s filled with all the things that make summer wonderful for you.
xoxo,
/
Lavender is my new favorite thing to cook/bake with! I actually blogged about lavender lemonade not too long ago: http://www.dwellingsbydevore.com/2011/05/loving-lavendar.html
Oh, you lucky girl to have lavender growing in your yard! I grew lavender in our yard when we lived in SoCal. The smell is heavenly!
Oh! I am sooo trying this! I harvested some of my lavender a week ago to make lemon-lavender cookies. I think I will have to make some lemonade, too. Thanks!
Sounds like heaven to me! I wonder if I can get organic lavender around here? Where would I look?
How much dried lavender would you recommend using? I have a ton of food-grade lavender buds just waiting for this recipe it seems :)
Lavender door wreath?! This sounds good! Can’t wait to see!!
Oh my goodness, it’s a beautiful refreshing looking drink. And I have lavender growing in my yard, why didn’t I know I could create something so awesome!
Thanks for teaching me something new with each post,
Debbie
Pretty and tasty? A good combination!
Love lavender everything! Lavender cookie, lavender lemonade, and have you tried lavender ice cream?! MMM… Yummy! Thanks for sharing this! :)
Your lavender lemonade is so pretty and looks very refreshing. I am envious of your lavender bushes!! I don’t know if they will grow in Colorado, but I may have to try!
I had no idea! I have a few lavender plants, not enough to make a wreath or pillow, but now I know how to make a delightful summer drink with the flowers. Beautiful. As always, thanks for another clever posting.
I’m definitely going try this recipe! I’ve discovered that lavender simple syrup also adds an interesting flavor to Prosecco or sparkling wine.
Ok this is maybe a silly question but when you say add 3 or 4 lavender buds in the recipe, do you mean the itty bitty buds or 3 or 4 flowers? I don’t want to mess it up!
How fabulous! Love it, thanks for sharing with us. :)
runningtobeskinny.com
these-are-the-days.com
I love lavender but it makes me sneeze like nobody’s business :( But congrats on the article mention — you are blowing up!!!!
I’m fascinated by the idea of eating lavender. I adore my Herbes de Provence and I’ve been wanting to try lavender lemonade for some time. Last year I went to lavender festival and had lavender soda – it was a bottled thing but I can’t recall the manufacturer.
I’ve had Spanish lavender for years but finally bought some lavender plants that will allow me this kind of fun. I’ll be sure to bookmark all your lavender projects and recipes so I can try them when my plants get big enough. And one of these years I plan to have an all flower tea – where everything is made from edible flowers.
I have not tried Lavender Lemonade, yet… but I am planning on making up a batch as soon as my lavender is ready!
If you’re looking for something else that you can use your lavender for, check out this blog post I found on Lavender wands:
http://theessentialherbal.blogspot.com/2007/06/making-lavender-wands.html
They are beautiful and smell wonderful! Great for anywhere you want to enjoy the frangrance and really cool to adorn a gift with.
Thanks for sharing your recipe! <3
This looks beautiful–I must try it!
My aunt grows lavender to sell at Pike Place Market and recently she and my step-mom have begun making lavender cookies to sell. Lovely cookies and lovely thought, but it’s kind of like pina coladas for me, I can’t eat things that are meant to be smelled to me! :) (pina coladas feel like I’m drinking suntan lotion!)
On another note, I know you’re VERY busy, but I’m having fireplace/mantel issues and would SO appreciate it if you find time to pop over and give me your input. I have pictures up with what I’m thinking of doing and I love everything you do so I’d really value your input! Thanks!
i would never have thought to use lavender in lemonade!! what a wonderful idea! i always love this time of year because my hydrangeas are in full bloom!
I’ve been fantasizing about lavender lemonade all week! your post couldn’t have been more perfect. thanks Kate!
Hey Calina, lavender simple syrup is a great substitute!
Darling: I add 3-4 of those full springs (the entire head of 1 bloom), like the ones sitting on the table !
Cheers,
Kate
You lucky duck…I wonder if I can grow lavender here? Off to ask google.
We have lavender in our garden, but I’ve never heard of lavender lemonade. Sounds wonderful! Thanks for sharing.
Your lavender is gorgeous and divinely fragrant. I know, because I was one of the lucky ducks who won your lavender giveaway last year! I’m still enjoying my prize, and it still smells delicious, even after a year. Thanks again!
WOW, gorgeous! And sounds yummy!
Typically the Angustafolia’s or what you would typically refer to as “English” lavender would be preferable for culinary purposes because it is light and sweet with less of the bitter camphor’s. I am a big believer in trying EVERYTHING though! No rules! :) But don’t give up on lavender if you seem to get a bitter or soapy taste. It may mean you don’t have the right type of lavender! Love your blog!
That looks so good. I don’t know of any place around here to get fresh organic lavender, but I’m sure going to look now! On another note, your blog seriously has some magical quality about it. I think it’s your photos. They’re stunning.
Love lavender! Have a few plants growing in my garden. Not sure whether mine is food grade, but I’d love to dry some and make sachets. Can you tell me when to cut it? I never know if it’s before or after it flowers. Will it keep its scent naturally? Thanks. On a lemonade note, I made watermelon lemonade not long ago – de-lish!
This looks incredible! I love the subtle color. I can’t wait to try this.
wow! congrats to you! it sure looks pretty but does it taste good too?? would love to try!
Sadly, my lavender doesn’t look this pretty. I’m still hoping!
This looks amazing. I have always been scared to infuse lavender in simple syrups. Thanks for the idea! I will try it for sure now!
You have just inspired me to plant lavender! It sure seems and sounds like I am missing out on many goods. Thank you!
I love lavender and can’t wait to try this recipe..Have a great weekend..
Janet
I just harvested my lavender and made a sugar scrub. I put it in lemonade and cookies as well!
I just posted this week about a trip to Texas’ lavender capital. Went with my girlfriends, and we all had the best time. So, currently, I’m so into lavender. I wish I was harvesting my own….Thanks for the lemonade idea; I did walk away from the festival with some culinary lavender. cheers, -s
Wow… that looks so yummy and very pretty too! I’m still waiting for my lavender, I may have to try this when mine is ready to harvest.
Lavender Lemonade. This makes me miss my Lemon tree and the Lavender at my last home.
Great idea, thanks for sharing!
-denise
Beautiful pictures! I need to plant lavendar in my garden, I love what you make with it! The lavendar cupcakes from the post last week were to die for!
Just stumbled upon your blog & got to looking @ your projects…I was blown away by each & everyone & did not realize how much time had passed by looking at them all!! amazing!! glad I came across your blog it’s great :) i am now a follower!
OHHH! This looks and sounds heavenly! My lavender is a little late in arriving this year but it’s slowly and surely blooming. I love the idea of adding the ‘color’ to the lemonade! So pretty!
The lemonade sounds refreshing. Now that my lavender garden is blooming, I’ll have to try it! Two of my favorite lavender books with loads of good ideas are “Lavender” by Tessa Evelegh and “The Scented Lavender Book” by Lois Vickers
Aah, lavender! Let me count the ways I love thee! I always just used it for sweet sniffs – now I can “branch” out!
Kerry at housetalkn.blogspot.com
I had my first lavender in a martini and I was hooked after that! This sounds amazing and I will be trying your recipe.
You’ve created a serious domino effect in my life concerning lavender! ;)
I featured your post over at my blog! justlovelyblog.com
My lavender is just starting to bud. I’ve never made anything to eat with the buds, just enjoyed them outside. I’ll have to give this a try!