With spring comes one of my favorite flowers, lilacs! Aside from plumeria and hyacinths, lilacs are my favorite, fragrant smelling flower. I have a large lilac bush planted next to my garden and love how the sweet smell wafts over when I am working. To capture that sweet essence of spring, I have come up with a lovely Lilac Simple Syrup. With every taste, I am transported to the bright spring green of Whidbey Island and the (finally) warm afternoons working in the yard and garden.

This Lilac Simple Syrup is quite easy to make, and well worth the time required for “steeping”. One of my favorite uses is in a London Fog Latte. Simply replace the Lilac Simple Syrup for the vanilla simple syrup that is normally used in a London Fog. Lilac lemonade is another wonderful treat! The Lilac Syrup is freezable…. but be forewarned that it turns into a “slush” when frozen. For the lilac lemonade, substitute some of the sugar with some of your frozen Lilac Syrup. Garnish with some freshly plucked lilac blooms.

Lilac Simple Syrup in cocktails opens up a whole new world! A Lilac Lemon Drop? Yes please! How about a Lilac French 75? Indeed! If these sound delicious, check out this post that focuses on Lilac Inspired Cocktails. https://dinewithdrinks.com/best-lilac-cocktails

Lilac Simple Syrup is a wonderful recipe for spring, and I would urge you to head outside and find a lovely lilac bush. Take in the heady scent and pluck some flowers. Make some Lilac Simple Syrup and enjoy the scents of spring all year long. Enjoy!

And….. if you are in search of another lovely “recipe of spring”, check out this recipe for Nettle Risotto. https://northwestfrench.com/nettle-risotto-a-tasty-stinging-nettle-recipe/. Looking forward to early summer, and the wild roses that cover the forests and fields, here is another floral simple syrup recipe to plan for: Rose Petal Simple Syrup. https://northwestfrench.com/rose-simple-syrup-recipe/

Ingredients

2 Cups Lilac Flowers Carefully pull individual blooms off of the flower.
2 Cups Granulated Sugar
2 Cups Water
6-8 Whole Blueberries, Cut in Half The Blueberries will give your syrup a nice purple hue.
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice, Freshly Squeezed DON'T forget the lemon juice!! Without adding it, the color of the syrup is not nice at all…. somewhat brownish. The acid in the syrup helps protect the color and prevent oxidation.

Instructions

Gather Lilacs. Carefully pull individual blooms off of the flowers.
Measure out 2 cups freshly picked flowers.
Put blooms in a fine mesh strainer and rinse off.
Place rinsed Lilacs in a bowl. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, bring the Water and Sugar to a boil.
Remove from heat and add the cut Blueberries. Let cool down to room temperature, lukewarm.
Once the Sugar/Water/Blueberry mixture is cooled, pour over the Lilacs.
Add the Lemon Juice. Stir to mix thoroughly. Cover and let steep for 12-24 hours.
After steeping, pour through a fine mesh strainer, pressing the petals to squish out all of the Lilac Syrup.
Transfer to an airtight container. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. For longer storage, you can put in canning jars and water-bath can them. I have also frozen the syrup, which actually turns it into a "slush". You can use the slush just as you would the liquid syrup, adding it to drinks.

Lilac Simple Syrup – Wonderful for Lilac Cocktails, Lemonade, and London Fog