Lilac Syrup

1 May

One of the most beautiful flowers in Spring is the Lilac. Its conical clusters of tiny little flowers have the most incredible sweet scent. Symbolically, they represent spring, fresh beginnings and new love so they are perfect for May kitchen recipes! I have a young shrub in my garden and it probably gets the most love and attention of all my plants!

Lilac syrup is an easy way to bring all of that goodness into the home. It’s perfect to add to lemonade, a cheeky gin and tonic or even your favourite tea infusion. Pour the syrup into ice cube trays (you could add a little flower to each too!) and add to drinks when the weather is fine. A splash of lemon and a sprig of mint is the perfect addition.

Lilac Syrup Recipe

Makes approximately 500ml

Ingredients

2 cups of lilac flowers, all stems and green parts removed (appx. 30g)
400g golden caster sugar
440ml water
3 blueberries (to colour the syrup, optional)
juice of ½ lemon

Method

Place the sugar and water in a heavy bottomed pan and bring to the boil over a medium heat (be careful with hot sugar around little ones)
Once boiling, turn down slightly and simmer for 5 minutes
Remove from the heat and allow to cool for around 20 minutes
Feel free to add a few blueberries for a colour pop at this stage. Then add some lemon juice, a little at a time, until you have the perfect lilac syrup colour. This step is optional though
Place the lilac flowers in a heat proof jug or bowl and pour over the cooled syrup, ensuring all the flowers are covered
Place a cover over the bowl and allow the syrup to infuse for 2 hours at room temperature
After this time place the syrup in the fridge to infuse for a further 12 hours
Strain the infusion to remove all of the flowers and pour the syrup into a clean and sterilised bottle or jar
Keep refrigerated