Lavender Lemonade

Old-fashioned lemonade is elevated to new heights with this recipe for Lavender Lemonade. Made with lavender syrup, fresh lemons, and water. This is a delightful switch to a classic summertime beverage.

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Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 15

Servings: Servings

Calories: 186kcal

Author: Pat Nyswonger

Ingredients

For the Lavender Syrup:

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoon dried culinary lavender buds or 6 tablespoons fresh lavender buds

For the Lavender Lemonade:

1 cup lavender syrup cooled
1-½ cups freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 cups cold water
Lemon slices for garnish
Fresh or dried lavender stems for garnish

Instructions

To Make the Lavender Syrup

Place the water, sugar, and lavender buds in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to simmer. Stir once or twice to distribute the heat evenly; then stop stirring. Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat.
Cover the pan and let the syrup steep for 10 to 15 minutes to develop the lavender flavor.
Pour the syrup through a fine-mesh strainer set over a dish or jar, then discard the lavender buds. Allow the syrup to come to room temperature before using it for the lemonade.

To Make the Lavender Lemonade:

Pour the cooled syrup and the lemon juice into a 2-quart pitcher (there will be a chemical reaction, and the purple lavender syrup will turn pink when it hits the lemon juice).
Add 4 cups of cold water and stir to combine.

To Serve:

Add ice cubes to tall glasses and fill them with the lavender lemonade. Garnish each serving with sprigs of fresh or dried lavender stems and add a drinking straw to each glass.

Notes

This lavender lemonade will not have the distinctive lavender hue of the flowers. A chemical reaction occurs when the lavender syrup and lemon juice are combined, resulting in a pink color.
For a lavender-colored lemonade, add a couple of drops of blue or purple food color to the beverage.
When purchasing dried lavender flowers, make sure that the label indicates it is a food-grade, culinary product.
Do not use fresh or dried lavender from nurseries or flower shops, as they will have been treated with chemical pesticides.
When making the lavender syrup, do not stir it as it simmers or sugar crystals will form.
The longer the lavender buds steep in the syrup, the stronger the flavor. Be careful not to make the lavender syrup too strong. A little lavender flavor goes a long way.
Make Sparkling Lavender Lemonade by using sparkling water instead of tap water.
The lavender syrup can be made in a larger quantity and kept in the refrigerator, without ice, in a covered jar for up to 2 weeks.
Pour lavender lemonade into ice cube trays and freeze. Add them to the glasses instead of plain ice cubes. The lemonade will not get diluted as the ice cubes melt.
If you have a lavender plant growing in your backyard and have not treated it with pesticides, you are safe to use the blooms.
To dry home-grown, untreated lavender, pick mature blooms with long stems. Bundle and tie the stems, then hang them upside down in a dark, warm area that has good ventilation. It will take about 2-4 weeks for the lavender to become dry and brittle.

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