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Lilacs are such a lovely part of spring and summer in my opinion. They’re gorgeous and their amazing scent fills the air in my little town every year, making every a walk a complete sensory experience. The flowers are also completely edible. Get creative in your kitchen this spring with these ways to eat lilacs.
Preparing Lilacs for Eating
Use only unsprayed lilacs. Rinse the flowers under running water. Let dry. I often give them a spin in the salad spinner to remove excess water.
Strip those flower blossoms from the stem. I find it easiest to do this with a pair of scissors over a bowl. Just snip getting the tender bloom and avoiding the tough, woody stem. This is a little bit of a process but is a nice way to sit on the porch on a lovely day.
Drinking Lilacs
Make a cordial by covering those blossoms with vodka and let it sit in a dark cupboard for 2 to 4 weeks. Strain, that now lavender-colored alcohol, and use in all your favorite cocktail recipes. Make big batches and put into pretty bottles for gift giving.
Homebrew those lilacs into some homemade wine.
For the non-drinkers and kids, make a simple syrup by simmering 1 cup of water with 1 cup of sugar for 10 minutes. Add 1 cup of lilac blossoms to the warm mixture, cover and let steep 20 minutes. Strain and refrigerate. Use this simple syrup to flavor and sweeten iced tea or to make homemade Italian sodas.
Preserving Lilacs
Infuse lilacs into vinegar for a floral vinegar that would make a delightful salad dressing on those strawberry and spinach salads.
Preserve the blossoms and flavor by making lilac sugar, a delicately infused sugar perfect for baking and more.
Cover those blossoms with an egg white and sugar, let dry. These candied lilac blossoms are a labor of love but make for beautiful cake decorations.
Lilac infused honey is perfect for adding a floral touch to drinks and more.
Lilac jelly is beautiful and tasty. Make a couple of batches now and store for thank you and holiday gifts later.
Eating Lilacs
Lilacs seem to have a perfect affinity for sweets. Toss a few into salads for savory use but consider using them for simple and showstopping desserts.
Have lilacs for breakfast or afternoon tea by folding the blossoms into scones.
Add the blossoms to creamy and comforting rice pudding.
They’re delicious tossed into cake and make for a beautifully simple decoration too.
Make single serving lilac cream tarts for a buffet.
Their color and delicate flavor match nicely with crunchy cornmeal cookies.
Mix lilacs and blackberries for a fluffy and decadent pavlova.
So this spring and summer get out there and bring lilacs not only to the table as centerpieces but also as part of the meal itself with these easy ways to eat lilacs.
Kathie
Love your news letters, have been getting them for about a year now. Have made many of your recipes. oils and lip balms. Going to try the Lilacs one.
they smell to go to eat,,, lol..
In Peace Dee
Thank you so much for saying so! I avoided eating lilacs for a long time because I worried that their scent and flavor would be too overpowering in food but I don’t find that to be true. Enjoy those lilacs.
Hello Kathie,
I love this post, I had no idea you could eat lilac. We have a white and a purple bush. As soon as it stops raining, I’ll pick some to try the recipes.
Thank you for all this inspiration
Enjoy those lilacs!
Wonderful ideas! ?
Lilac Fritters! Wash a stem full of blooms, dip in pancake batter and pan fry!
What a tasty idea!
I’m so glad I’m not the only one who does this!
Oh nice! I’m gonna add blackberries and make for my partners bday snack.
Have you tried drying the blossoms to use in an oil infusion? Also curious if they freeze well? Would be nice to use them throughout the year.
I haven’t tried an oil infusion with Lilacs, nor have I tried to freeze them, though I’m sure you could. I think it’d make a delightful compound butter too…
I have dried and infused them, but the aroma doesn’t transfer well and the infusion had a dirty feet smell. I had heard this was the case with Lilacs, but wanted to try anyway. There is Lilac Absolute you can buy that would probably lend the most “real” Lilac aroma to an infusion or lotion. https://www.stillpointaromatics.com/lilac-essential-oil-CO2-Syringa-vulgaris-extract-aromatherapy
Charlie, we freeze them in coconut water to make popsicles. We have also put them in ice cube trays to add to herbal sweet tea as well.
To capture the fragrance you must make an enfleurage(gooogle if not familiar).
Interesting. I never knew you could eat them. The garden of our new home is currently bursting with lilacs so even with a crop to make some goodies I shall still have plenty in the garden to enjoy :)
Oh very fun – enjoy!
I always make a lemon balm cake with lilac frosting . This year tried cream cheese and I haven’t perfected the texture but it doesn’t matter bc it was so good! Also I make syrups and add to sweet cream ice cream. Decorate w candied lilacs if ya feel like it. When I used to drink I loved the syrup w vodka and seltzer and lime or lemon. I also want to make a sorbet w blueberries this year !
I can’t wait to try these,thank you for sharing
We purchased our home two years ago and it has a lilac bush on the edge of the yard! I don’t know the history of the yard, but I assume the grass (at the very least) been treated with weed & feed, pesticides, etc. If we haven’t treated the bush with these things, are the blossoms now safe to consume? How long does a plant have to go untreated to be safe to consume? Thanks!
I personally would think 2 years is long enough but I honestly can’t say with any kind of scientific accuracy. Maybe ask a local extension office?
Thank you for this post, I love the smell of lilac and now I can preserve it for a long winter.
Enjoy!