Enjoy the essence of spring with our simple Lilac Syrup recipe, where fragrant blossoms are transformed into a delicate floral syrup. Lilacs impart a lovely, subtle floral sweetness to pancakes, waffles, ice cream, whipped cream, cocktails, and more. It especially pairs well with our vanilla bean panna cotta recipe.
At the farmers market, I couldn’t resist the glorious beauty and scent of lilacs. After schlepping a bunch of lilacs around all day, I felt pleasantly surprised when many people stopped to smell their sweet scent. One lady, a florist, shared a tip: to prolong lilacs’ life, cut stems, hammer them, then place in ice water for enhanced water absorption. Enjoying their fragrance all week, let’s now explore the simple steps to bottle the essence of lilacs.
Special Ingredients and Tips
Lilac Blossoms: Use fresh lilacs that are not wilted or brown, which can throw off the flavor and color.
Blueberries and Lemon: Use blueberries and lemon to achieve a lovely lavender color in the syrup, mirroring the lilacs. This step is optional; the flavor remains largely unchanged, primarily affecting color. Opt for meyer lemons for a mild flavor.
Simple Lilac Syrup Recipe
Step 1: Prepare the Lilac blossoms
First, gently detach the fresh blossoms from the little green stems (the stems impart a bitter flavor). Next. briefly rinse the lilac blossoms in a bowl of water to remove debris and any critters. Then set them aside on a paper towel or dishcloth.
Step 2: Make the Syrup
For the syrup, bring the water and sugar to a simmer in a small saucepan. Allow the sugar to dissolve, then add the blueberries. Remove the blueberries once they start to burst and turn the water slightly blue, then add a splash of lemon to turn the color a pinkish lavender hue. Remove the syrup from the heat and let it cool.
Step 3: Steep the Lilac Blossoms
When the mixture is lukewarm, add the lilacs and let them steep at room temperature for an hour. The longer they steep, the more intense the flavor will be. I find that after an hour, you get a nice subtle, delicate floral flavor.
Step 3: Store the Syrup
Lastly, once you reach your desired flavor, strain the lilacs into a bowl and store in an airtight container or bottle in the fridge for up to a week. The recipe makes about half a cup and I love to use a drizzle over pancakes, waffles, ice cream, cocktails, etc.
Simple Lilac Syrup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup Fresh Lilac blossoms* - Not wilted or brown
- 1/2 Cup Sugar
- 1/3 Cup Water
- 2 Blueberries - For color
- Splash of lemon juice - For color
Instructions
- Remove each lilac blossom from the stem (the stem imparts a bitter flavor).
- Gently rinse the lilacs in a bowl of water and set aside on a dish cloth or paper towel.
- In a small saucepan, add the sugar and water and heat until fully dissolved.
- Add the blueberries, once they start to release a bit of color the water will turn blue, take them out and add a small splash of lemon, which will turn the syrup a pinkish lavender color. Once you achieve your desired color, take the syrup off the heat and let it cool until lukewarm.
- Once cooled, add the lilac blossoms and let it steep for an hour at room temperature, at which point the lilacs will have imparted their delicate floral flavor. Let them steep for longer in the fridge if you desire a stronger flavor.
- Strain the syrup and reserve in an airtight container for up to 1 week. It will start to get cloudy if not used up in that time.
- Enjoy on waffles, pancakes, ice cream, panna cotta, oatmeal, cake and much more!
