This lavender lemonade is the most refreshing way to quench your thirst on hot summer days! It’s pleasantly sweet with light floral notes and just the right amount of lemony tang. You’ll love the pretty shade of pale purple too!

Y’all know I live on the Olympic Peninsula right? But did you know that our little neighboring town of Sequim (pronounced Skwim) is the lavender capital of North America? It’s true! Sequim has nearly the same latitude as Provence France where lavender grows with wild abandon. Take a drive on the back country farm roads anytime in July and you’ll know what I mean. The beauty of the rolling purple fields will nearly stop your heart!

In celebration of this magical purple bud and to summer itself, I whipped up a little something special for you, lavender lemonade. It’s pleasantly sweet with light floral notes, and just the right amount of lemony tang. We quenched our thirst with tall cool glasses of this nectar of the Gods at the Lavender Farm Tour and Tea Culinary Excursion I hosted earlier this month. It was *insanely* delicious after a jam-packed morning, especially when served over ice!

FAQ

Lavender, it seems, has an air of mystery about it, and you may have a few questions. So, let’s dive right in!

What lavender do I use?

I’m so glad you asked! There are 2 main types of lavender, English and French. English lavender is perfect for culinary use and is edible. French lavender is better for non-edible products such as lotion and soap and has a stronger, somewhat medicinal, scent. I find it easy to remember like this: English = edible, French = fragrant.

Now that we know to use English lavender, it’s time to choose the variety. Most edible English lavender is going to be in the Angustifolia family. Feel free to choose any variety in this family, like Royal Velvet. The lavender blossoms are a bright, yet deep purple color, even when dried.

Where do I find culinary lavender?

I’m a huge fan of purchasing lavender directly from a lavender farm like B & B Family Lavender Farm. This way you know you’re getting a pure product and supporting small farms to boot. If this isn’t an option, the spice counter at your local grocery is the next best choice. Just make sure you’re purchasing culinary lavender, so your lemonade doesn’t taste like grandma’s soap!

Do I use fresh or dried lavender?

Always use dried lavender buds. The floral flavor comes from the oil inside the dried buds. Fresh lavender blossoms have very little flavor and can taste grassy if you use too much.

Will my lemonade turn purple?

Good question! Your lemonade will take on a beautiful pale purple hue if you use deep purple dried lavender buds such as Royal Velvet. If the lavender buds are pale, almost grey in color, your lemonade will be the traditional light yellow.

Will my lemonade taste like soap?

Since soapy lemonade is less than delicious, we take a few steps to prevent this tragedy. The first thing is to make sure you’re using English culinary lavender. French lavender has a strong medicinal flavor and can taste soapy. Next, we simmer the buds for 2 minutes only in simple syrup before sliding the pan off the heat. Cooking the buds for longer than this will intensify the flavor, risking a bitter or soapy taste.

What’s in this lavender lemonade recipe?

Lavender lemonade has two main parts: lavender simple syrup and lemonade. The floral notes and sweetness come from the simple syrup and the fresh lemony taste comes from lemonade.

Lavender Simply Syrup

Simple syrup is simple to make, just like the name says! Mix equal parts water and granulated sugar, add a pinch of salt, and bring to a lively simmer. Once the sugar is dissolved, slide the pan off the heat to cool. This recipe uses ½ cup of water and ½ cup of sugar. Feel free to make a double batch if you need more!

To make lavender simple syrup, tumble 2 tablespoons of whole dried culinary lavender buds, along with the water, sugar, and salt into a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a lively simmer and cook for 2 minutes. Then slide the pan off the heat and steep for 30 minutes. Next, pour the syrup through a fine mesh strainer to remove the buds.

The key to achieving the perfect amount of floral notes is to simmer the buds in simple syrup for 2 minutes only. This prevents the feared soapy taste.

Lemonade

Lemonade is simply lemon juice diluted with water and then sweetened. I highly recommend using freshly squeezed lemons in this recipe. The stuff that comes in a lemon shaped plastic bottle next to real lemons in the produce section will taste watery and bitter at best. The clean lemony taste, and satisfied smile after the first sip, is well worth the effort of squeezing your own.

Top tips for making this recipe

Use culinary lavender- for light floral notes and a beautiful pale purple hue.
Simmer your lavender buds for 2 minutes only- in the simple syrup to prevent any bitterness or soapy aftertaste.
Use freshly squeezed lemon juice- for an irresistible bright lemony tang. You’ll thank yourself after each thirst-quenching sip!

Here’s everything you need to make this recipe

Ingredients / Makes 4½ cups

Lavender Simple Syrup

½ cup (100 g) of granulated sugar
½ cup (118 ml) of water
Pinch of fine sea salt
2 tablespoons (3 g) of dried culinary lavender buds

Lemonade

½ cup (118 ml) of freshly squeezed lemon juice, about three lemons
3 cups (709 ml) of cold water

How to make lavender lemonade

1.Make the simple syrup- In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, pour in the water. Add the sugar, a pinch of salt, and sprinkle in the lavender buds. Stir it around to incorporate the sugar and wet the blossoms.

2. Bring to a boil- Stir the syrup gently until the whole mixture starts to boil. Then, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 2 minutes while the sugar dissolves. Slide the pan off the heat and let the blossoms steep for 30 minutes. This also gives syrup time to cool.

3. Strain the simple syrup- Pour the syrup through a fine mesh strainer into a small bowl. You’ll notice small specs of lavender in the syrup and that’s okay.

4. Add all the ingredients to a pitcher or jar and stir- Once the syrup is cool, pour it from the bowl into a 5+ cup jar or pitcher. Then add the lemon juice and water. Stir it all around.

5. Serve- Pour the lavender lemonade into glasses. Cool with a few ice cubes, if you like, and garnish with a lemon slice!

Storage:

Store leftovers in a clean glass jar in the fridge for up to 5 days.

This recipe tastes like summer in a glass! So much so, that I took the photoshoot outside on the very warm day I shot these pictures. The afternoon sun was just beginning to settle into evening and melt the last of my ice I had stashed for the shoot. After capturing enough images, I plopped down in the tall grass and slowly sipped on the hero of my story. It felt like a picture-perfect moment and tasted like one too. I’m SO excited for you to try it!

Happy summer sipping and take care,

X,o,

Carol

More delicious recipes with lemon and lavender

Oat Flour Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Lemon Lavender Scones

Lavender Moon Milk

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Yield: 4 (1 cup) glasses

Author: Carol Clayton