A Sweet Little Lilac Recipe For Spring
Capture the magic of lilac season in a jar.
“In the dooryard fronting an old farm-house near the white-wash’d palings,
Stands the lilac-bush tall-growing with heart-shaped leaves of rich green,
With many a pointed blossom rising delicate, with the perfume strong I love,
With every leaf a miracle—and from this bush in the dooryard,
With delicate-color’d blossoms and heart-shaped leaves of rich green,
A sprig with its flower I break.”
-except of Walt Whitman’s, “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d”
I love lilac season. The blooms of deep purple, violet and white call to me in the garden as I pass by. I can’t help stop and press a tower of blossoms to my face, inhaling their intoxicating scent.
Lilac season doesn’t last long, but this lilac sugar recipe will help you capture their magic to savor all year!
You’ll love sweetening your tea with this lilac sugar or maybe sprinkling some over your next batch of scones.
This recipe is super easy to make and very fun to use!
My mother once told me that it was an Irish custom for good luck and prosperity to plant a lilac bush outside your kitchen door. Luckily for me someone already had planted one before we purchased North Fork 53.
This Oregon homestead came with a lilac bush on the north side of the farmhouse that is two stories tall.
I can just reach the blossoms on it’s very lowest branches.
I went on to plant several more lilacs around our farm with different colors and bloom times so I can enjoy the flowers a bit longer- but the old growth lilac has a fragrance that cannot be matched.
Lilacs can live to be 75 years or more- so I’m hoping our homestead lilac has many good years left in her.
How to harvest lilac blooms
It all starts with lilac blooms, of course, preferably ones at the height of the season, lush and full. A sunny late morning harvest is best. Gently remove the bloom from the green stem. If you just give them a slight tug, the bloom slides right off, detaching from the little green sepal at its base, and leaving the yellow pistil behind. You don’t need to wash the flowers but giving them a good shake to remove any unwanted bugs is a good idea.
If you plan on incorporating the lilac blossoms into the finished sugar then it’s important to remove all the green stems from blossoms as they can get bitter and ruin the flavor. (note the blossoms will shrivel and turn brown as they release their essence to the sugar)
If you are removing the blossoms from the finished product then it’s easier to leave the blossoms in small clumps as it makes them easier to sieve out at the end of the week.
It’s up to you and how vibrant or subtle of a lilac flavor you want. The more blossoms you add the stronger the scent in the sugar will be. Generally you want to use a half cup of lilac blossoms per cup of sugar.
How to make lilac sugar
Layer organic white cane sugar, interspersed with layers of lilac blooms, in a quart-sized Ball jar.
(If you don’t like to use refined sugar you can also infuse maple sugar, raw honey, or unrefined cane sugar in place of refined sugar.)
2. Leave a few inches open at the top of the Ball jar to allow for daily vigorous shaking and put a lid on tightly.
3. Place the jar on your counter and remember to give it a good shake every day for 5 days to a week or so.
4. The shaking helps the sugar absorb the blooms moisture and oils over time which is what makes it so delicious.
5. After about a week of shaking, pour the sugar onto a baking sheet and let it air dry and reduce moisture.
6. After it dries out you can pour it through a sieve to remove the clumps of petals and place it back into the jar or…
7. Run it through the food processor to incorporate the dried lilac petals and place it back into the jar for storage.
10 Ways to use your lilac sugar
Using lilac sugar in my cup of tea is my favorite- it’s especially good in a chamomile blend like Nap & Nourish.
Whip with 35% cream to make lilac whipped cream.
Cream with butter in your favourite cake recipe or sprinkle on top of scones, sugar cookies or pie crust before baking.
Use in place of regular sugar in your favourite homemade ice cream recipe.
Place in small jars and give as party or wedding favors.
Add to fresh chopped berries, let the berries macerate, and use over shortcake.
Use with black tea to make a lilac infused kombucha.
Melt into a lilac simple syrup and use as an ingredient in a homemade lemonade, iced tea, mocktail or popsicles!
Rim the glass of a summer cocktail.
Blend with coconut oil to make lilac sugar scrub for your skin.
