lilac syrup

I recently embarked on mission to make a bunch of dreamy homemade botanical syrups for coffee and cocktails, and lilac syrup was my latest attempt. It’s also my favorite. Everything about this syrup is absolutely magical. It’s subtle, floral, and incredibly dreamy. One batch will last for quite a while in the fridge, but I think I’m going to sneak in one last batch before lilac season ends in the next week, so that I have enough to last me until next spring (fingers crossed). Dreaming up all the fun things with this….lilac lattes, lilac cocktails, lilac ice cream…endless options!

INGREDIENTS

4 cups lilac blossoms (minus the stems and greenery)

2 cups raw cane sugar

2 cups water (use filtered water)

10-12 blackberries (for color)

3-4 drops Lemon Vitality essential oil (you can substitute a tbsp of fresh lemon juice)

Remove everything but the purple blossom. Truthfully, you’re going to need a lot of lilacs if you have the smaller blossom variety. Trust me, it’s worth it. Just be prepared to be plucking for a little while to get the 4 cups.

Once you have the four cups of lilac blooms in a container, add in some blackberries (blueberries would also be an option) - this is just to add some of that beautiful purple color to the syrup. Floral syrups often turn out brown, so this is just a natural way to control the color a bit. Mix together the cane sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir often throughout, and let it boil for a couple minutes (truthfully, I never time or measure it, just don’t let it burn and don’t leave it on there too long). Pour the hot sugar water over the lilacs and blackberries and cover to steep. I steeped mine for about 16 hours. I would recommend at least 7-8, but overnight is probably the easiest way to do it.

After you have steeped it for several hours, strain it through a fine mesh strainer or a nut milk bag to get all the particles filtered out. Gently press them to ensure you get all of the goodness out! Pour into a glass jar (I recommend one with a narrow neck, just to help control the pouring in the future) and store in the fridge. It will last for several months in the fridge, so you can enjoy it over and over again.

Truly, it’s magical and such a fun way to preserve a bit of springtime to enjoy all year long!