Honey Lilac Syrup

Lilacs are a sure sign of spring, with an intoxicating scent and beautiful range of colours. The blossoms are edible, and delicious, and make a lovely lilac syrup.

This recipe is very slightly finicky as the individual blossoms must be carefully plucked from the flower heads. Green stems make the syrup bitter and must be sorted out – luckily, lilac blossoms come away from the stems quite easily.

This is a cold infusion, meaning the blossoms are immersed in a cold water/honey mixture rather than a hot one. I find that the flavour can quickly move toward vaguely rotten when doing a hot infusion, and the lilac scent is stronger with cold.

Much like elderflower cordial, this syrup can be used for drinks, either mixed simply with sparkling water or as an addition to other mixed drinks like lilac lemonade. Use it as a soak for cakes or anywhere you might use simple syrup.

The end shade will depend on the colour of the honey, blossoms, and how many berries you add. Mine is usually more pink than purple.

Ingredients

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

• Lilac blossoms: make sure they’re unsprayed and harvested away from a busy road-side. If you’re not sure, just ask!
• Honey: choose a honey without an overwhelming flavour and one you like the taste of, as it will come through slightly. Sugar can replace honey if you need a vegan option. I don’t really recommend it – sugar will change the flavour significantly – but it can be used. In that case, the water and sugar must be heated enough to dissolve the crystals, and then cooled fully before adding the blossoms.
• Blueberries: or blackberries, for colour. I find frozen wild blueberries add the best colour. The colour of the lilac blossoms can also alter the syrup colour slightly, but it doesn’t really matter. Choose flowers with a strong scent for the best flavour.

Step by Step

Step 1: mix the water and honey in a bowl, then add the blossoms and berries. Steep in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours.
Step 2: strain and add lemon juice if using, then store in jars.

Recipe Notes

If the syrup is at all bitter, it’ll be because green stems got into the mix. It is time consuming to pluck all the flowers away from the stems, but must be done.

Don’t over-steep the infusion, and definitely don’t be tempted to go over 48 hours. If you feel it needs a stronger flavour, remove the blossoms from the mix and add new ones to steep for another day. Any longer than two days and the lilacs will start to rot and impart that flavour to the syrup.

How to Store

Storage: transfer the syrup to sterilised jars and refrigerate for up to two weeks.

Freezing: freeze in airtight containers for a couple of months.

More Recipes with Edible Flowers

Elderflower Lemonade
Almond, Rose, and Cardamom Granola
Rhubarb Almond Tart
Strawberry Elderflower Scone Cake

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This post was first published in May 2021. It has been updated with additional information as of May 2022.

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by Alexandra Daum

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