Wild Lilac Lemonade Recipe

Sweet meets sharp in this deliciously refreshing Lilac lemonade recipe, giving a botanical twist to a traditional Summer favourite. Made with just a handful of simple ingredients, and best enjoyed over ice on blue-sky day.

Most commonly seen in gardens and ornamental planting, Lilacs (Syringa Vulgaris) are known for their powerfully sweet scent, which is infamously difficult to extract. While they are not techincally native to the UK, they have become naturalised over the last 400 years and it's a wonderful happenstance to come across one of these beautiful shrubs growing wild in a woodland or hedgerow.

Producing heavy clusters of flowers which bloom in colours from white and the palest pinks to the deepest purples and magenta. Each cluster is made up of a hundred or so individuals blooms, shaped liked miniature trumpets, mostly commonly with four petals. Their heart shaped leaves are hairless, and smooth with a very prominant vein running through the centre of each leaf. The overall shrub is woody and can grow to a great height and width if left to their own devices. Early May is the peak time to see Lilacs in bloom.

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The Lilac flowers are the only part of the shrub to be considered edible and can be used in a myriad of different ways, from wines, cordials and syrups, to candied blossoms, infused sugar and salad garnish. They typically bloom for a couple of weeks, giving plenty of time to try out a few different recipes!

As a non-native shrub, the trickiest part of foraging for Lilacs, is often finding them. Well known as a garden favourite, it is fairly uncommon to come across an established shrub growing wild in a hedgerow or woodland, but when you do, be sure to make note of the spot so you can return year on year. If you're lucky enough to have Lilac in your garden, this makes things very easy for you, but if not, don't be shy to ask neighbours or friends who grow them for a few flower clusters - the worst they can say is no, but I find a promise to share the results usually goes a long way in convincing them!

This recipe for Lilac Lemonade is made in two parts, the first using the highly scented flowers to craft a sweet floral syrup, and the second half uses the Lilac syrup to add sweetness and flavour to a traditional Lemonade recipe. The syrup is best made over a period of 24 hours, so be sure to plan this in advance of when you need it. This allows for deeper infusion of scent and taste, as well as colour. The colour of your syrup will largely depend on the shade of your blooms, and is like to vary each time you make it.

The syrup is made up of water inflused with flowers, and combined with sugar. I like to bottle my flower syrups in small 250ml bottles to make for easy usage and reduce the chance of spoilage, but you can use the larger cordial bottles if you would prefer. Whichever you choose, be sure to make sure all of your bottles are clean and sterilised properly before decanting the syrup. The amounts used in this recipe make up four 250ml bottles of syrup, which in turn is four batches of delicious lemonade. For each batch of Lemonade I use 250ml of syrup, but you can add more or less depending on your taste preference.

The individual bottles of syrup will last for months or even years if sterilised correctly, meaning they can be enjoyed even during the darkest days of Winter.

Traditionally, Lemonade is made using a combination of freshly squeezed lemon juice, sugar and water, un-carbonated and really quite different to the bottled carbonated Lemonade available in supermarkets. Whilst recipes can vary slightly depending on where you are in the world, lemons, water and sugar are always at the heart of every variation. For this recipe, the Lilac infused syrup will act as the sugar, and theoretically, any flower syrup could be used in its place, creating an endless list of possibilities!

Once the lemon juice, water and syrup are combined, I would recommend serving over ice with a few added fresh lemon slices and flowers for a sweet and refreshing beverage - perfect for those warm Summer afternoons. If you have any left over, decant into a bottle and store in the fridge for up to two days.

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Lilac Lemonade Recipe

Ingredients

Two-three generous handfuls of Lilac flowers

2 litre water

6 lemons

1kg granulated sugar

Instructions for the Lilac Syrup

1. Prepare the lilac flowers by gently removing the individual flowers from the bunches, removing any brown or wilted flowers, and any other plant debris that might be lurking there.

2. Add the flowers to a pan, along with 1 litre of water and slowly bring to a boil. Lower the heat and gently simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to steep for 24 hours for maximum colour and flavour.

3. Strain the liquid through a fine sieve and discard the flowers.

4. Add the liquid to a pan, along with the sugar and slowly begin to warm through. Once the sugar has completely melted, bring to a boil and simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and decant still hot into hot, sterilised jars and seal.

Instructions for the Lemonade

1. Juice 6 lemons, aiming for 250ml of lemon juice.

2. Add the Lemon juice to a large jug, along with 1 litre of water.

3. Add 250ml of Lilac syrup and mix it altogether.

4. Serve over ice, with Lemon slices and fresh Lilac flowers.

Once mixed, the lemonade will keep fresh in the fridge for upto two days, but is best enjoyed fresh on the day. The syrup, if unopened and sterilised correctly, should last for months, if not years.