Lavender is more than just a soothing medicinal plant—it also offers a surprisingly delightful flavor! Particularly during the summer months, fresh lavender can be used to create a refreshing lemonade that combines the invigorating qualities of lemon and mint with the calming essence of lavender. This article will guide you through selecting edible types of lavender, important considerations when using it, and a straightforward recipe to prepare your own homemade lavender lemonade.
Which lavender is edible?
For cooking – and especially for drinks like lavender lemonade – you should just Echten Lavendel (Lavandula angustifolia) usage. This variety is:
- delicate in taste
- rich in essential oils with a calming effect
- well tolerated and officially recognized as a medicinal plant
You can do both dried as well as fresh flowers Use: preferably from your own garden or from a certified organic source.
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This bread recipe is perfect for EasterPlease do not eat these types of lavender:
- Lavender (Lavandula stoechas): It contains a lot of camphor, is irritating and not suitable for consumption.
- Lavandin (Lavandula × intermedia): This variety has a strong odor, but also contains too much camphor, not recommended for lemonades or teas.
Why wild herbs are worth preserving
If you currently harvest wild and aromatic herbs, you can enjoy them fresh right away. You can also save part of it and preserve the freshness and vitality of spring in the kitchen. Preserving wild herbs is not only practical, but also a wonderful way to capture the flavors of spring and summer. Drying, pickling, freezing, or fermenting can extend the shelf life of these herbs and ensure you have access to their flavor and health benefits year-round. Not all herbs are equally suitable for every procedure. Our book»Preserving wild herbs: the best methods and recipes«(available here) offers detailed instructions on how to collect, process and preserve wild herbs and medicinal plants yourself. He demonstrates how preserving wild herbs can not only enrich your dishes but also save you money.
Recipe: Refreshing lavender lemonade with mint and lemon
This lavender lemonade is not only beautiful, but it is also a pleasure for the body and mind. It is especially effective on hot days calming, refreshing and slightly mood-enhancing.
Ingredients for 1 litre:
- 2 IL fresh flowers of true lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) or 1 tbsp dried
- 1 untreated lemonsliced
- 2-3 branches fresh mint
- 1–2 IL Honigagave syrup or another sweetener
- 1 litre cold water (still or bubbling)
- Optional: Ice cubes with edible flowers
Preparation:
- Pour approx. 200 ml of hot water over the lavender flowers and Leave to infuse for 5-8 minutesthen filter.
- Cut the lemon into slices and lightly press the mint leaves.
- Put everything together with the lavender extract in a large jug.
- Pour in cold water and refine with honey or sweetener of your choice.
- For at least Leave to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes – the longer it is, the more aromatic
Recognize the native wild herbs on your doorstep
Especially if you are a beginner in the world of wild herbs, you can be a little unsure. You don’t want to accidentally confuse a wild weed with its unhealthy lookalike. This is why we created “The Modern Herbal Witch”. There you will find ours Seasonal calendar of wild herbs (available here), which gives you an overview of the wild plants that can be harvested month by month. Plus there is our book “With wild herbs and medicinal plants all year round“(available here). There we present many local wild herbs with large format images and explain what you should pay attention to when collecting them. For each wild herb there are also tips for the medicine cabinet and the witch’s kitchen. You can also find our books and calendar in our witches’ herbs online shop
How does lavender drink actually turn purple?
The purple color of lavender flowers comes from the so-called Anthocyaninsnatural vegetable dyes, e.g. B. is also found in blueberries. However, these dyes dissolve not particularly good in the heat and they are also sensitive to light, oxygen and too high a pH value. If you want to preserve the purple color as much as possible, it is advisable to Cold extracted: This makes lavender flowers easy Soaked in cold water for 8-12 hours – preferably in the refrigerator. This means that the heat-sensitive anthocyanins remain stable and give off the color better. A splash lemon juice it can also help lower the pH value and intensify the purple color. For even stronger color effects, you can add lavender Mauritanian mallow flowers combine: initially they become intense blue, but react to citric acid with a fascinating purple color. This creates an impressive natural lemonade with no artificial additives.
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Beetroot latte: quick, tasty and a real eye-catcherSummer pleasure with medicinal plants
Lavender lemonade is just the beginning. If you want to delve deeper into the world of edible wild herbs, medicinal plants and summer recipes, we recommend our current one:
- more creative recipes with lavender, St. John’s wort & Co.
- Tips for correctly harvesting and drying summer herbs
- Practical applications for your medicine cabinet
- healthy and delicious recipes for hot summer days
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