Lavender is a wonderful culinary flower and herb known for its soothing fragrance. Lavender can be used in various ways: add it to your favorite foods, in cocktails, or in bath soaks!
Looking to add some color, beauty, and great taste to your herb garden? With lavender's pretty flowers, fragrant aroma, and versatility in the kitchen, there's not much more you could ask for from an herb.
Growing Tips
The herb lavender is a member of the mint family of plants, like basil and oregano. It does well in your garden if you follow the same growing guidelines for those two herbs — a sunny location with very well-drained soil.
Lavender is one of the easiest herbs to grow. There are several varieties available, but English lavender is the most popular.
English lavender is a bit of a misnomer as it's native to Mediterranean countries. This variety hot this moniker by withstanding that country's wet, humid climate
Tips for Using Lavender
Lavender is an excellent aromatic herb that adds a delicate, sweet flavor to recipes. In the kitchen, it works incredibly well with buttery dishes such as potatoes and desserts. If you're unfamiliar with lavender, use small amounts and gradually add more until you have the right balance. Using a lot at once will leave your dishes tasting like potpourri, not baked goods!
Buy "culinary grade" lavender for cooking purposes, or select it if you purchase store-bought lavender because a lot of commercially available lavender is unsafe to consume.
Harvesting Lavender
Harvesting lavender is a simple process that can be done by anyone. At least, it's simple as long as you have the right tools and a few tips to help guide you along.
Lavender is a great fragrant addition to your garden. After your plant reaches maturity, you can harvest small amounts of lavender from your garden when the plant is 2 years old and yield even more afterward. Use garden shears to cut through the tough stems.
Lavender is well enjoyed in both sweet and savory dishes. It's great for garnishing and a flavor enhancer in syrup bread, butter, and vinegar. Lavender can even be used in place of rosemary in bread and marinades.
Lavender Recipes + Resources
Lavender is a versatile ingredient that can be enjoyed in both sweet and savory dishes. It's great for garnish, as well as a flavor enhancer in syrups bread, butters, and vinegars. Lavender can even be used in place of rosemary in bread and marinades.Â
This Lavender-Infused Lemonade is a refreshing spin on your classic lemonade recipe. You can control the strength of the lavender simple syrup when it's infused in the water.
This recipe is a great way to enjoy a hot spring and summer day.!
Lavender-infused honey is the perfect spicy-sweet taste to add to cheese, toast, or yogurt. In this recipe, the lavender is meant to complement the sweetness of honey and bring out a subtle, aromatic flavor that makes your palate sing.
Lavender simple syrup is a lovely addition to iced tea, lemonade, and soda. It's also great in cocktails and mocktails.
Lavender-infused vinegar would make for a great vinegar shrub or base for a drink. Infused vinegar is a great way to use and preserve edible flowers and herbs!
Ever wonder how to convert amounts of fresh herbs to dried in a recipe? Learn how here.
Learn to how to use lavender and other herbs in cooking and how flavors work together
Making an herb butter with lavender would be great for your morning croissant or pancakes!
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