Lavender Lemonade

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It’s hot. When you are too hot, you can lose track of what matters to you. You might stop thinking about what you set out to do. You might abandon your plans because they seem like they will only make you hotter. It can slow you down. Make you irritable. It’s not until someone offers you a way to cool off that you start to see how far off the rails you were starting to get. You start to remember what brought you out in the first place. You can focus on why it was worthwhile again. You can sit back and think, “yeah, I got this”. And the person who helped you cool off? In that moment, they feel like the best friend you ever had. Even if they are a complete stranger.

That was almost exactly the scene several years ago when Chele and I took a visit to the Chicago Botanic Garden to check out an herb fair they were hosting there. We were having a wonderful time, checking out the vendors and exploring the gardens. But it was a hot summer day, with blistering sun overhead, and it eventually started to take its toll on us. We found ourselves feeling less interested in trying to see what was on offer, and found ourselves putting more and more energy into seeking shade or other ways to cool down. We were starting to struggle to enjoy ourselves.

It was just then that we happened across a sweet young woman running a small booth dedicated entirely to homemade treats, all featuring lavender. But what caught our eye the most was her sign promising lavender lemonade. It was near the end of the expo by that point, and she was running low. But she managed to have enough left to fill a cup for each of us. And it was amazing! All of our worry about the heat vanished. We became completely obsessed with that lavender lemonade. Looking back, it may very well have been what fate had brought us out there to find all along.

Chele and I had just recently taken an interest in culinary uses for lavender at that time, and that was actually one of the factors that influenced our decision to check out that herb fair to begin with. After finding that lemonade, we resolved right there on the spot to try making some ourselves. It was one of the first things she and I made together, and set us on this path of creating and sharing recipes and our experiences with food. We never learned the name of the woman that sold us that first batch, but we will certainly never forget her. Chele and I might never have started doing this if it weren’t for her.

This recipe is surprisingly simple, but it does involve creating a lavender-infused syrup that takes a bit of time to steep, so plan accordingly. You can make the syrup days in advance, though, which can save you time when you are actually ready to make the lemonade. You could even make a larger quantity of syrup to have on hand for multiple batches. We’ve based this recipe on using dried lavender buds, but this method should work just as well with fresh lavender flowers.

Chele and I have recently been experimenting with other flowers in the kitchen (which those of you who have connected with her on Facebook are likely aware of). As far as flavoring lemonade goes, we have found that both violets and lilacs are excellent choices. Look for more info on those in the future.