Lavender is one of those herbs that I don’t really incorporate enough in the culinary sense. But I’ve been working on this recipe and tweaking it a bit, and I am now in love. This is the perfect thing to bring along to Fourth of July barbecues and cookouts! (Granted, it may also be the most costly thing you could bring along . . . but hey, good things are never cheap.)
- 8 cups water
- 3 cups honey
- 7-10 sprigs fresh lavender (substitute 2-4 tablespoons dried)
- 3 cups fresh lemon juice (approximately 12 lemons)
- 6 additional cups water
- 2 cups blackberries (optional)
Combine 8 cups water and 3 cups honey in a saucepan and bring to a gentle boil.
Add lavender sprigs and remove from heat. Let steep about twenty minutes before discarding lavender.
Pour mixture into a gallon jug. Add lemon juice and additional water until the lemonade reaches your desired flavor. (The lavender flavor can be somewhat intense, so add more water if it is too much for you.)
You can serve the lemonade as is, or crush a handful of blackberries into each glass. You can also crush and strain the berries as I did for the batch in the photo below. (I did that mainly because I knew kids would be drinking it and didn’t want them to be alarmed at things floating in their drink as children sometimes are.)
Don’t be afraid of the lavender flavor… it really is very refreshing particularly when it is 100+ degrees outside as it has been.
