Lilac Lemonade is the perfect way to enjoy spring to the fullest. It is refreshing, thirst-quenching, floral and the perfect balance of tart and sweet. This drink makes a beautiful presentation in the glass with the pretty lilac ice cubes and bright yellow slices of lemon. The essence of spring in a cup!
You may be surprised to learn that lilacs are completely edible. When the petals are left to be infused into a syrup, honey, water or in sugar, they impart a subtle floral flavour that in my opinion tastes just like the lovely fragrance of lilac.
You know that spring has arrived in full force when lilac bushes are in full bloom. I love their fragrance and the memories I associate with it. I was romanced by lilacs even as a child. I would pick a blossom and carry it around with me as I played.
My mom preserves the glory of late summer by freezing tubs and tubs of peaches and in a similar way, I will happily spend an hour or two carefully snipping off individual petals from a lilac bloom to extend the life of spring for as long as I can.
The lilac syrup used in creating this lemonade recipe totally surprised me. I truly wasn’t sure what it would taste like. I left the petals to steep in the syrup overnight and the first thing I did in the morning was dip a spoon in the syrup to taste it. It looked lovely and had more flavour than I expected. I thought to myself, "I'm really on to something here!"
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Beautiful presentation!
- Customizable Sweetness: Adjust the lilac syrup and lemon juice to make it as sweet or tart as you prefer.
- Kid friendly!
- A great way to enjoy Spring!
How To Make Lilac Lemonade
Here are the step-by-step instructions to make this recipe.
Step 1: Make lilac ice cubes.
Plan ahead. If you wish to have lilac ice cubes for your lemonade, fill an ice cube tray with water and sprinkle snipped lilac petals over the tray. Press the petals down to submerge in the water and freeze.
Step 2: Make lilac simple syrup.
Thoroughly wash your lilac blooms to make sure they're free of any critters or dirt. With kitchen scissors, snip the individual petals, avoiding any stems or greenery. Measure out 4 cups of petals and add to a large mason jar.
In a medium-sized saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil. Stir frequently so the sugar can dissolve and not stick to the bottom of the pot. Boil for 2 minutes and then remove from heat.
Pour the hot syrup over the blossoms in the jar. Cover and let sit on the counter for at least 6 hours or preferably over night so that the flavour can be fully extracted into the syrup.
After the mixture sits, strain the syrup through a sieve to remove all the petals. Now your syrup is ready to use! If you'll be storing it in the fridge, stir in some lemon juice to prolong the shelf life. Lilac syrup will keep in the fridge for about a month.
Step 3: Add the lilac simple syrup to freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Extract the juice from approximately 4-5 lemons until you have 1 ¼ cup of lemon juice.
In a large glass pitcher, combine lemon juice, water and lilac syrup. Give the lemonade a stir and taste. Adjust now to your taste preference. If you like a sweeter lemonade, add more syrup or sugar. If you like it more tart, add some more lemon juice. If you find the flavour too strong, add a bit of water.
Step 4: Add ice cubes and lemon slices and serve.
Add a tray of ice cubes and a few slices of lemons for a beautiful presentation. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Pick the Right Blooms: Harvest lilacs when they’re fresh and fragrant, avoiding any that look wilted or brown.
- Wash Thoroughly: Gently rinse the lilac blooms in cold water to remove any dirt, pollen, or bugs.
- Freshly Squeezed Is Best: Use fresh lemons instead of bottled juice
- Add a Sparkling Twist: Serve by mixing ⅓ sparkling water with ⅔ lilac lemonade directly in the glass for a fizzy, refreshing version.
Recipe FAQs
This depends on a few factors including where you live, and the variety of lilac because there are early, mid and late blooming varieties. Lilacs bloom somewhere between the months of April and June and typically are in bloom for about two weeks.
Lilac syrup should be stored in the fridge and will keep for up to one month when it has a splash of lemon juice in it.
If you don't have a lilac bush in your backyard, this is a great opportunity to make a friend in the neighbourhood. You could knock on a neighbour's door and tell them you hope to make some recipes with lilac petals and that you'd love to share your creations with them. You could also take this opportunity to consider planting a lilac bush in your own backyard. The world always needs more lilacs!
It's super simple. Wash your lilac petals thoroughly. Fill a tray with water and snip just the petals (avoid the stems) into the ice cube tray. Push the petals down slightly into the water so they're submerged and then freeze. I like to do several trays while I'm at it.
Other Ways to Use Lilacs:
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Recipe
Lilac Lemonade
Ingredients
To Make The Lilac Syrup
- 4 cups lilac petals Be careful not to include any stems
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups water
- ½ tbsp lemon juice To prolong shelf life. (Not necessary if using right away.)
To Make The Lilac Lemonade
- 1 ¼ cups freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 5 cups water
- 1 cup lilac syrup
- lilac ice cubes
- slices of lemon
Instructions
For The Lilac Syrup
- Thoroughly wash your lilac blooms to make sure they're free of any critters or dirt. With kitchen scissors, snip the individual petals, avoiding any stems or greenery. Measure out 4 cups of petals and add to a large mason jar.
- In a medium-sized saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil. Stir frequently so the sugar can dissolve and not stick to the bottom of the pot. Boil for 2 minutes and then remove from heat.
- Pour the hot syrup over the blossoms in the jar. Cover and let sit on the counter for at least 6 hours or preferably over night so that the flavour can be fully extracted into the syrup.
- After the mixture sits, strain the syrup through a sieve to remove all the petals. Now your syrup is ready to use! If you'll be storing it in the fridge, stir in some lemon juice to prolong the shelf life. Lilac syrup will keep in the fridge for about a month.
For The Lilac Lemonade
- Plan ahead. If you wish to have lilac ice cubes for your lemonade, fill an ice cube tray with water and sprinkle snipped lilac petals over the tray. Press the petals down to submerge in the water and freeze.
- Extract the juice from approximately 4-5 lemons until you have 1 ¼ cup of lemon juice.
- In a large glass pitcher, combine lemon juice, water and lilac syrup. Give the lemonade a stir and taste. Adjust now to your taste preference. If you like a sweeter lemonade, add more syrup or sugar. If you like it more tart, add some more lemon juice. If you find the flavour too strong, add a bit of water.
- Add a tray of ice cubes and a few slices of lemons for a beautiful presentation. Enjoy!
Notes
- Pick the Right Blooms: Harvest lilacs when they’re fresh and fragrant, avoiding any that look wilted or brown.
- Wash Thoroughly: Gently rinse the lilac blooms in cold water to remove any dirt, pollen, or bugs.
- Freshly Squeezed Is Best: Use fresh lemons instead of bottled juice
- Add a Sparkling Twist: Serve by mixing ⅓ sparkling water with ⅔ lilac lemonade directly in the glass for a fizzy, refreshing version.
Nutrition
If you make this recipe please leave a comment and give this recipe a rating! I aim to respond to every single comment. I am so grateful when you trust me and try one of my recipe creations in your own kitchen. I love to hear how it went! Let’s connect on Instagram and tag me in your food pics!
‘Til next time,
Christy
Angie says
Hi! What makes it pink?
Christy Faber says
The colour is natural from a combination of the colour from the purple lilac petals and the lemon juice.
Meg says
The ice cubes take a spring party to the next level!