Cooking With Lavender Is Relative To The Culinary Varieties Used

When cooking with lavender in your lavender recipes choose the varieties you grow yourself or from a dependable grower free from pesticides, chemicals and contaminants.

 Munstead land Pink Perfume lavender variety

The Best Culinary Lavenders

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Lavandula angustifolia - ‘Buena Vista’, ‘Folgate’, ‘Hidcote Pink’ or ‘Hidcote’, ‘Melissa’, ‘Royal Velvet’, ‘Pink Perfume’, ‘Victorian Amethyst’ or ‘Munstead’

Why Are These The Best?

Color – Depending if they are cooked with heat - the deeper the color the longer the color will last in your cooking.

So, choose “Buena Vista’, ‘Folgate’, ‘Royal Velvet’ or ‘Munstead’ when cooking with lavender.

Fragrance – When using lavender for fragrance only when making lavender sugar, decorating cakes or infusions for baking or dessert the best variety to use is ‘Hidcote Pink’, Hidcote, ‘Melissa’ or ‘Pink Perfume’.

 

Cooking With Lavender and Herb Blends

 Bouquet Garni

Gather fresh or dried herbs and wrap with a twine to be used in soups or stews. Remove the bouquet garni when the dish is complete.

 

  •  Grow lavender herb to eat the edible flowers, aromatherapy soaps and sachets. Or create your own medicine chest to promote health and peacefulness to your life.
  • The rosemary herb has edible flowers and improves memory 
  • Sage herb is a natural and organic pest control herb.
  • Thyme is a kitchen herb that has short roots and does well as a container plant.

 These are easy to quickly bundle for a flavorful addition to your culinary dish.

 

Custom Herb Blend

  • 1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme
  • 1 ½ teaspoons dried marjoram
  • 1 teaspoon each of any or all of the following dried herbs:
    • Culinary lavender buds – use lavender for fragrance see above
    • Summer or winter savory leaves
    • Fennel seeds
    • Basil leaves - The basil herb with its spicy flavor and aromatic qualities is an important culinary herb to grow.
    • Mint leaves
    • Oregano leaves - One of the most popular herbs to use in cooking, but has countless medicinal properties too. This herb has the power to heal, disinfect, preserve and promote relaxation.

 

Mix all the herbs together and then grind them either using a herb grinder or mortar and pestle. This should be stored in an air tight glass container or Ball jar. Store this herb blend in a dark area and use within 6 months. Recipe from Sarah B. Bader The Lavender Lover’s Handbook

 

Herbes De Provence

1 tablespoon dried thyme leaves

1 tablespoon dried basil leaves

2 teaspoons dried culinary lavender buds    -  this blend I would combine color and fragrance varieties

2 teaspoons dried rosemary leaves

½ teaspoon dried summer savory leaves

½ teaspoon dried marjoram leaves

 

Mix all the herbs together and then grind them either using a herb grinder or mortar and pestle. This should be stored in an air tight glass container or Ball jar. Store this herb blend in a dark area and use within 6 months. Recipe from Sarah B. Bader The Lavender Lover’s Handbook

 

Condiments

 Lavender Herb Vinegar

Cooking with lavender is easily done with vinegar and a great way to spruce up not only salads, but as an alternative for adding flavor to dishes that contain no salt or preservatives – just adding natural herbal flavor.

 

Step 1. Gather the herbs at their peak and freshness preferably in the morning after the dew has dried. Rinse the leaves thoroughly and pat lightly to dry completely. Exception: Do not wash the lavender buds and flowers.

 

Step 2. Sterilizing the jar using a mason jar with a wide mouth that has been sterilized with a capful of bleach and water or through the dishwasher with heat will ensure the jar is completely sterile.

 

Afterwards, place all the well dried herbs including as much lavender as possible into the jar. Cover the jar completely with your choice of vinegar like white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, champagne vinegar or rice wine vinegar. If using a lot of rosemary and basil with lavender use red wine for the best flavor. If using herbs like lavender, thyme and hyssop use white or pink vinegar.

 

Step 3. Place a piece of wax paper between the lid and screw lid to prevent rust.

 

Step 4. Allow the jars to sit in a dark place and shake daily for 1 week to a few months depending on the strength of the vinegar flavor you’re trying to achieve. Do not let it sit for more than 6 months.

 

Step 5. Strain the herbs using natural cheesecloth, muslin, or a natural paper coffee filter.  Pour the herbal vinegar into a new jar and add a fresh spring of lavender or herb for decoration. Cap tightly and store in a cool, dark area. Herbal vinegar's will last up to 6 to 8 months. Refrigerate after opening.

 

This is how I make my herbal vinegar's like chive blossom vinegar, lavender vinegar, purple basil vinegar and others.

 

Enjoy!