Lilac Cordial- a sweet May reminder
One of my favourite flowers is the lilac. The clustered purple heads peaking out in groups. The smooth light purple contrasting on the smooth lime green of the leaves in the lilac bush. As you stroll through in the middle of spring, it’s pure delight coming across a lilac bush. The purple flower bunches nod at you, signaling for you to come close and smell. A smooth sweet iris scent greets you with every whiff.
Lilac is a sweet presence-filled reminder to appreciate the gifts in the present moment and to be grateful for emerging through the darker days.
To honour the lilac, I thought it would be nice to make a lilac cordial. As a sweet presence-filled reminder to sip on in the summer days…
Lilac Cordial is a sugar syrup that infuses the subtle but lovely floral essence of lilac. It yields an inspiring pinky syrup that is joyful to see sitting on your fridge shelf.
Lilac Cordial Recipe
Ingredients
1 + 1/2 cups distilled water
1/2 cup white caster sugar
2 lemons (peel removed but pith still in tact)
10 lilac flower heads
Process
Rinse lilac heads under cold water and let it sit in a colander in the sink (I had a few ants crawl out of mine ☺️)
Put the 1.5 cups water and 1/2 cup white sugar into a sauce pan on medium heat and bring to a boil.
Once boiling, turn heat to med-low and let it gently simmer for 10 mins.
While water is simmering, remove the peel off of the citrus fruit with a pairing knife, but be sure to leave the white skin layer on (the pith).
Slice the lemons into 1cm thick rounds.
In a heat proof glass jar/jug (I used my Pyrex jug), place the lemon slices.
Now the lilacs- remove the flowers from the branches and place flowers into the Pyrex jug on top of the lemon slices. This step takes some gentle attention so enjoy the lilacs as you pick them off the head. Be sure to take them off the stem as the stem as a bitterness to the cordial if it is steeped.
Once the syrup has completed 10 mins low simmer, pour it over the lilac and lemon in the Pyrex jug.
Gently stir with a heat proof spatula. I use my silicon spatula.
Then cover your jar/jug with a plate to keep the heat in, but not seal it.
Let the lilac cordial steep overnight or for at least 4 hours.
Once it’s completed steeping time, get a strainer and/or cheesecloth. I didn’t have cheesecloth so I just used my strainer but cheesecloth is preferable! Pour the cordial into your final jar and/or another pouring jug through the strainer. Be sure to squeeze your cheesecloth to get all that flavourful syrup out or use a spoon and press against the strainer.
Marvel at the brilliant lilac cordial you just made, put a lid on it, and store in the fridge for up to 2 months!
