Culinary Lavender
When it was suggested that cooking with lavender was becoming more popular, I was surprised. But then I shouldn’t have been. As I researched more; I was delighted with my findings.
The variety of dishes I have sourced with the lovely lavender as a main ingredient has been a welcome find for me.
Now to share some of my findings with you.
Lavender is an aromatic herb that is a member of the mint family.
It is being used increasingly in recipes both savoury and sweet.
Not only does culinary lavender add flavour to a dish; it also enhances the food on the plate. Especially when fresh lavender flowers are used; the colour definitely adds to the dish being served.
And if you are a keen gardener, maybe you will plant some organic English lavender and use some of the fresh flowers in recipes I will share with you on this site.
And there are many lavender recipes to try out; but firstly I will share some helpful hints with you about cooking with lavender.
Helpful Hints
- Use organic English lavender for cooking as it has a sweeter and milder flavour than other lavenders. It also has a more subtle flavour and won’t overpower other ingredients in your chosen dish.
- Only use lavender bought from a reputable supplier. NEVER use lavender from garden centres, florists or nurseries as there is the danger of the flowers being sprayed with harmful chemicals and pesticides.
- Good news for organic growers and those who enjoy organic food. Organic lavender is now available and certified chemical and pesticide free.
- In recipes with lavender, adjust the amount according to whether you use fresh or dried – use 1/3 dried to fresh.
- Add lavender sparingly as you can always add more. If too much is added it can give the dish a bitter taste rather than a delicate flavour that adds to whatever lavender recipe you are cooking.
- Because lavender is a member of the mint family it can be combined with: fennel, mint, oregano, rosemary, sage and thyme.
- Enjoy adding lavender to soups, salads, fish and/or meat dishes and even desserts. It can also be added to cakes, scones, biscuits and even to drinks.
There are many lavender recipes that have been in circulation over the centuries and it is encouraging to see lavender now being included and recognised as a valuable aromatic herb.
In future posts I will explore different lavender recipes. Until then, happy cooking.
Related Articles:
Lavender Recipes: Lavender Scones
Why Choose Organic Lavender
Embracing An Organic Lifestyle
English Lavender
Return to Home Page from Cooking With Lavender
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{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
What a thrill for me to find your blog about lavender. I just posted on my blog a recipe to make Lavender Sorbet. It is delicious. You can find my post here if you are interested in how I made it. http://thimblesbobbinspaperandink.blogspot.com/2010/06/lavender-sorbet.html
Hi Jennifer
Thanks for visiting my blog. I write each week so please check out my posts. I thought your lavender sorbet sound very tasty. I love meeting other lavender lovers on the net and have met some really nice people already. Just a newbie to all this but loving it.
Patricia
Perth Australia
Thanks for visisting my blog for my series on lavender Patricia. There are so many possibilities with lavender.
Hi I love your many and delightful posts. You are right, there is heaps to explore on lavenders. Look forward to visiting and seeing what else you have on offer. I am busy researching all sorts of lavender uses at the moment.
Regards
Patricia
http://www.lavenderuses.com
all things lavender
I had no idea you could cook with it. I don’t think I’ve ever come across a recipe using it. Now I am very curious to find one. I’ve never seen it for sale so I guess you would have to grow it yourself?
Hi Melinda
You should be able to get it in a health shop or at a farmer’s market. Better still if you have a lavender farm near you they will probably sell it.Only ever buy organic lavender as you don’t want to ingest pesticides or chemicals! Lavender has really grown in popularity and there are heaps of great recipes on the net you could try. With lavender remember less is more. You can always add if you need more but if you add too much to start with you will spoil what could be a delicious recipe. I am eventually going to add some of the recipes I enjoy to this site. Keep visiting and you may have a surprise soon
Patricia Perth Australia
Just discovered your blog; it is so interesting to me how things evolve; when I first moved to the US over thirty years ago, nobody was talking about lavender; I used to miss it so much; last time I was in Lebanon I had pounds and pounds of lavender from our garden dried and brought it back with me; I use it in cooking and in pastry. Cant wait to learn more about lavender through your site.
Welcome Miss Taste of Beirut, to my blog. I just went over and checked yours out. It looks really interesting. I have a Lebanese friend who goes on about Lebanese food being the best. I will tell her about your site. I’m sure she would enjoy it
I have lots of lavender recipes I could put up but as this is an “all things lavender” blog, tend to write about the many uses for lavender and see what my readers are interested in.
Here In Australia we have strict rules about bringing plants in from anywhere else so I couldn’t bring my lavenders back with me when I moved home from many years in the UK.
I had some lovely lavenders planted in a rockery. Have written about them in my article entitled “Lavenders, Blue, Pink & White”.
There are heaps of articles on lavender you can peruse here and I hope you enjoy them.
Thanks for stopping by. It’s always good to meet fellow lavender lovers from around the globe
Hi Patricia,
I’ve just come back from a trip to the States where I had a few rather delightful lavender based cakes, teas and cocktails.
I am keen to get some of these recipes into my repertoire, so I was wondering where in Perth you can buy culinary lavender? I have a lavender bush at home, but I think I’d rather buy it than harvest my own, plus I have no idea what kind of lavender my bush is…
So far the only place I can think to try is the Kakula Sisters in Fremantle. Any other ideas?
Hi Stephanie Jane
Welcome to my lavender blog. Not only an Aussie but a local Perthite…yay. Nice to meet you.
Very wise to buy your culinary lavender, unless you are growing orginically. And it is best to use English lavender. Let me know if you can’t get it at Kakula Sisters in Fremantle.
I know you can buy it online from WA farm shops. Let me know if you are not able to source it. Just use the contact form to get in touch with me if you need to know where to get some.
Great that you tried some lavender culinary delights while you were in the US. As lavender is a member of the mint family, why wouldn’t we use it in our cooking? Enjoy cooking your own culinary delights Stephanie Jane.
Patricia Perth Australia
Lavender is the only flower that doesn’t make me think of funerals. Before I found your blog, I never knew there were so many varieties.
Hi Clara
Thanks for stopping by and staying to comment. This amazing aromatic herb continues to surprise me.
The more I research and write about the lovely lavender, the more I am learning of its many uses.
Glad you learnt something from my post. You are welcome to stop by again and enjoy some more information about the many lavender uses I continue to write about.
Hoping to write more about the many lavender species in the future.
Patricia Perth Australia