Don't you wish you could make springtime lilacs last just a little longer? Here's a way! Lilac Sugar, infused with fresh blooms, brings beautiful floral notes to treats and drinks.
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When it's that late-spring time of year here, the air is permeated with the breathtaking, floral scent of lilacs.
Lilac bushes are so unassuming for most of the year, bushy and covered in heart-shaped, green leaves, that I barely notice that they're growing in almost every yard, along most fences, and down so many streets. That all changes in late May and early June, when the lilac blossoms burst forth in shades of candy pink, pale purple, magenta, burgundy, and white.
The scent is so intoxicating; perhaps like me, you try to find as many ways as you can to enjoy lilacs before the blooms fade away. I bring armloads of sprigs inside and place them in large and small vases throughout the house. A few times a day I try to find my way past a lilac shrub to breathe it in.
Well, here is one more way to enjoy the beautiful flowers a little beyond their short bloom time. —by infusing sugar with sprigs of fresh lilac.
A favorite New England flower
According to the Farmer's Almanac, lilacs love a good, cold winter—that's why they're abundant throughout the Northeast, but also across a good-sized swath of the country all the way to the Northwest coast. Some lilac varieties also do well in warm winters and grow in parts of the South and Southeast.
Blooming from the end of May through mid-June in our region, lilacs signal the beginning of summer and (in most cases, anyway) the end of surprise snow squalls and killing frosts. During these few weeks, lilac festivals are everywhere, like at the McLaughlin Garden and Homestead in Paris, Maine and at the Arnold Arboretum at Harvard University in Boston. Lovely reasons to spend time in the sunshine, breathing in the intoxicating scent.
At some of these festivals, you may even find goodies flavored with the very edible lilac blossoms, like sweets, drinks, and baked goods. This flower only sticks around a short time, so we like to get our fill in every way that we can!
Try this one!
Honey Lilac Ice Cream
A true celebration of summer!
Why you'll love this recipe
One of the best things about this treat is that making lilac sugar takes just one day. Another is that it only requires two ingredients—sugar and lilacs. If you don't have lilac shrubs in your own yard, beg a few sprigs from a neighbor or look for shrubs on your next walk.
The scented sugar has a light floral flavor, and it can be used to elevate so many sweets, drinks, and baking recipes. Here are some ideas!
What to do with Lilac Sugar
- Sprinkle lilac sugar over fresh berries.
- Sweeten tea! Make lilac tea or lilac iced tea by stirring a spoonful or two into your cup.
- Stir it into springtime cocktails or add a spoonful to a glass of champagne.
- Make a lilac sugar rim: dip the rims of glasses into water or simple syrup, then roll in lilac sugar to create a sweet accent to your drink.
- Sprinkle it over fruit salads—perhaps my Summer Fruit Salad!
- When your muffins or quick bread are hot from the oven, sprinkle lilac sugar over the tops.
- Sprinkle lilac sugar over hot, buttered toast.
- Exfoliate your skin by using lilac sugar as a body scrub in the bath or shower.
🔪 How to make Lilac Sugar
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Ingredients:
- Lilac blooms: Pick sprigs from a lilac shrub just before you're ready to make the sugar. Make sure the shrubs are not treated with pesticides.
- Sugar: Go with granulated sugar for this recipe
Gather lilacs
Pick sprigs from a lilac tree or shrub. Give them a gentle shake and a once-over to get rid of bugs and dried-up leaves.
Layer the lilacs and sugar
Add the lilacs and sugar to a sealed container, and allow the sugar to infuse for one day.
Remove the flowers and enjoy!
Discard the lilac petals—they have nothing left to give now, because their scent is in the sugar! Transfer the lilac-infused sugar to a pretty glass jar with a tight-fitting lid.
Another way to enjoy lilac
Lilac Whipped Cream
With sweet, floral flavor.
Tips:
- Choose vibrant lilac blossoms that have just opened and aren't yet turning brown. A few unopened buds are okay. You'll get the best flavor from sprigs that have just bloomed.
- Lilac blossoms grow in cone-shaped clusters. You want three of these clusters for this recipe.
- I don't recommend washing the flowers because you don't want excess moisture going into the sugar. So be sure to use lilacs that have not been sprayed or treated, and check the blossoms thoroughly for dirt and critters. If you feel more comfortable with washed flowers, let them dry completely and quickly before adding them to the sugar.
FAQ
The sugar is infused with beautiful flavor after 24 hours. UPDATE: In my testing, keeping the flowers in the sugar for longer starts to give the sugar an off taste from the blossoms losing their vigor. So plan on removing the flowers after one day.
Keep your lilac sugar stored at room temperature in a tightly sealed container. It will last for up to one month.
The Lilac Sugar recipe is below. Add a sprinkle to one of these sweet treats:
💬 Did you make and devour this recipe? Leave a comment below.
📖 Recipe
Lilac Sugar
SAVE THIS RECIPE OR POST!
I'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later.
Ingredients
- 3 sprigs dry Lilac flowers: this looks like three 4-inch to 5-inch conical sprigs of lilac flowers.
- 1 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Gently shake your lilac sprigs to dislodge any bugs or critters that may be hiding. Check your lilac sprigs closely and pick off any dried up leaves or shriveled petals.
- Have ready a small lidded dish with enough room for the sugar and lilac sprigs.
- Pour ½ cup of the sugar into the dish. Lay the lilac sprigs over the sugar, pressing them gently to tuck them into the dish. Then pour the other ½ cup of sugar over the lilacs. Tightly seal the dish and leave it on the counter out of direct sunlight for 24 hours.
- Remove the lilac sprigs from the sugar - you will see that they look a little shriveled and that the sugar is a little clumpy. This is because the moisture (and delicious scent) from the flowers has been absorbed by the sugar.
- Discard the lilacs and keep the sugar stored in the tightly covered container. You can gently shake it or stir through the sugar with a spoon to break up the clumps.
- Makes 1 cup of infused sugar. Keep the sugar stored tightly at room temperature away from direct sunlight for up to 1 month.
Notes
- Choose vibrant lilac blooms that have just opened and that aren't yet turning brown. A few unopened buds is okay. You will get the best flavor from sprigs that have just bloomed.
- Lilac blooms grow in cone-shaped clusters. You want three of these clusters for this recipe.
- I don't recommend washing the blooms because you don't want excess moisture going into the sugar. So be sure to use lilacs that have not been sprayed or treated, and check the blooms thoroughly for dirt and critters. If you feel more comfortable with washed flowers, make sure they dry completely and quickly before adding them to the sugar.
Nutrition
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