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    Home » Recipes » Sauce/Spices

    Lilac Scented Sugar

    By Nancy Mock January 27, 2022 Updated March 23, 2022 Leave a Comment

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    Tall image of lilac infused sugar in a glass dish surrounded by lilacs

    Don't you wish you could hold on to that beautiful scent of lilacs just a little longer? Here's a way! Infuse sugar with fresh lilac blooms, and bring that beautiful floral note to treats and drinks.

    White sugar topped with  lilac flowers of light purple color, and a small spoon.
    → Jump to Recipe

    When it's that late-spring time of year here the air is permeated with the breathtaking, floral scent of lilacs. The shrubs are so unassuming the rest of the year that I forget they're growing in almost every yard, along most fences, and line so many streets. I forget, that is, until they burst forth in shades of pink and purple (and a few white ones, too.)

    Light purple lilac flowers on shrub outside.

    The scent is so intoxicating; perhaps like me you try to find as many ways as you can of enjoying lilacs before the blooms fade away. Armloads of sprigs come inside, placed 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.

    Purple lilac flowers submerged in white sugar.

    Well, here is one more way to enjoy the beautiful flowers a little beyond their short bloom time - by infusing sugar with fresh sprigs of lilac.

    White sugar sparkling in the light, and topped with purple lilac flowers and a small spoon.

    Why you'll love it

    It only takes one day to infuse the sugar with lilac flavor. It's a wonderful treat to enjoy!

    And it only has two ingredients: sugar and lilacs. If you don't have shrubs in your own yard, beg a few sprigs from a neighbor or look for shrubs on your next walk.

    White lilac scented sugar in a glass dish with lilac blooms and fresh blackberries.

    Here are ways to use your Lilac Scented Sugar:

    • Sprinkle it over fresh berries or slices of fresh fruit like melon or peaches.
    • Add a spoonful to your hot or iced tea
    • Stir it into cocktails.
    • Dip the rims of glasses into water, then in lilac sugar to create a sweet accent to your drink.
    • Sprinkle it over fruit salad
    • When your muffins or quick bread are hot from the oven, sprinkle lilac sugar over the tops.
    • Another sprinkling - this time over hot, buttered toast!
    A sugar canister behind a glass bowl of sugar and a scoop, plus purple lilac flowers.

    How to make Lilac Scented Sugar

    Step 1: Gather lilacs

    Three sprigs of purple lilacs held in a hand.

    Pick three sprigs of lilac from your shrub. Give them a gentle shake and a once-over to get rid of bugs and dried up leaves.

    Step 2: Layer the lilacs and sugar

    • Glass bowl of white sugar next to purple lilacs.
    • Sprigs of purple lilac laying over white sugar in a bowl.
    • Glass bowl holding white sugar and purple lilac flowers.

    Add the lilacs and sugar to a container with a tight-fitting lid. Seal it up, and allow the sugar to infuse for 1 day.

    Step 3: Remove the flowers and enjoy!

    Shriveled purple lilac blooms in a glass bowl of white sugar.

    Discard the lilacs - they have nothing left to give now, because it's all in the sugar!

    Blue checked tablecloth under a glass bowl of white sugar and purple lilac blooms.

    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.

    FAQ

    How long does it take to make lilac sugar?

    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 flowers losing their vigor. So plan on removing the flowers after one day.

    Blue and white linen around a glass bowl of white sugar, and purple lilacs scattered around.

    The recipe is below. Add a sprinkle of Lilac Scented Sugar to one of these sweet treats:

    Grilled Peaches and Cream Shortcake With A Few Red Raspberries
    Tender shortcake holds creamy mascarpone-whipped cream, grilled peaches, and a few red raspberries. It's a tasty dessert!
    Take me there
    Peaches drizzled honey over cream and shortcake
    Summer Fruit Salad with Creamy Peach Dressing
    Three kinds of fruit make up this easy Summer Fruit Salad, and it's extra delicious thanks to fresh mint and a creamy peach dressing.
    Take me there
    Bowl of fresh fruit salad with mint and cream.
    The Best Lemon Margarita
    Try this bright twist on a classic margarita. The best Lemon Margarita has a double dose of intense lemon to make a refreshing tequila cocktail.
    Take me there
    Two small glasses of lemon drink

    >> Have you made your own Lilac Scented Sugar? Scroll down to leave a comment and tell me how you like to use it!

    📖 Recipe

    Glass dish holding lilac infused white sugar with lilac blooms acroos top.

    Lilac Scented Sugar

    Nancy Mock
    Don't you wish you could hold on to that beautiful scent of lilacs just a little longer? Here's a way! Infuse sugar with fresh lilac blooms to bring that beautiful floral flavor to treats.
    5 from 1 vote. Tap stars to vote
    Print it! Pin This Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Infusing Time 1 day d
    Total Time 1 day d 10 minutes mins
    Course Dessert, Drinks, Spice
    Servings 48 servings

    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.
    • The sugar is infused with beautiful flavor after 24 hours. In my testing, keeping the flowers in the sugar for longer starts to give the sugar an off taste from the flowers losing their vigor. So plan on removing the flowers after one day.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1teaspoonCalories: 16kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 1gSodium: 1mgSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1IUVitamin C: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment, tell me what you think!

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