If you've made Lavender Syrup in the past, chances are it turned out brownish-yellow. Here are 2 tricks to make it a naturally vibrant purple colour:
Purple Lavender Syrup Recipe
Ingredients
- Juice of 1 lemon (about 2–3 tbsp)
- A couple of fresh or frozen blueberries (optional)
- Flower heads from about 20-25 lavender sprigs
- 400 g (2 cups) granulated sugar
- 400 ml (about 1⅔ cups) water
Directions
Prepare lavender
Squeeze the lemon juice into a bowl. Add lavender blossoms and muddle well. Strain lavender, reserving the lemon juice separately.
Muddle into sugar
Pour the sugar into a small pot. Pour the prepared lavender blossoms into the sugar and muddle thoroughly for a few minutes, crushing them well.
Simmer and steep
Add the water. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves and the mixture turns clear. Optionally add frozen blueberries for a deeper purple colour. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep until cooled to room temperature. Optionally add some of the lemon juice reserved earlier, to lighten the colour and balance the sweetness.
Strain and store
Strain through a fine mesh strainer into clean bottles or jars. Store in the refrigerator for 2-4 weeks or freeze.
Notes
- Pick lavender flowers that are deep purple and are starting to blossom / open up.
- Pick off blossoms from the stems, so only the purple parts are used.
- Don't overuse or oversteep the lavender, as it can give a soapy flavour to the syrup.
- If using blueberries, don't overuse them, as it can turn the syrup reddish instead of pink-purple (it won't affect the flavour).