It’s spring, and that means lilacs are in bloom! We’re lucky enough to have a bush in our backyard, and when the sweet scent started wafting through the air I knew I had to make something to take advantage of it!
It started so innocently– I had a branch of lilac blossoms and thought it would be nice to sugar them. It took a while to individually pluck and dip them in syrup, then in sugar, but they looked so pretty and tasted lovely!
Then I thought that it might be nice to use the leftover sugar syrup for something, but I thought of it too late– which made me think of lilac-flavored syrup, so I made a batch of that as well.
And then I thought of what I could make with the blossoms and syrup, but that’s for another post. In any event, here’s how to make them:
Sugared Lilacs
1/2 cup water
1 cup sugar
Lilacs
More sugar (caster/superfine sugar would be best)
- Bring 1/2 cup water and.1 cup sugar to a boil. Continue to cook until mixture reaches 220 degrees F. Let cool to room temperature. (crucial: the flowers will wilt if the syrup is still warm in the next step)
- Using tweezers, dip individual lilac blossoms into the syrup, shake off excess, then drag through a bowl of superfine sugar. Be sure to coat the entire blossom in syrup and sugar.
- Set aside to dry on sugar-dusted parchment or wax paper. Dry completely before storing at room temperature in a dry place.
Notes:
- These crunchy little blossoms are the perfect encapsulation of lilac flavor. They’re adorable too, for the first day or two. However, if you’ve inadvertently failed to cover every last bit, the exposed sections will start to turn brown, ruining the look. Ask me how I know…
- Be careful when dipping your flowers– the syrup tends to bead up on the surface of the petals, rather than making a smooth coat. I’m not sure how to fix this, but it does interfere with covering your entire flower. Maybe a tiny paintbrush?
Lilac Syrup
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 cup lilac blossoms
- Bring water and sugar to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Pour over lilac blossoms, cover, and let steep 4-5 hours.
- Strain lilac blossoms out of the syrup and (if desired) add a touch of purple food coloring.
- Store airtight in the refrigerator.
Notes:
- Don’t be concerned when your lilacs immediately wilt upon contact with the hot syrup– it’s just what happens.
- I’ve seen differing accounts of how long to steep the blossoms, how hot the syrup should be, etc. You may want to just start tasting your syrup after the first hour, and removing the blossoms once you’re satisfied with the flavor. Just remember, it’s easier to dilute later with more water, than to add more flavor once the lilacs have stopped blooming!
It's All Frosting... 