Lavender Lemonade

Rolling hills of soft fragrant purple fill our Okanagan landscape at this time of year, and you won’t hear me complaining!  We’ve sharing an extra touch of magic with you today with this incredible Lavender Lemonade that changes colour as it’s mixed. You NEED to see this one! 

If you’ve ever visited the Okanagan Lavender and Herb Farm you might know they have a killer lavender lemonade recipe. There’s a little bit of chemistry involved that makes this recipe special, we were so impressed when we saw it!  They’re sharing their secret recipe with you here today. 

Where to Buy Okanagan Lavender

The Okanagan Lavender and Herb Farm has been around since 1999 and is a family–owned small business right here in Kelowna. Their sustainable farm creates the most beautiful products, including a line of culinary products. If you’re looking for lavender, they are IT. The farm is closed this season due to COVID but you can still shop their products online here and use code FRAICHE20 for 20% off!

How to Make Lavender Lemonade 

To make this lemonade, start by making a simple lavender infusion using dried lavender, and it creates this mysterious bluey-green dark color. It’s when you add the fresh lemon juice that the magic really happens and you watch the infusion turn into a GORGEOUS pink. You then add cold water, serve it over ice and voila you have the perfect summer drink. 

This lemonade is delightful served with fresh lemon slices and stems of lavender. It’s delicious on its own but you can also substitute the cold water for a sparkling mineral water to make it fizzy! If you want to make an adult version, add in a splash of gin or vodka for the perfect summer cocktail. Talk about a show stopper! 

You can substitute fresh lavender in this recipe by harvesting blooms that are 1⁄2 – 3⁄4 open, with good color. Be careful not to use lavender that is losing its color and is more on the grey side. These blooms have gone into seed production and their flavor is diminished. If using fresh lavender use 1 cup of lavender flowers (remove from the stem) and use 4 cups of water instead of 2 when making your infusion! 

I think this would go so nicely with a summer outdoor brunch!  Try serving this with the Cherry Scones from our Fraiche Food, Full Hearts cookbook, Lemon Ricotta Pancakes or Strawberry Sweetheart Crepes.

Lavender Lemonade

5 from 1 vote

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Lavender Lemonade

This lavender lemonade recipe is fun to make and the perfect light and refereshing drink for summer!

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Keyword Lavender, lemonade, Summer

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Author Fraîche

Ingredients

• 2 cups boiling water
• 2 tablespoons dried lavender
• ½-1 cup white sugar depending on the sweetness you want
• 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 10 cups cold water*

Instructions

1. Bring the water to a rolling boil. Add the lavender, stir well, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes. Strain infusion through a coffee filter (we tried it with a fine sieve and it worked). The infusion will be a blue-green colour. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved.
2. Slowly pour the lemon juice into the infusion and watch the colour change to pink! Add the cold water until your pitcher has 12 cups total in it. Serve chilled over ice and garnish with slices of fresh lemon and a sprig of lavender.

Recipe Notes

* Add enough cold water to have 12 cups lemonade total – this will vary depending upon the amount of evaporation when you are simmering your lavender infusion.