Cooking with Lavender
Culinary Lavender - Getting it Right
Culinary Lavender cooking and baking can open
a whole new flavor group and a lot of
new recipes for you!
Using the right type of lavender is very important.
NOT ALL LAVENDER is intended for cooking.
Eating Lavender
Have you ever heard someone say, "Lavender tastes like soap, it's gross!"? There is a VERY good chance they were not tasting the right variety and probably not even choosing a culinary lavender. There are more than 45 varieties of lavender. Not all lavender is recommended for cooking purposes. Some varieties of lavender have a large amount of camphor which produces a very strong aroma. These are great plants to have by your porch to help chase away mosquitos. The high camphor content is what keeps deer and rabbits from eating these plants.
Whether you have English or French or Spanish lavender, the lavender varieties have different scents and even different uses. The many lavender species used for culinary purposes have a delicate aroma with a light smooth floral note. Here is a list of some popular varieties well suited for cooking and baking use: Royal Velvet, Folgate, Melissa. Hidcote, and Munstead.
Culinary Suggestions and Recipes
How to Grind Lavender Buds
It has been our experience that grinding buds may require some special equipment.
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A blender may work if you put sugar or salt in with the buds. Buds by themselves usually just float around in the blender.
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A mortar and pestle was not successful at all.
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A Food processor worked if sugar or salt was included while grinding
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A coffee grinder seemed to work well
Helpful Hints
Lavender Buds
Lavender buds grow on long plant stems and are usually cleaned from stems by hand or a machine. Be aware there may be stem parts still remaining in the buds. Take a quick moment to look for and locate these stems and remove before using in your recipes.