The Secret Ingredient to Elevate Your Spring Recipes: Lilacs!

BY DAVID OTTERSTROM

As spring rolls into the Inland Northwest, the iconic sweet fragrance of dark purple lilacs fills Spokane. The flowers are not only beautiful but also edible. I love adding a few cups of fresh purple lilacs to a pitcher of lemonade and letting them steep overnight. By morning the lemonade will have a vibrant pink color and after straining the flowers you can enjoy the most delicious liquid refreshment full of floral notes. For your next dinner party consider incorporating lilacs into baked fritters or infuse them with honey. You can top them on salads and desserts, even make a lilac wine.

The light to dark purple varieties of common Syringa vulgaris tend to have the most fragrance and flavor. Some varieties can be bitter or bland, but most have a slight sweetness and floral flavor with subtle citrus notes. Look for flowers that have just started to open, as old flowers can become bland. Lilacs have a short blooming period in mid to late spring, so don’t delay picking them as they blossom, because the next week they may be gone. Not only do they taste good but they have antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. If you do not have lilacs in your yard you can purchase baby lilac shrubs at your local nursery. Plant them in the spring or fall. They like full sun, watered regularly and well-drained soil. Once they are established they are quite hardy and need little water during the summer months.

From ice cream to cupcakes, cocktails to cheesecakes there are a limitless number of uses for lilacs.

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