Disclaimer & Warning: Plants can be poisonous. Never eat or drink anything you havenβt definitively identified as safe and edible. Do thorough research before foraging using multiple trusted sources. Plants, herbs, or supplements can interact with prescribed medications and potentially cause negative effects. I am not a medical professional and none of the information provided on this blog is medical advice. Always consult a medical professional.
It’s late spring, and the common lilac bushes are in bloom. Their clustered flowers give the hedgerows and gardens throughout my village beautiful splashes of colour β bright amethyst purple.
You can usually smell these magical little flowers before you see them! The scent is quite nostalgic for me; there was a common lilac bush at the end of the garden in the house where I lived as a teenager. When hanging out washing on a dry April or May morning, the smell was incredible. They have an unmistakable, sweet, powdery fragrance that carries several strides away when they’re in full bloom.
Common lilac flowers not only smell and look beautiful, but they can also be used to brew a delicious tea. It has a very subtle, light flavour β the closest equivalent I can think of is a mild rose tea. If you’re a fan of herbal teas like rose, lavender, or chamomile, you’ll probably enjoy this recipe!
Tips for picking fresh common lilac flowers
Firstly, it’s crucial to make sure you’ve identified Common Lilac (Syringa vulgaris) correctly. Some lookalikes (such as buddleia) and other lilac varieties are not edible and can be poisonous or harmful. Additionally, only the flowers can be consumed β take care to remove any leaves, stalks, etc.
- Look for flowers between April and May. Common lilac flowers tend to last less than a month β there’s a precious, short window of time to enjoy this tea! I recommend you start looking for blossoms in the second to last week of April to make sure you don’t miss them. In my area, lilac flowers tend to be at their best between the last week of April to the second week of May.
- Pick your flowers on a warm, dry morning. At this time of day, they should be well-hydrated, helping them to stay fresher as you prepare your ingredients.
- Check whether their scent is strong. For the best tea, look for common lilac flowers that have a strong, syrupy scent.
- Avoid any browning, wilted, or damaged flowers. You should only use flowers that are fresh and in good condition.
- Choose safe, sanitary, and uncontaminated picking locations. Avoid picking at roadsides, industrial sites, or anywhere else where your flowers could be contaminated.
- Pick only what you need. Lilac flowers produce pollen and nectar, which can help provide a valuable food source to your local pollinators. If you have flowers left over, you could always use them to create lilac syrup or lilac sugar.
Common Lilac Tea
Ingredients
- 1-2 tsp Common Lilac Flowers Important: Ensure that you only use the flowers, and discard any leaves, stems, etc. as these are harmful.
- 1 tsp Honey or Maple Syrup I'm using local honey in my recipe. You can also use maple syrup to make your tea vegan-friendly.
- 1 slice Lemon
- 1 tsp Fresh lemon Juice
Instructions
- First, submerge your common lilac flowers in a bowl of water. Gently swish them around to remove insects and any other debris that may be on them. Repeat until the flowers are clean.
- Remove your washed common lilac flowers from the water and place them in a tea strainer. Make sure you only use the purple flowers and get rid of any stems, leaves, or woody bits as these are harmful.
- Place your tea strainer in a mug, and add your 1 tsp lemon juice and 1 tsp honey or maple syrup
- Fill your mug with boiling water and let it steep for 2-3 minutes.
- Remove the tea strainer and top your drink with a slice of lemon. Wait for it to reach comfortable temperature for drinking, and enjoy!
Notes
- How to tell when the flowers have finished steeping:Β They will have a slightly greyed appearance, but shouldn’t be fully translucent.Β
- Can I leave out the lemon?Β Yes! I like using a lemon as it adds a little extra flavour, but if you want to taste the lilac flowers on their own in the tea you can leave it out.
This post was all about how to make common lilac tea.
