French Lavender Lemonade
When Life Gives You Lavender, make French Lavender Lemonade.Â
We live in an old neighborhood with mature trees clustered about, and homes dating back to the 1890’s.
My house is on the main drag through our neighborhood. It is a fairly busy street in our bustling pedestrian community. We get all the action right outside our windows. Runners, dog-walkers, strollers, bikers, the 4th of July parade, the Halloween extravaganza… It all happens directly in front of my house.
Therefore, I find my next door neighbor’s children quite brilliant to make a tradition of selling lemonade on the street corner throughout the summer.
My neighbor told me her boys have made as much as $180 selling their lemonade on a Saturday. I couldn’t believe it at first. Such a huge profit for two little boys, from lemonade!?!
Then, I tasted their brew and the answer was clear. Superior Lemonade.
This is no powdered lemon-drink they are selling! The boys use freshly squeezed organic lemon juice and lavender.
No wonder they can charge a $1 a cup of this blessed beverage. My neighbor claims the boys make the lemonade on their own, but I find that highly suspect. *wink*
Fresh French Lavender Lemonade is the perfect beverage for summer. It’s light and tangy with a delicate floral essence.
The lavender leaves are steeped in a simple syrup to extract the essence. Because the leaves are removed before the lemon juice and water are added, the flavor comes off as very mysterious and highly complex.
I’m giving you the French Lavender Lemonade recipe as a double batch, because I guarantee one small pitcher’s worth will not be enough. Once you taste this lemonade, you’ll understand!
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French Lavender Lemonade Recipe
Ingredients
- 10 cups water, divided
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup lavender leaves, roughly chopped
- 2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice, from 9-11 lemons
- Ice
- Fresh lavender sprigs for garnishing
Instructions
- In a medium sauce pan, combine 5 cups of water, with sugar and lavender leaves. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, stir and cover. Then remove from heat and allow the lavender to steep until the mixture returns to room temperature.
- Squeeze the lemons, and removing any runaway seeds. When the lavender simple syrup has cooled, strain out the lavender leaves. Pour the syrup, lemon juice, and another 5 cups of water into a large pitcher.
- Add ice and garnish with delicate lavender sprigs!
Oh my gosh! Great minds do think alike :-) I looove your photos. Simply gorgeous!
I love lavender. I use it quite a bit in my cuisine. Beautiful photos.
Cheers!
This is so beautiful and so summery! I cant wait for the sun to come out here in london so i can enjoy this to the max!
Ohhh so nice… I love lavender, I have a lot in the garden, I have a lemon tree too and with this heat -I do not like the summer – at least I can enjoy this refreshing drink…!!
OH my goodness, if only you knew how I love lavender in food (not in scent)! I could add it everyhwhere. That lemonade seems to be divine!
Great lemonade recipe there, thank you for sharing it with us!
Bon appetit!
CCR
=:~)
In one swift movement I turn my head to look out my window at my lavander. It still there!
No flowers but your recipe only calls for the leaves so tomarrow…Lavender lemonade!!
Thank you so much for the inspiration! And please thank your neighbor too!
What a gorgeous snapshot of this drink and I have never heard of it before your blog…sounds wonderful! Got to try this :)
I am so making this and then I'm setting upa lemonade stand. I would love to use this recipe for the Examiner and credit you (with a link to your blog). Let me know if that would be all right with you – either way this is being made!
This post makes me so happy. The idea of lavender in lemonade, the photos, the Mexican glass pitcher that reminds me of many shopping trips across the border and also that great quote by Mae West – thanks for the smiles!
Lavender lemonade, oh how glorious..my mouth is watering I love lemonade but with lavender over the top my friend…I can see why they make great profits with this spectacular drink. I will be more than happy sipping this all summer, too funny you post about lavender, we are going the Blanco, Texas lavender festival this weekend..can't wait..
sweetlife
ps, thanks for your lovely comment on chuls at denise's page, oh how it made me smile..
What a lovely photo. I can imagine how refreshing this must be on a lazy and hot afternoon. I hope you are having a great day. Blessings…Mary
Thanks to you I have another lemonade to try this summer! I love the addition of lavender and we get a huge crop of lavender in our mountain home!
what a wonderfully refreshing looking drink!
I'm very curious about the dog blessing ceremony! Any hoo… lavender lemonade sounds divine! Bookmarked your recipe!
Wonderful and refreshing. So great you added lavender!
If the promised sun and warm weather finally arrive this weekend in the NW, I will celebrate with a pitcher of lavender lemonade!
I did not realize you could use the leaves….very cool! Thanks for sharing the recipe. Love lavendar and I know I'll love this refreshing drink :)