Cooking With Lavender
Which Variety & Blends

Edible lavender varieties

When cooking with lavender in your lavender recipes choose the varieties you grow yourself or from a dependable grower free from pesticides, chemicals and contaminants like Vermont Lavender. A natural organic grower of lavender and other herbs used in our skin care products especially made for gardeners like yourself.

The Best Culinary Lavenders

Lavandula angustifolia - ‘Buena Vista’, ‘Folgate’, ‘Hidcote Pink’ or ‘Hidcote’, ‘Melissa’, ‘Royal Velvet’, ‘Pink Perfume’, ‘Victorian Amethyst’ or ‘Munstead’

"Munstead" purple lavender variety

Why Are These The Best?

Color – Depending if they are cooked with heat the deeper the color the longer the color will last in your cooking.

So, choose “Buena Vista’, ‘Folgate’, ‘Royal Velvet’ or ‘Munstead’ when cooking with lavender.

Fragrance – When using lavender for fragrance only when making lavender sugar, decorating cakes or infusions for baking or dessert the best variety to use is ‘Hidcote Pink’, Hidcote, ‘Melissa’ or ‘Pink Perfume’.

Lavender sugar made with these varieties are used in our lip sugar scrub at Vermont Lavender.

Cooking With Lavender

Bouquet Garni

Gather fresh or dried herbs and wrap with a twine to be used in soups or stews. Remove the bouquet garni when the dish is complete.

 ·        Lavender

·         Rosemary

·         Sage

·         Thyme

 These are easy to quickly bundle for a flavorful addition to your culinary dish.

 Custom Herb Blend

·         1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme

·         1 ½ teaspoons dried marjoram

·         1 teaspoon each of any or all of the following dried herbs:

o   Culinary lavender buds – use lavender for fragrance see above

o   Summer or winter savory leaves

o   Fennel seeds

o   Basil leaves

o   Mint leaves

o   Oregano leaves

Mix all the herbs together and then grind them either using a herb grinder or mortar and pestle. This should be stored in an air tight glass container or Ball jar. Store this herb blend in a dark area and use within 6 months. Recipe from Sarah B. Bader The Lavender Lover’s Handbook

Herbes De Provence

1 tablespoon dried thyme leaves

1 tablespoon dried basil leaves

2 teaspoons dried culinary lavender buds    -  this blend I would combine color and fragrance varieties

2 teaspoons dried rosemary leaves

½ teaspoon dried summer savory leaves

½ teaspoon dried marjoram leaves

Mix all the herbs together and then grind them either using a herb grinder or mortar and pestle. This should be stored in an air tight glass container or Ball jar. Store this herb blend in a dark area and use within 6 months. Recipe from Sarah B. Bader The Lavender Lover’s Handbook

Condiments

Lavender Herb Vinegar

Cooking with lavender is easily done with vinegar and a great way to spruce up not only salads, but as an alternative for adding flavor to dishes that contain no salt or preservatives – just adding natural herbal flavor.

Step 1. Gather the herbs at their peak and freshness preferably in the morning after the dew has dried. Rinse the leaves thoroughly and pat lightly to dry completely. Exception: Do not wash the lavender buds and flowers.

Step 2. Sterilizing the jar using a mason jar with a wide mouth that has been sterilized with a capful of bleach and water or through the dishwasher with heat will ensure the jar is completely sterile.

Afterwards, place all the well dried herbs including as much lavender as possible into the jar. Cover the jar completely with your choice of vinegar like white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, champagne vinegar or rice wine vinegar. If using a lot of rosemary and basil with lavender use red wine for the best flavor. If using herbs like lavender, thyme and hyssop use white or pink vinegar.

Step 3. Place a piece of wax paper between the lid and screw lid to prevent rust.

Step 4. Allow the jars to sit in a dark place and shake daily for 1 week to a few months depending on the strength of the vinegar flavor you’re trying to achieve. Do not let it sit for more than 6 months.

Step 5. Strain the herbs using natural cheesecloth, muslin, or a natural paper coffee filter.  Pour the herbal vinegar into a new jar and add a fresh spring of lavender or herb for decoration. Cap tightly and store in a cool, dark area. Herbal vinegar's will last up to 6 to 8 months. Refrigerate after opening.

This is how I make my herbal vinegar's like chive blossom vinegar, lavender vinegar, purple basil vinegar and others.

Enjoy cooking with lavender recipes!

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