FULL RECIPE FOR THE LILAC SYRUP
Lilac shrubs are one of my favourite signs of Spring!... A touch of bitterness and an explosion of sweet floral aroma; eating even a single fresh raw lilac flower can be a phenomenal experience!

In Turkish Cuisine, Lilac Syrup is prepared in the spring as a curative and refined cold drink using fresh Lilac flowers

The flowers' medicinal qualities are also well known throughout history. Their essence has been used to treat and prevent a variety of maladies including gastric discomfort, malaria, and parasitic infections.

Ingredients *

300 g fresh and ripe Lilac flowers
~1 L (4-5 cups) drinking water (fill the jar to-the-rib)
1 tbsp citric acid (or the juice of 1 lemon)
3 cups sugar

(*) You can apply this recipe for any edible spring flowers

Directions:

PREPARATION
Choose a Lilac bush that is abundantly fragrant, and whose flowers have a floral taste but not too much bitterness.
Pick the flowers when they are ripe; this is when they are most fragrant
Dark purple flowers provide more colour for your syrup

CLEANING
Discard the leafy stems and wash the Lilac flowers thoroughly by submerging them in a large bowl of water. This is to get rid of any dust or insect eggs
Then, gently remove the excess water on the flowers using a salad spinner (or by letting them air-dry)
After minimizing the amount of water on the petals, the Lilac flowers are ready for syrup preparation

JARRING
Use a clean jar for the extracting process. Make sure the jar is filled to-the-rim with Lilac flowers, so that any oxidation (browning) is minimal. This allows the syrup to develop a clear and lovely purple colour
Once the jar is filled, add 1 tbsp of citric acid (or the juice of 1 lemon) over the flowers
Then, fill in the rest of the space with drinking water
Tightly seal the jar with a lid
Let the Lilac flowers rest for extraction

EXTRACTING
First, keep the jar in a sunny spot for 2 hours
You will observe a pinkish colour settling at the bottom of the jar within 1 hour.
After 2 hours, place the jar in the fridge and wait a minimum of 4 more hours (or overnight) to complete the extraction

MAKING THE SYRUP
After ~6 hours, you will see white flowers and coloured juice in the jar.
This means the extraction is complete.
Strain the juice and discard the Lilac flowers.
For the sweet taste of the syrup, add 3 cups of sugar to the flower extract and stir until it is dissolved. Before serving, let the syrup rest for 1-2 hours to develop a body
The Lilac Syrup is ready!

This recipe makes a very concentrated syrup.

The rough ratio I use is 1 cup of sugar for every 2 cups of flower extract.
Using this ratio, you can make any amount of concentrate syrup from all edible spring flowers
I used plain white granulated sugar to avoid adding any combating flavours in the syrup
Sour taste is optional, but I recommend.
The sourness of the citric acid (or lemon) highlights the flavour of the Lilac Syrup and aids in preservation

You can balance the sweetness and sourness according to your palate

SERVING
Since the Lilac Syrup is prepared as a concentrate, it should be diluted for serving. You can choose ice, cold water, or sparkling water at a 1:1 ratio

Enjoy the sweet-sour taste of Lilac Syrup along with its paradisiacal aroma and freshness

You can use this Lilac Syrup concentrate when making flavourful whipped cream, ice cream, or iced teas to enjoy in the hot summer months!
I like to pursue a family tradition...

A glass of chilled Lilac Syrup on a warm afternoon makes me blissfully happy as I welcome spring with open arms

Enjoy paradise!

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