How to cook with lavender

These pretty purple blooms have been lending their delicate flavour to recipes as far back as the Middle Ages. Here’s how the glorious floral herb can enhance your cooking, both sweet and savoury.

FRESH LAVENDER

If you have unsprayed lavender in the garden, you can use the fresh heads/ stems in salads or to decorate cakes and drinks.

DRIED LAVENDER FLOWERS

Drying the flowers gives a more fragrant flavour and better texture for eating. To make them at home, snip stems at bloom height, tie together and hang indoors upside down for 1-2 weeks until dried out. Pull off the flowers, then store in airtight jars. They have a perfumed, slightly citrussy hit of flavour that’s not quite as punchy as the essence (below). They’re best as a garnish rather than for imparting bags of flavour – and they look so pretty.

LAVENDER ESSENCE

It’s also sold as essential oil, extract (make sure it’s marked ‘culinary’), flavouring or flavour drops. Sometimes it’s available in hot and cold varieties – hot for anything to be baked or heated and cold for flavouring ice creams, drinks and syrups. It’s vital to use sparingly – start by adding a little less than each recipe says, then taste and check you’re happy with the flavour level before carrying on. Individual tastes vary and it’s easy to add more but you can’t take it away...

LAVENDER HONEY

Like all single-origin honeys (produced from bees that collect nectar from one type of plant or tree only), the lavender variety tends to have only a subtle whisper of the flavour. It’s best used in conjunction with another lavender flavouring if you want the taste to be more pronounced. Use as you would any honey – from spreading on toast to drizzling over salty cheese. Buy lavender ingredients at castlefarmkent.co.uk or from specialists such as souschef.co.uk

5 WAYS TO EXPERIMENT WITH LAVENDER...

MACERATE STRAWBERRIES in sweet wine, lemon zest, a little sugar and a few drops of lavender essence for 1-2 hours until soft and juicy. Scatter over dried lavender flowers and serve over vanilla ice cream.

ROAST FIGS drizzled in lavender honey and scattered with dried lavender flowers until caramelised.

Roll out a puff pastry sheet, score a border and top with crumbly goat’s cheese, the figs and thyme/rosemary sprigs. Glaze the border with beaten egg, then bake in a hot oven until crisp. Serve with a sharp green salad. DRIZZLE BLUEBERRY PANCAKES with lavender honey, scatter with dried lavender flowers, then serve with fresh blueberries and crispy bacon. REPLACE VANILLA with lavender essence in a crème brûlée, then serve with sharp apricot compote.

FOR A LAVENDER MARTINI mix 1-2 drops of lavender essence with the gin and vermouth. Finish with a squeeze of lemon, a twist of peel and a lavender flower head.