In my last post I included some photos of my super beautiful and in bloom lilac bush. I love lilacs! The scent of those glorious flowers reminds me of my mom and of when I was a kid I used to spend many an afternoon flitting about through the veritable lilac forest at my grandmother's hundred year old farmhouse.
It was in the comments of that post, however, that the inspiration for today's post was born. My dear pal @prydefoltz suggested making some lilac lemonade out of the blossoms, a thing that I am totally going to do, but I am even more fanatical about iced tea, so I totally squirrelled and went that route. Thanks for the inspiration Pryde! (And that lemonade is forthcoming!)
Part of the reason I went with tea is ease of prep, as today it finally quit raining and I had to do some serious work in the garden (I'll post about that later). Let's just say after working for hours out in the humidity, I needed liquid replenishment. My vibe was already replenished as I got a surprise visit from @scribblingramma! I haven't seen her in forever so her spontaneous drop-in made my day, and dang does she have good timing, I was just about ready to pause for some lunch.
Anyway, after she left I went out and plucked a sprig of lilac, making sure that I took my flowers from the top of the shrub as I remembered that Pryde mentioned something about dog pee.
Then I went in and filled my trusty electric kettle. Boy do I ever love that thing!
While the water was coming up to a boil, I went ahead and rinsed off the lovely little purple buds. You know, because of dog pee...(And yes, I am being a bit of a joking heathen here, I cut that branch off at about four feet up, but still...)
I then stripped the buds off of the stem and plunked them into a a pint mason jar. I probably would have used a quart jar, but they are all out in the storage shed or were in the dishwasher and I was a bit tired, so pint it was!
By then the water was boiling and I poured two cups of piping hot water over the purple blossoms. Then I got to see some cool science magic, for as the boiling water hit the blossoms they turned from the light lilac purple we all know to a more periwinkle blue color. COOL!
Then it was infusion time! I wanted a rich lilac flavor so I let my tea steep for thirty minutes while I cooked our afternoon meal, but as long as you let it steep for at least five minutes you will be good to go.
After infusing time had elapsed and I was wearing food mess along with assorted garden detritus, I poured my tea through a strainer. You could also use a tea ball or bag to steep your tea in, but remember, I was tired. And I'm sure I am a bit lazy.
The resulting tea had a lovely subtle blue tinge, and I was thrilled with the aroma alone! But even though I am sometimes tired/lazy, I just can't help myself when it comes to amusing myself with kitchen chemistry.
So I got out a lemon.
Okay, to be fair Pryde had already said that lemons and lilacs taste good together, and I tend to have a slice of lemon in my ice tea. Alright, and the fact that I had a feeling that the acid of the lemon would make my tea change color appealed to me too. What can I say, I am easily amused.
So, I cut myself a pretty wedge of lemon and stuck it on my glass, and then I squeezed the other half into my tea, and sure enough, it turned the tea into a lovely lavender blush color. YAY!
Then I got down my purpose d'etre, a hydrating diversion. Oh did the tea ever accomplish that goal! It was like drinking in the essence of a lilac flower. I can't even really explain it's awesomeness! If you like floral foods then you would love lilac iced tea. It's like a slap to your senses without any soapy aftertaste! I loved it!
And I have to admit I felt pretty posh sitting on my front porch sipping my delightful little drink, even if I am pretty sure my cats were judging me for being a bit above my imaginary station. Well, the jokes on them, I am not above anything, I am short!
And on that note, off I go to do some more homesteadin'
Lilac Iced Tea
2 cups boiling water
4 TBSP fresh lilac flowers
1 slice of lemon dividedBoil two cups of water, strip flowers from stems and place in a jar/cup/bowl. You can also put the flowers in a mesh tea ball or reusable tea bag.
Pour the boiling water over the flowers and let steep for a minimum of 5-10 minutes, the longer you steep the more lilac flavor you'll have.
If you didn't use a bag/ball, strain your tea through a mesh strainer when infusing time is over. Load a cup with ice and pour tea over it. (Sometimes I add more ice if too much melts. Squeeze half a lemon slice (or more into your tea for color change magic!) and enjoy!
Note: I like the tea just as it is, but if you want a bit of sweet I think honey or stevia would rock in this drink!
. Keep up the fantastic work