I tasted this recipe at an open house for a holistic center and it was so refreshing.  I'm getting the ingredients I don't have today and making it myself.

Some of you already have lavender flowers growing around- lucky you.  They can be bought at a health food store (Richards or Earth Origins here in Fla)  I guess you'd have to check first in your area.

Squeeze 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice.  Add three tablespoons of the lavender flowers and soak overnight in the refrigerator.

Next day make a syrup with 1/2 cup honey (orange flavored honey was used but any would do)
Mix it with the lavender flower/lemon juice mix and blend well.  Add one to two drops of lemon essential oil.    Strain off the lavender flowers.

Pour into a pitcher with 40 oz. (one or two bottles of carbonated water.  Perrier was used.)
If anyone has an aversion to carbonation I guess spring water would be ok.  The carbonation just adds something to the flavor, though.

Serve with lots of ice.  And for even more pizzazz a few sprigs of fresh mint.

The recipe can be adjusted to your own taste as to whether you like it more lemony or add a bit more honey.  

Joy

That sounds really really good!

I just got all the ingredients I didn't have this afternoon and I'm going to soak the lavendar flowers (found them in the specialty spices/dried supplement section (you know where you have to measure it out.  It is so expensive a pound.  I was a little leary when I checked out but I got about 4 scoops and it was under $10.00.

Yes, Conor, blend well with a utensil just to get the lemon/flower mix and syrup mixed.  I would also treat lavender flowers as a neutral.

I, too, hope it's as good as it sounds.

Joy

I've had it before, it is very good, and lucky me I have lavender blooming

GR,

And here I thought is was an original recipe.  I guess what's good just keeps going around!

Joy

I noticed that essential oil of lemon peel was added to this lemonade. Just wondering why not use Lavender essential oil, too, then, rather than all this soaking and straining of dried flowers. The essential oil is not made from dried but rather from fresh lavender, which would be far more volatile and thus not require soaking and waiting. Furthermore, dried herbs and flowers add a certain artifact/edge to tastes. Perhaps one drop of lavender oil should be considered by those contemplating trying this recipe.  

I just put all the ingredients together to have with lunch.  Just a few things to consider when making it for the first time that I learned:

a.  When you add the lavender flowers/lemon mix strain the flowers BEFORE you mix it with the honey.  It's less sticky and mixes much easier without any bits of lavender flowers.

b.  For anyone who has a Richards Whole Food store get the lavender flowers there.  They are much less expensive than Earth Origins.

c.  For me the fresh mint adds a little zing.

Sanj, I compare the soaking of the flowers with the lemon mix to marinating a piece of meat before cooking the next day.  It adds flavor that you wouldn't get with just the lavender oil, IMHO.

Joy

Target used to sell a lavender blueberry sorbet. I would LOVE to try and make something similar using agave (diamond) instead of sugar. The lavender added a lovely profile to the sorbet.

I want to try the lemonade now.

Passionprincess,

I don't know what gives the sorbet that creamy consistency.  I'll bet you could make some ice pops from the lemonade.  A place like bed, bath and beyond or Walmart might have trays in the shape of a pop and you just add a stick.  When it freezes there you have it.

I'm going through this pitcher like I can't believe.  I'd like to "beam" some to you now.

Let me know how that works out if you try it.

Joy

Thank you, Joy! Maybe if I close my eyes and wish really hard, I will be able to get your lavender lemonade!

Did some online searches for lavender blueberry sorbet recipes - it turns out that blueberry has a high pectin content and creates a gelatinous mass. The recipes suggest putting the mixture in an ice cream maker for a more creamy consistency.

I am wondering if I can sub the sugar with agave or honey. I used agave for my lemon milk kefir ice cream and it turned out great. I have lavender bushes at home (grown without pesticides). I wonder if I can get some seeds, dry them, and use them!

http://www.rookie-cookie.com/2008/06/blueberry-lavender-sorbet.html

Quoted from Joy

Passionprincess,

I don't know what gives the sorbet that creamy consistency.  I'll bet you could make some ice pops from the lemonade.  A place like bed, bath and beyond or Walmart might have trays in the shape of a pop and you just add a stick.  When it freezes there you have it.

I'm going through this pitcher like I can't believe.  I'd like to "beam" some to you now.

Let me know how that works out if you try it.

Joy

The way I love lavender you would think that I would have planted some long ago! Well, I am now!

I, too, am very fortunate to have several lavender and rosemary bushes all around and through my property. Our altitude and micro climate allow many plants to grow year round with maybe only a month down/rest time. My garden has fresh French thyme, spearmint, and basil. I love being able to just go outside and pick whatever I need anytime I want.

Cajun,

It sounds like you really appreciate your "herbal plants" right in your own backyard.  That would be lovely and if I ever get the chance will grow some of my own.

You can't get much fresher than walking outside, picking what you need, washing them, and using them in food.

Joy

Joy,
So right!   I am thankful. A real blessing. Sometimes there are conflicts with the birds but we end up sharing...because I have no choice.. they are "up" before me!

I made a second batch the other day and "tweaked" the recipe a little bit.  I needed a little more flavor and this is what I did.

Revised Recipe

Since two bottles from the store of Perrier are 25.3 fl. oz each that's over 50 oz so I added a bit more of everything.

1.  Soaked about 4 tablespoons of lavender flowers in 1 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice overnight.

2.  Next day added that mix to about a cup of regular honey (didn't use orange flavor this time)  Did
not strain lavender flowers first. (Makes a difference really)

3.  Mixed all this thoroughly and then strained off the lavender flowers.  It was just a little sticky but once I added it to the Perrier water in the pitcher what a beautiful color it became!!!  I'm very visual on color.

4.  Added more than a few drops of lemon oil.  Plus I added some drops of peppermint oil
A few fresh leaves of mint makes a nice drink when your thirsty.

5.  Result.  Tangy.  Secret ingredient -a few shakes of sea salt.  A few quick shakes of salt in 50 ounces of liquid is not too much for me.    Mix well again in pitcher.  For those of you who are anti-salt completely?  Leave it out.

I'm about half way through and its been raining on and off for two days here so it isn't even hot.
I just enjoy the flavor.

Joy

Thank you for the recipe Joy.  I made it yesterday and both my husband and I enjoyed it very much.  

That's nice to hear, JoAnn.  

We're expecting hot weather after the storm here so I'll probably be making the lemonade quite a bit for awhile.

Joy

Variations on this Lemonade:

1. Use ginger instead of lavender.
2. Use limes instead of lemons, and then use loads of spearmint instead of lavender.
3. Using, again, limes, consider (I kid you not) jalapeños.

Other herbs nice with citrus (use sparingly): basil, rosemary, cilantro. All of these are refreshing. Basil is particularly volatile, however, so only use the tiniest bit.

I have made the lemonade yesterday, with fresh lavender from the garden, and it was delicious.
The test batch was gone in two hours, so today I'll make a lot more.
Thanks for sharing the recipe

So happy the the recipe.  In Geneva on the Lake, OH, we have Sandy's Seafood Shanty, which sells lavender lemonade for $3.00 for a 10 oz glass,+$1.50 for refills.  I knew it had to be something special, when I tried it last week and it was delicious.  

Now I will make it at home!  Thank You

How hard is it to grow lavendar? Will it grow in Long Island, NY, or is the climate here too cold?

RG,

That's a good question and I'm sure any one of the people here who grow it at home can advice you.

I get mine from the HFS.  Two places carry it.  For some reason Richards Whole Foods is much cheaper than the other store.  It's already been cleaned and processed.

Long Island should still have soil with nutrients in it (I grew up there).

Joy

I can (and do) get the dried flowers cheaply at the  bulk bin of my local HFS. But I was wondering what the plant itself was like- it would probably be delicious eaten fresh in salads.