How To Make Culinary Lavender

You can make culinary lavender at home by harvesting fresh lavender buds and drying them properly.
 
When you make culinary lavender, you’re essentially preserving the fragrant buds so they can flavor everything from cookies to cocktails.
 
If you’ve ever wondered how to make culinary lavender, the good news is that it takes very little equipment and just a bit of patience.
 
Making culinary lavender is all about choosing the right variety, harvesting at the right time, and drying the buds without losing their essential oils.
 
In this post, we’ll walk through how to make culinary lavender step by step, plus how to store it and use it in your kitchen.
 
Let’s dive in.
 

How to Make Culinary Lavender: The Basics

To make culinary lavender, you need to start with the right plant and treat it gently from harvest to storage.
 
Here’s how the process breaks down.
 

1. Choose the Right Lavender Variety

Not all lavender is meant for eating, so making culinary lavender starts with picking a sweet, mild variety.
 
English lavender, also known as Lavandula angustifolia, is the top choice because it has a sweeter, less soapy flavor than other types.
 
Good culinary cultivars include ‘Hidcote,’ ‘Munstead,’ and ‘Melissa,’ which are all prized for their gentle, floral taste.
 
Avoid Lavandula stoechas (Spanish lavender) and Lavandula dentata (French lavender), since they tend to be bitter and camphor-heavy.
 
If you’re buying plants, look for labels that specifically say “culinary lavender” so you know you’re starting with the right material.
 

2. Harvest at the Right Time

The best time to harvest lavender for culinary use is in the morning, right after the dew dries but before the heat of the day sets in.
 
This is when the essential oils are most concentrated in the buds, which means better flavor when you make culinary lavender.
 
Pick the stems when about half of the buds on a spike have opened, and the rest are still closed.
 
Grab the stems low on the plant and cut them with clean, sharp scissors or pruning shears.
 
Bundle a handful of stems together with a rubber band, and don’t wash the buds, just shake them gently to remove any insects or dust.
 

3. Dry the Lavender Buds

Drying is the heart of how to make culinary lavender, and there are a few ways to do it.
 
The easiest method is air drying: hang your bundles upside down in a cool, dark, dry spot with good airflow.
 
A closet, pantry, or well-ventilated garage works great, and it usually takes one to two weeks for the buds to dry completely.
 
You can also dry culinary lavender in a dehydrator set to the lowest temperature, around 95°F to 100°F, for one to three hours.
 
If you use an oven, keep it on the lowest setting with the door cracked open, and check every 15 minutes so the buds don’t burn.
 
When the buds feel dry and papery and rattle when you rub them between your fingers, they’re ready.
 

4. Strip and Store the Buds

Once your lavender is fully dry, rub the flower spikes between your hands over a bowl to separate the buds from the stems.
 
Pick out any stems, leaves, or brown bits so your culinary lavender is clean and pure.
 
Store the buds in an airtight glass jar away from sunlight and heat, where they’ll keep for about a year.
 
Label the jar with the date so you know when to make a fresh batch of culinary lavender.
 

Ways to Use Culinary Lavender

Now that you’ve made culinary lavender, here are some tasty ways to put it to work.
 

1. Baking and Desserts

Culinary lavender shines in shortbread, scones, cakes, and cookies, where a little goes a long way.
 
You can also infuse sugar by tossing a few buds into a jar and letting it sit for a week or two.
 

2. Drinks and Savory Dishes

Add culinary lavender to lemonade, tea, or cocktails for a floral twist.
 
It also pairs beautifully with roasted chicken, lamb, and honey-glazed vegetables.
 
Just remember that culinary lavender is strong, so start with a small amount and adjust as you go.
 

3. Blends and Gifts

Mix your homemade culinary lavender into herbes de Provence or a custom spice blend.
 
Jars of culinary lavender also make lovely gifts, especially with a handwritten tag explaining how to use it.
 

Tips for Making Culinary Lavender

A few simple habits will help you make culinary lavender that tastes fresh and fragrant every time.
 
Always use organic, unsprayed lavender, since you’ll be eating it.
 
Keep the buds whole until you’re ready to use them, because crushing releases the oils and shortens shelf life.
 
Store your culinary lavender in a cool, dark place and replace it yearly for the best flavor.
 
And always taste a tiny bit before cooking, since potency varies from batch to batch.
 

So, How to Make Culinary Lavender?

You can make culinary lavender by harvesting English lavender buds in the morning and drying them until they’re papery.
 
The process is simple, but the payoff is huge, since homemade culinary lavender tastes far better than most store-bought versions.
 
Just pick the right variety, dry the buds properly, and store them well.
 
Pretty soon, you’ll have your own jar of culinary lavender ready for baking, drinks, and savory dishes alike.