Easy Infused Lilac Flower Honey Recipe for Spring

Spring is here, and a great way to celebrate the season is by making lilac flower-infused honey. Yes, lilacs are edible flowers (Syringa vulgaris) and safe for humans to consume, as they are part of the olive family Oleaceae. Infusing spring blossoms into honey captures their aroma and preserves their compelling sweetness long after the blooms fade. Making infused honey is simple and one of our favorite ways to preserve one of our favorite flowers. All you need are fresh lilac flowers, raw honey, and some time. You can use your lilac honey to adorn special treats, drizzle over pancakes, or stir into your morning cup of coffee or tea. 

What are the Health Benefits of Lilac Blooms? 

For centuries, the blossoms from lilac shrubs have long been used in folk herbal remedies for their many medicinal properties, including fever reduction. The scent of the blooms is also associated with stress relief and anxiety relief. The blossoms can be used in various methods to get their many benefits, including steeped as an infusion or herbal tea, sprinkled into a bath, or infused into honey, as we explore in this article. They have also been used as elderflowers to support the immune system during stress. 

​What are the benefits of eating raw honey? 

In the lilac-infused honey recipe, we encourage you to use raw or wildflower honey when possible. Some of the benefits of raw honey include:

• High levels of antioxidants.
• Packed with vitamins, including calcium, zinc, and magnesium, to name a few. 
• Antibacterial and antifungal.
• A powerhouse of phytonutrients that can help support brain health. 
• Wound healing aid.
• Supports healthy digestion.
  

How to Harvest Lilac Flowers for Infusing in Honey

An easy way to harvest lilac flowers is when they peak in early May or June. Lilac flowers grow in pronged shoots from a base stem. Cut the stem of the lilac where the stem splits or diverges into a fork. This will provide you with enough stem to hold on to. Pick flowers growing away from roads that you are certain have not been sprayed with pesticide. You do not want to harvest flowers that have the potential of being contaminated. After harvesting, place the cuttings into a cleaned and sterilized vase until you are ready to use. 

Tools and Ingredients Needed to Make Lilac Flower Infused Honey

• 3 cups of Raw Honey
• Glass Airtight Jar (We like Mason Jars)
• Pot with a Lid
• Spoon for stirring
• 20 Freshly picked bushels of Lilac Blossoms that are clean and stem and leaves removed
• Metal Sieve
• Jar Labels

How to prepare the lilac flowers for the infused honey

When making any type of floral-infused honey or herbal honey, you first want to ensure you are working with clean and dry plant material. For lilacs, gently wash the flowers under cold running water, or submerge the blooms into a shallow mixing bowl of cold water. Fresh flowers are notorious for housing insects and spiders, so be sure to clean the flowers thoroughly. After washing, lay the flowers on a dry towel and delicately pat dry. You can also allow the flowers to rest in a shady location to air dry for a few hours. It’s okay if the blossoms wilt, but you don’t want them to dehydrate fully.

Once the flowers have been cleaned and dried, pluck them off their stems and place them in a bowl or jar. Discard any stem pieces and leaves. You can reserve the stems to make tea or other herbal concoctions; however, you can also compost the parts you are not using now. Once you’re done, you will have a mass of flowers without the lilac stems or leaves. 

​How to make lilac flower-infused honey

After the lilac blossoms have been picked and washed, set them aside, add the honey into a pot, and slowly heat it until it is just boiling. You can also set it to low heat and bring the honey to at least 100°F or until it has become a light syrup consistency. 

Next, Scoop 1 cup of lilac blossoms and pack them into a glass jar that has been washed and sterilized. Using a clean jar when making herbal honey infusions is important to ensure molds and fungus do not grow while your honey steeps. 

Carefully pour honey over the flowers until they are submerged and completely covered with the heated honey. Fill to the top of the jar, just below the lid line. 

Place your honey infusion in a cool dark location away from direct sunlight for at least seven days to allow the flowers and honey to steep. Allow it to steep for up to 4-6 weeks for best results. While the floral honey steeps, give your jars a good shake every few days to keep the fresh lilacs submerged in the honey. This will keep any unwanted contaminants from forming or growing in the jar. 

After steeping, remove the lid from the infused honey jar and pour it through a mesh sieve into a new clean jar to remove the delicate flowers and debris. 

​Your end product will be delicious honey with subtle floral notes that preserve spring’s fresh and vibrant aromas. 

Other Ways to Enjoy and preserve lilac flowers

​Infusing fresh lilac blossoms into honey is one of our favorite ways to preserve the intoxicating smells of lilac flowers. Still, many other ways exist to preserve lilacs and enjoy their unique flavors. 

• Another favorite method is making lilac syrup that can be used in lilac cordials or stirred into white wines or punches for a surprisingly refreshing and delightful addition. 
• Lilac sugar is another quick and easy way to preserve the scents of lilacs that can be used in baking or sprinkling into teas and coffees. 
• We also love The Homestead Challenge’s use of lilacs in homemade bath and body products, including their shower jellies recipe. 
• Or make after-bath dusting powder scented with lilac essential oil for a refreshing and uplifting added self-care technique.