French Lavender

[scotti]

When is the best time to harvest lavender for adding to cakes, ice cream and smoothies, and how do you go about extracting the vital ingredient. Have only used lavender for pot-pourri in past.

[Earthbabe]

According to the author of the Lavender Cookbook (whose name escapes me at the mo) when approx one third of the flowers on each "spike" have opened. Then allow it to dry a little before removing the flower heads. I would opt for the run spike through fingers method. And then put in a jar. You can add a couple of tablespoons to a jar of sugar to create lavender sugar (sold I believe by one Mr Oliver for an extortionate amount of money). You can also add neat lavender to ice-cream etc about a tsp at a time. Or to biscuits, cakes, stews whatever.

[Waffler]

Funnily enough, I was talking to my Dad about lavender yesterday; he was saying he'd like some in hsi new herb bed, but it's not really a herb in that it's only used for homeopathic remedies etc. I was telling him about using it in baking and ice-cream etc. and he turned his nose up. I've never used it, but was I correct in saying it's quite a subtle flavour? I also mentioned lavender sugar.

[scotti]

Hi Waffler,
Went to Kew Gardens recently and in their shops they have hard sweets in a majority of flavours, one of which is lavender. They were a mild flavour and made a change from the mango ones I usually get. Iv'e also had a muffin with lavender incorporated, but again shop bought. To some, it would be an acquired flavour, but certainly cooked, it is not as strong as the smell.

[Flummery]

We use it with lamb - like rosemary. Yesterday, funnily enough, some friends came for a meal and brought with them a white ewes' milk cheese 'matured in lavender flowers' said the label. The flowers were simply stuck to the outside, like peppercorns in other varieties. It was absolutely gorgeous with rough oatcakes - a meal in itself!

[MrsC]

sophie grigson has wrote a nice book, simply called... 'herbs', has sum gd ideas!