Many people like lavender flavor in sweet or savory dishes, and you can peruse the internet and find many recipes. If you don’t have a lavender garden in your back yard, you can use food-grade lavender oil in your recipes. However, there are a few things you should know before doing substitutions.
- Choose safe products from reliable resources. One choice is Lavender Vitality.
- Lavender oil, or any oil for that matter, is going to add a much stronger flavor to food than flowers or herbs, so adjust your recipe. It might take experimentation. One drop goes a long way. I learned this the hard way. Start low and slow.
- If one drop is too much, try the toothpick method. Dip a toothpick in the oil, and then stir the batter with the toothpick. I know it doesn’t seem like much, but you will be surprised at the flavor.
- Essential oils should be added near the end of the recipe by folding them in. When mixing a cake or cookie recipe, the oils may lose a bit of their therapeutic value during the heating process, but you will still get the flavor.
- In a stove top recipe, remove the pan from the stove and let the hot ingredients cool a bit before stirring in oils.
- If liquid ingredients are part of the recipe, you may want to combine the oil with another liquid before adding to ensure more even distribution.
- If using more than one essential oil flavor, definitely start with the toothpick method.
Here are a few suggestions to get you started. Add Lavender Vitality (or another favorite Vitality Oil) to:
- A simple syrup recipe to blend with ice tea
- A milkshake or smoothie
- Homemade Ningxia popsicles or Ningxia shots
- Whip cream topping your dessert or smoothie
- Yogurt
- Cookie or cake recipes, especially mixed with lemon
- Vinegar and oil-based salad dressings
- Hot cocoa
- Candy recipes
- Marinades
- Syrup for waffles and pancakes
- Potato and pasta salads
RECIPES
Honey Lavender Lemonade
- 6 lemons, juiced
- 1 lime, juiced
- ½ cup honey
- 2 drops Lavender Vitality oil
- 10 cups ice water
- Lavender sprigs, optional
Combine lemon juice, lime juice, honey, and Lavender Vitality in a large glass pitcher. Add water to taste. Stir until well mixed. Chill. Garnish with sprigs of lavender.
Lavender Rosemary Salad Dressing
- 2/3 cup Safflower Oil
- 1/3 cup Red Wine Vinegar
- ½ t sugar (optional)
- 1 drop (or to taste) Lavender Vitality
- 1 drop (or to taste) Rosemary Vitality
Combine ingredients in a mason jar. Shake before use. Store at room temperature.
