Herb

The Herb That's Happy Everywhere from Soap to Shortbread

September 12, 2015

Stop and smell (and eat) the flowers.

Lavender

Take a moment and do a word association with lavender: Soap. Light purple. Fragrant. 

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I bet you’re less than five thoughts in before you begin reciting that old English nursery rhyme “Lavender blue, dilly dilly, lavender green….” While this tune has shown up in multiple Disney movies, the original verses weren’t exactly suited to nursery school-aged children. In 75 Exceptional Herbs for Your Garden, Jack Staub writes that the original lyrics were less kid-friendly and more adult-oriented. They dealt with drinking and, ah, amorous activity: “Whilst you and I, diddle, diddle….” Racy stuff.

That's because, like many herbs, lavender has enjoyed all sorts of purported benefits attached to it throughout the years. So while you were likely already familiar with lavender’s calming effects, you might not have know it was once thought to be an aphrodisiac, too. In case the nursery rhyme didn’t convince you, Staub also notes that lavender was “strewn around Cleopatra’s chambers to entice both Julius Caesar and Mark Antony.” 

Fresh Lavender Dried Lavender

Lavender belongs to the mint family, along with a number of other herbs like lemon balm, shiso, and rosemary. With most of those herbs, you’re mainly using the leaves (though their blooms are an added bonus if you’re a gardener or have a well-stocked farmers market). With lavender, though, you’re only using the flower buds (ideally before they’ve opened), so strip the buds (4, pictured below) off the stems (3, below), as you might thyme leaves.

If you’re looking to cook with the lavender you acquire and not just pop it into a vase, make sure that it is intended for culinary use—both in terms of variety and what might have been sprayed on it. Deborah Madison notes that both English and French lavender are “suitable for cooking” (whichever type you use, she cautions to use lavender with a light hand).

When you buy fresh lavender (1, above) from the farmers market, set some aside—you can dry it yourself to save some for later. If you’re buying it already dried (2, above), make sure it is food grade lavender and not intended for a bowl of potpourri. 

Fresh Lavender

Lavender is less universally beloved an herb than other members of the family, like basil. Some people associate it so much with cleaning products that it’s hard to think of it as appetizing. But if you are a fan of its fragrant ways, here are some ideas for perfuming your food with lavender:

Lavender Polenta Cake

Baked Goods

Flavored Salts

Seasonings

Lavender-infused cream

Flavor Agent

Beverages

Lavender sachet

Non-Edibles

  • Can't get past its association with cleaning products? Embrace it and make lavender soap.
  • Get the best-smelling sock drawer on the block with DIY lavender sachets.

Tell us: What's your favorite way to cook (or not) with lavender?

Photos by James Ransom, Bobbi Lin

See what other Food52 readers are saying.

  • mrslarkin
    mrslarkin
  • boulangere
    boulangere
  • Lindsay-Jean Hard
    Lindsay-Jean Hard
I like esoteric facts about vegetables. Author of the IACP Award-nominated cookbook, Cooking with Scraps.

6 Comments

mrslarkin September 13, 2015
Yes! That one. I use about 1 tablespoon lav per batch.
 
Lindsay-Jean H. September 13, 2015
Wonderful, thanks!
 
boulangere September 12, 2015
Salted Lavender-Rosemary Shortbread:
https://thesolitarycook.wordpress.com/2013/08/27/salted-lavender-rosemary-shortbread/
 
Lindsay-Jean H. September 13, 2015
Bookmarked to make! They sound fantastic.
 
mrslarkin September 12, 2015
I love love love lavender-blueberry scones.
 
Lindsay-Jean H. September 13, 2015
Yum. Do you add lavender to your Royal Wedding Scones? Or another recipe altogether?