Presentation
It smells good, good, good, so much so that we would like to bite into it, this spring lilac (Syringa vulgaris). Its flowers are certainly edible, but tend to be bitter and astringent when eaten raw. We get their full potential by infusing them with other ingredients or incorporating them into preparations. In addition, the shrub itself is already a feast for the eyes, with flowers of four petals falling in clusters, in varied colors. And it’s easy to grow.
Picking
As with Saskatoon berries, you should not miss the flowering of lilacs. It varies depending on the region, but generally it occurs in the last two weeks of May and sometimes the first two weeks of June, says Fisun Ercan. “I haven’t noticed a difference in taste depending on the colors, but it is best to use the flowers when they have just opened and have beautiful curls. This is where they are most aromatic. After two days, they are usable, but will have lost some aroma,” she recommends. A tip collected from Espace pour la vie: planting different cultivars allows you to stagger the flowering periods, some being later, others earlier.
Tasting
A real range of uses is possible! The best known is in the form of a syrup, to be prepared using the classic method, before letting the flowers infuse for at least 24 hours in the refrigerator, then removing them, explains M.me Ercan. She also incorporates lilac into shortbread cookies, and uses it to flavor sugar. “I crush the flowers and put them in an airtight jar, alternating layers of cane sugar and flowers, finishing with a layer of sugar. This will keep for several months, at room temperature. » She also uses lilac in her ice creams, by infusing the flowers in the preparation base, then adding a few petals.