French Lavender: This variety has a strong pine flavor, making it less ideal for cooking. Spanish lavender, which is often associated with French lavender, is also strongly flavored and not great for cooking.
Can I cook with French lavender?
French lavender is frequently included in the herb blend herbes de provence, which benefits from the subtle floral flavor. As a rule, lavender can be used similarly to fresh rosemary, in recipes like meat marinades and baked breads. Lavender flowers also make a beautiful garnish for salads, desserts, and more.
Is English or French lavender better for cooking?
Most varieties of lavender can be used in cooking; however, those in the Lavandula angustifolia, commonly referred to as “English Lavender,” are the best choice for culinary use.
Is French lavender culinary lavender?
However, there are a few varieties, like the cultivar Provence, that people use for culinary situations because it is fairly low in camphor. However, in general, Lavandula X Intermedia AKA Lavandin AKA French lavender is not typically used to cook with. So, when you ask what kind of lavender can you eat?
Which type of lavender is best for cooking?
The best tasting edible lavenders are the ones with the sweetest perfume. English lavender is extremely popular as a culinary lavender. This is normally sold as Lavandula angustifolia, but it’s sometimes sold as Lavandula officinalis or Lavandula vera.
What can I do with fresh French lavender?
What To Do With Lavender: 20 Fun Recipes + Ideas
- Create a Shower Bundle.
- Carpet Freshener.
- Make Lavender Soap.
- Use Lavender for Gift Wrapping.
- Make Homemade Candles.
- Make Bath Salts.
- Pet Deodorizer.
- Linen Spray.
What can you use French lavender for?
Lavandula stoechas also known as French lavender or butterfly lavender is grown mainly for its highly aromatic leaves. With its trademark “ears”, it is a beautiful plant that can boost the curb appeal of any garden or yard. It is best used in potpourris and essential oil production.
Which lavender is not edible?
Lavandins (L. x. intermedia) is edible, as is all lavender, but its flavor can be resinous and pungent. A Lavandin type will make a dish taste bitter.
Do you have to dry lavender before cooking with it?
Drying lavender is only necessary if you want to keep the lavender flowers around long term. It is a method of preservation, not a requirement for use. In fact, you can cook with lavender as soon as it is picked if you like. The floral flavor is much more mellow at this point, but it is extremely aromatic.
What is the difference between lavender and French lavender?
English lavender is typically the most appealing variety when it comes to scent and is similar to rosemary. French lavender has a stronger fragrance with more pine notes, making it a popular choice for cleaning and home products. No smell is “better” than the other, it is largely based on individual preference.
Can you use any type of lavender for tea?
Most lavenders (and hybrids) will work fine for tea, but some like the Spanish Lavender (stoechas: the ones with the flowers shaped like pineapples with the bunny ears on top) are too strong for most culinary applications.
What kind of lavender is best for tea?
English lavender
Lavandula angustifolia is more commonly known as English lavender and is the most popular type of lavender used in cooking. It has the sweetest aroma and flavor among all the lavender species and gives the most assertive lavender flavor.
Is lavender safe to eat?
Yes, you can eat lavender! Lavender is an herb just like rosemary and thyme and you can eat lavender in endless dishes, drinks and sides!
What can I do with lavender stems?
Cut stems short and use them as fire starters for your outdoor fire pit, fireplace, or stove. As stems are full of oil, they are good fire starters. I use them all the time for my fireplace. Cut them very short and use them as part of the lavender potpourri.
Which lavender is best for oil?
Best Lavender Cultivars For Lavender Oil Production
- ‘Vera’
- ‘Hidcote Superior’
- ‘Gros Bleu’
- ‘Grosso’
- ‘Phenomenal’
Do you dry lavender leaves or flowers?
As for how to dry lavender, it’s easy! Of the different types of lavender, go for the English or French varieties, since they contain plenty of oils. You can dry either the flowers, or the leaves and sprigs. Make sure you cut the lavender buds from the plant before the flowers open.
What part of the lavender plant is used for tea?
buds
The most common way lavender is consumed is by brewing a tea from its buds. Brewing lavender buds into a tea helps release the oils and scents.
Can you do anything with lavender leaves?
Lavender leaves are edible and very strongly flavored. If using the flowers, strip them from the spike, or use them whole. Dried lavender retains its aroma and flavor exceptionally well (like any woody herb) and lasts for many months in an airtight jar.
Can you burn French lavender?
The stems as well as the flowers of both English and French lavender can be bundled together and lit to fill your home with soothing and vibrant lavender smoke. Not only is lavender grown and harvested at a much more sustainable rate, it is also a “zero waste” herb.
Should you deadhead French lavender?
Dead-head French lavenders throughout the summer as they’ll flower continuously from May to September. Deadheading will also encourage more flowering through the season.
Is French lavender a herb?
French Lavender, known formally as ‘Lavandula stoechas’, is an evergreen herb shrub with aromatic properties.