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. Occasionally it’s listed as “true English lavender.”
How do you tell the difference between culinary lavender and regular lavender?
While crafting lavender might also be sifted, culinary lavender is sifted multiple times so that all that remains is the lavender buds (and not leaves, stems or dried calyxes, which enclose the petals and form a protective layer around the lavender flower).
How do you pick lavender for cooking?
If you’re cooking with fresh lavender, pick it as close to mealtime as possible (or cut and place in a jar of water until ready to use). What is this? To dry lavender, cut it from the bush just before the buds open (when they open, fragrance is lost and the flowers become more fragile).
Can you use any lavender for baking?
If you’re cooking, use culinary lavender only. There are hundreds of varieties of lavender, but many are specifically grown for their excellent oil properties, not for eating. The best edibles are English lavender varieties (Lavandula angustifolia) like Hidcote, Munstead, and Lady.
Can I use lavender from my garden to cook?
Lavender is a unique herb in that every part of the plant—bud, stem, and leaf—can be used in cooking. While the lavender flowers and leaves can be used fresh, the buds and stems can be used dried. Since the lavender flavor intensifies when the herb is dried, the dried buds should be used sparingly.
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.
Can you eat lavender straight from the plant?
Lavender basics
Both the flowers and leaves can be eaten and have a pleasant yet slightly bitter flavor.
What is the difference between lavender and English lavender?
Both lavender varieties have a lovely scent, but to a well trained nose, it’s easy to spot the difference. English lavender is much lighter and sweeter than French lavender because it has less camphor, a chemical with a piney, woody scent.
How long does cooking lavender last?
1-3 years
Culinary Lavender Cooking Tips
Whether it’s fresh or dried, lavender should be treated just like any other herb. If kept out of direct light and in an airtight and dry container, lavender will stay flavorful and fragrant for 1-3 years.
What is a substitute for culinary lavender?
When cooking sweet dishes, nutmeg or sage are great substitutes for lavender. It is important to play around with the different herb and spice combinations to see which one tastes best to you.
Can I cook with French lavender?
Different Ways to Enjoy Lavender
Baked goods, salad dressings, beurre blanc, ice cream and sorbet, Provencal-style soups and stews, and dry rubs are all good uses for lavender buds.
Which 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.
Can you use English lavender in cooking?
Lavender for Food
While all lavender is safe to eat, English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) or “true” lavender contains much less essential oil than its aromatic cousin used in perfumes and soaps. If you want to try cooking with lavender use English lavender, otherwise your food may taste bitter or soapy.
What variety of lavender is edible?
The best lavender to use for cooking is lavender from the species: Lavandula Angustifolia. Any cultivar within this species will taste best for cooking. Some cultivars in this species that are favorites for cooking include Royal Velvet, Folgate, and Melissa.
How do I know if my lavender plant is edible?
Look for pink-flowering ‘Rosea’ English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia ‘Rosea’) or ‘White Ice’ (Lavandula angustifolia ‘White Ice’) for unusual bloom colors with a milder, almost candy-like flavor. Lavandins (Lavandula x intermedia), which are hybrids of English lavender, also make wonderful culinary lavenders.
Is lavender better fresh or dried?
Like other herbs, dried lavender buds are more potent than fresh. When recipes call for fresh lavender, substitute half as many dried lavender buds or blooms.
Is any lavender poisonous?
Lavender oil is generally not poisonous in adults when breathed in during aromatherapy or swallowed in smaller amounts. It may cause a reaction in children who swallow small amounts. The major effects are due to allergic reactions of the skin.
Can you eat freshly picked lavender?
The part of lavender that most people harvest are the flower buds, but the leaves are also edible.
What happens if you eat too much lavender?
Lavender is LIKELY SAFE for most adults in food amounts. It’s POSSIBLY SAFE when taken by mouth, applied to the skin, or inhaled in medicinal amounts. When taken by mouth, lavender can cause constipation, headache, and increased appetite. When applied to the skin, lavender can sometimes cause irritation.
Which lavender is more medicinal?
English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
English lavender is the preferred medicinal variety heralded by herbalists everywhere. With a sweet, floral perfume, upright mounding, often fairly compact) habitat, richly colored blooms, and fragrant foliage, there is really nothing not to love about English lavender.
Which variety of lavender is best?
‘Jean Davis‘ is the most popular culinary lavender variety. Unlike most English lavender varieties, this plant has soft pink flowers, so it will stand out in the herb garden. It has a somewhat compact habit compared to other varieties (12” tall and 18” wide), so is also a good choice for small-space gardens.