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Lilac Flower Tea

ByPhillip

Lilac flowers can be dried and used to make a soft, floral tea. It only blooms for a few weeks each year, and this is a great way to preserve the beautiful fragrance to enjoy longer during the year.

This page captures our process for drying the flowers and brewing tea.

Table of Contents:

  1. Note on Species
  2. Drying Lilac for Tea
  3. Brewing Lilac Tea
  4. Frequently Asked Questions
  5. Products

Note on Species

This note refers to true lilacs, the Syringa species. Lilac as a common name can be applied to several unrelated plants, which may be toxic. One example is the Persian lilac (Melia azedarach), which should not be consumed. Always be confident in the species of plant you are consuming!

Drying Lilac for Tea

We cut bunches of lilac flowers from our bushes, hanging them upside down until the flowers are dried and fall off easily. This can take a few days to two weeks, depending on your environment.

As with many flowers, lilacs are best harvested in the morning, after the dew has dried.

Once dried, simply pull the petals off the bunches and store in an airtight container.

Many will advise to avoid the sepals and only get petals. While this is ideal, you can really drive yourself nuts this way. Sepals will not ruin the tea or dominate it with bitter notes with the typical ratio you will obtain from quickly removing flowers. Lilac leaves will add more bitter notes, but are still safe to consume.

Brewing Lilac Tea

We enjoy lilac flowers on their own. Because of its delicate flavor, we find that a higher amount of dried flower produces a tastier tea – use 1-2 tablespoons instead of a teaspoon. Steep as long as you like in boiling water.

We also add lilac to many herbal tea mixes. Its flavor is delicate, so it’s best to add it to other delicate herbal flavors like lemongrass. Strong herbs like mint can end up overpowering the lilac flavor.

Steeped lilac flowers tend to turn into a slimy mess if left out for a day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this tea bitter?

No notes of bitterness, it is light and floral.

Do we need to add anything to the tea?

No, we typically enjoy lilac flowers on their own. Honey can make a nice pairing with its floral notes, but use a light hand.

Products