It’s finally here, flower season has arrived! Surrounding myself with fresh flowers in my tiny apartment, breathing the scented air in the park and adding edible blossoms to my food – I’ve been dreaming of it all winter long. Edible flowers are such a joy on a plate, and I love to add them to fresh spring salads and to my vegan ice cream experiments for a dash of color and flavor. But my all time favorite is making fermented flower water.
You can create aromatic fizzy drinks using scented edible flowers such as elderflower, apple and acacia blossoms, or lilac. While elderflower cordial is a tradition in our family, this time I decided to experiment with lilac.
Fermented drinks are a great addition to your diet, because they nourish your microbiome, stimulating the immune system, nutrient absorption and specific vitamin production. Just like kimchi or sauerkraut in winter, having fermented drinks when the weather’s warmer ensures a good protective barrier against viruses and, some studies say, keeps your mood on the happy side.
To make this lovely flavored fermented lilac drink, you only need organic raw honey, purified water and a balcony in the sun (or simply your kitchen counter). And of course, fresh lilac blooms. I like to add different flavors to enrich its taste and benefits, so I added freshly grated ginger, lemons and grapefruit for a tangy twist. Ginger is a digestive soother, and works great in summer drinks, adding a bit of refreshing spiciness.
Organic honey is a good fermentation starter because it’s basically a combination of yeasts, nutrients and sugar. When the honey yeasts consume the sugar, you get the fizzy bubbles that make this drink so agreeable. If you want to get more bubbles, you can add just a pinch of active yeast to stimulate fermentation.
Lilac, Ginger and Citrus Cordial
Equipment
- Large glass jar
- Mesh strainer
Ingredients
- 8 cups purified water
- 3 tablespoonsย organic raw honey
- 1/4 teaspoon active yeast
- 2 fresh lilac inflorescences rinsed
- 1 organic lemon cut into slices
- 1 ย organic grapefruit cut into slices
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
Instructions
- In a large glass jar combine the water, honey and yeast, and mix until the honey is dissolved.
- Add the citrus, ginger and lilac flower; stir to combine.
- Cover the jar without tightening it, and place the jar on the kitchen countertop or outside in the sun.
- Stir it at least one time a day with a wooden spoon.
- After 48 hours, it should be fizzy enough, but leave it longer until it gets the desired fizziness.
- Strain and transfer into glass bottles. Keep them in the refrigerator.
- Serve chilled, with lemon slices.
Such a great idea! I'm just curious, what kind of active yeast? Could it be active dried bread yeast?
Also:) How long do these tasty beverages last in the fridge?
Thanks for sharing your beautiful creativity!
Is this an alcoholic drink?