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Lovely Lilacs!

The luscious scent of lilacs in the air brings us into the state of the now!  As stated by my good friend and mentor, Red from the Council of Elders.

The beautiful white, soft lavender, to dark purple flowers all have a slightly different aroma but possess the same medicinal properties.  Regrettably, lilac flowers do not tolerate steam distillation, so an essential oil is not possible.  However, a lilac absolute can be made using solvents to extract the scent.  

There are many ways a Home Healer can use lilacs.  First, they are edible and can be added to your salads for colour and taste.  Lilac vinegar is easy to make and produces a soft peach colour when infused in white wine or white balsamic vinegars.  I prefer a vinaigrette as it preserves the taste of the lilacs. Instructions for making floral vinegar, infused oil and infused honey below

I recently made a lilac honey that was so easy and only took three weeks to infuse.  Tastes great on a piece of toast or, better still, some lilac scones!  Lots of recipes are available on the internet. Check out recipe below for lemon, lilac scones!

As I love making salves, I make lilac-infused oils each year. Lilac oil help promote skin healing and are an excellent additive for sunburn relief and after sun care. It also helps mature skin by adding much needed moisture. 

Lilacs are naturally anti-fungal as well as antibacterial, making lilacs great to add to any salve formula.  

A toner made from lilac water will tighten the skin and make the pores appear smaller. As lilacs are anti-fungal and antibacterial, lilac water is excellent for acne. Floral water can be a face or body spritzer, linen and room spray and a spray for refreshing shoes. Lilac floral water is available from some online stores.  

You can make beautiful lilac face creams and use the salve for scrapes & cuts. Use a jojoba infusion of lilac flowers for face oil. Add lilac floral water as your face toner, and you have an excellent skin regimen made from your local lilac bushes. Ah, the sweet aroma of Mother Nature’s delights!

How to make infused Lilac Honey

• Clean the lilacs if needed, dry for at least 24 hours or more to get rid of the moisture.
• Fill a jar 3/4 full of the flowers and pour the honey over the flowers.  Stir thoroughly. 
• Stir the honey daily for at least three weeks to four weeks. Strain and bottle.  Best to be eaten in three months.  

Lilac Lemon Scones by www.freshbitesdaily.com

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar

2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt 

12 tablespoons frozen butter (3/4 cup)

1 cup whole milk or Half and Half plus 1 tablespoon vinegar (or one cup of whole fat buttermilk excluding the vinegar)

2 cups lilac flowers

1 teaspoon lemon extract (or the zest of one lemon)

Lilac Scone Steps

• Heat the milk mixture to just below a boil. Add your chopped blossoms, stir, cover, and remove from heat. Allow the blossoms to infuse into the milk as you prepare the rest of the recipe.
• Preheat oven to 425 degree F
• Lightly butter and flour a baking sheet
• Remove butter from freezer and grate with cheese grater
• Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, soda and salt
• Fold in grated butter into the dry ingredient mixture. Use your hands to mix butter in well, breaking up any clumps of butter. All of the little butter pieces should be smaller than the size of a pea.
• Add vinegar to your milk or use buttermilk if you have it
• Add the lemon extract or zest to milk mixture. Add the milk mixture to your dry ingredients. Knead the mixture by hand until it is well-mixed. It should knead together in a minute or two
• On a smooth, clean work surface, form a large ball with the dough and roll it out into a circle that is about 3/4 of an inch thick in height. You can pat it out by hand as well easily enough. Use a large knife to cut the circle in half and then in half again until you form right triangle pieces of dough
• Arrange each piece on a buttered and lightly floured baking sheet
• .Bake for 12-16 minutes or until browning slightly on the edges. The center should be done without a hint of “doughy.”

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