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Have you ever tried Lilac flowers? They are known for their amazing scent and can have several culinary applications. We have included information about Lilac flowers in addition to several Lilac flower recipes.

Lilac Recipes Collection

Hi Everyone, Lilacs are one of my favorite flowers, if not my favorite flower.

I absolutely love their beautiful, relaxing, floral scent.

In addition to the Lilac Flower recipes at the end of this post, I am sharing photos of the Lilacs in our yard, harvesting the flowers, and them in our home and kitchen.

What are Lilacs?

According to Wikipedia, Lilacs are...:

Syringa is a genus of 12 currently recognized species of flowering woody plants in the olive family, native to woodland and scrub from southeastern Europe to eastern Asia, and widely and commonly cultivated in temperate areas elsewhere.
Scientific name: Syringa
Family: Oleaceae
Tribe: Oleeae
Order: Lamiales
Kingdom: Plantae
Rank: Genus

When Do Lilacs Bloom?

According to almanac.com:

Lilacs do come in seven colors, but most are familiar with the common lilac, Syringa vulgaris, which blooms in the northern states for 2 weeks in late May. However, there are early-, mid-, and late-season lilacs, which, when grown together, ensure a steady bloom for at least 6 weeks.

In Central New Jersey, at the time of my writing this post, it is April and the Lilacs are blooming.

It's a short 2-week window that they bloom in early Spring.

Lilacs on our Property, In Our Yard

Here are photos of our small Lilac tree which produces some Lilac flowers in our yard:

What Part of the Lilac Tree is Edible?

When we refer to edible lilacs, we are specifically talking about the flowers as being edible, Just the flowers.

The flower's scent is better than they taste but the floral scent can lend itself well to certain recipes and be very subtle and beautiful.

Make sure that the Lilacs are not subject to any chemicals and/or pesticides.

Every time we post a new Lilac-related recipe, we will add it to the list at the end of the post, so please bookmark this post and check back once in a while!

Have a Good Foraging Books and Guide!

I use the book, "Northeast Foraging" as a guide book, specific to my region.

I suggest you also ask people who are experts in foraging in person to give you 2nd option when foraging.

Never eat wild food that you are not 100% sure is safe to eat! Remember, always safety first!

Harvesting Lilac Flowers

Make sure to harvest the freshest and clean-looking flowers that you can find, up off the ground

Lilac Flowers in the Home and Kitchen

If you try any of these recipes in the Lilac Recipes Collection list below, let us know in the comments at the end of the post.

Thank you for reading and following along!

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Lilac Recipes Collection

This post was first published 4/26/2020
Updated & republished 4/26/2021, 6/14/2024

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Sara Maniez

Owner at Life's Little Sweets

Life’s Little Sweets is a seasonal cooking and local food blog featuring farm-to-table recipes, CSA inspiration, and creative ways to enjoy what’s fresh and in season.

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