Lilac Syrup

Lilacs smell heavenly, but only bloom for a short period. I remember in kindergarten I used to pretend I was a bee and would go around sucking the nectar out of lilacs. I thought it tasted better than honeysuckle. That is until one of the teachers caught me and worried that they might be poisonous. But don't worry. Lilac flowers are not poisonous and this recipe will teach you how to keep the glorious scent and flavor around for a bit longer.

Pick lilacs that are high on the bush to reduce the chance of contaminates. Also, choose a plant that has not been blasted with pesticides. Eww. I do not wash these flowers because I don't want to lose any of their sweet nectar. Shake the flowers out to avoid insects.

Remove the greenery and stems as much as possible. Pinch them close to the bottom, but not further up so you don't pinch away the nectar.

Add warm water to your lilacs. The volume of the water should be just a little bit smaller than that of your lilacs. Put in a jar and shake. Shake the lilacs for about ten minutes and then strain out the lilacs. I did this with a paper towel because I wanted to get out more of the pollen. 

Put the golden liquid in a pot and heat, adding 1/2 cup of sugar for each cup of liquid, until sugar is dissolved.

Put into a jar and you are done. 

I think this syrup would be a lovely addition to some vanilla cupcake frosting. I've been lazy, though and have just been eating spoonfuls whenever I get a hankering.