Lavender Extract

[LizD518]

The topic title says it all. I have some lavender extract that my Mom made and I'd like to try it out in a few recipes I've found. But all of the recipes call for dried lavender instead of the extract. Is there any sort of guideline I should follow, like how much extract might be appropriate for a certain amount of dried, and how to compensate for using a liquid instead of dried?

[Kerry Beal]

The topic title says it all. I have some lavender extract that my Mom made and I'd like to try it out in a few recipes I've found. But all of the recipes call for dried lavender instead of the extract. Is there any sort of guideline I should follow, like how much extract might be appropriate for a certain amount of dried, and how to compensate for using a liquid instead of dried?

What are you going to put it in?

I'd say if I were making a ganache I'd probably start with about 1/2 tsp for 200 grams of chocolate and adjust based on taste. For that amount of chocolate if I were using lavender oil I'd use about 5 drops.

[highchef]

How was it made? I'm curious, I've run into the same thing with a lavender syrup I wanted to make ice-cream with and those recipes called for the flowers as well...either simmered and strained or left as is for color etc. I ended up trying it in a white cake which required tweaking the sugar called for, it became more about smell than taste. I have lavender essential oil but am leery of using it in food. It is distilled from the flowers and isn't alcohol based which I think would use more for same effect.

All the applications I've considered for lavender are sweet, so I should be able to make the syrup work, but an extract would be so much easier. Did she Grow the flowers? By extract, do you mean left down in ever clear for a few months, like vanilla?

[LizD518]

Yes, she did grow her own flowers and I think the extract is alcohol-based, like vanilla. The color is almost as dark as homemade vanilla. It smells sweet, but the flavor is more floral than sweet.

So far, I've only used it in ice cream - I basically kept tasting the mix to figure out how much to use. I think I ended up with about 1 1/2 tablespoons for a standard 3-cup of milk/cream and 5 egg yolk mix. It had a nice subtle flavor.

[LizD518]

What are you going to put it in?

I'm thinking of making this cake. I'm thinking of replacing the lemon extract with the lavender (maybe increasing it some) and upping the amount of lemon zest to compensate.

[Kerry Beal]

What are you going to put it in?

I'm thinking of making this cake. I'm thinking of replacing the lemon extract with the lavender (maybe increasing it some) and upping the amount of lemon zest to compensate.

It's hard to say how strong a home brewed extract would be, but if it's as dark as you say - I might start with a tsp in that cake and see how the batter tastes.

[Kayakado]

depending on the recipe, I add lavender flowers to butter or or liquid to disfuse it flavor (cookies, marshmallows)and strain the flowers from the liquid. Some recipes I can put the flours and flour or sugar in the food processor and whirle them to break them down (cookies and cakes)

Edited December 6, 2010 by Kayakado (log)