Secret garden syrup

Written By Yaz Demmers

Stop settling for boring meals

Some flowers are meant to be sipped to be truly appreciated. 

Tonight we’re making a floral infusion of lavender, rose, and cardamom.

I know, florals in spring? Ground breaking.

But it’s perfect for adding a little complexity to your morning latte, or a beautiful botanical topping for your smoothies and granola bowls. 

simple ingredients, complex flavor

With a couple easy steps and a sprinkle of time, you can transform a few fragrant ingredients into something versatile & magical.

Ingredients

You’ll Need:

  • 1 Cup Water

  • 1.5 Cup Sugar

  • 1/2 Cup of food grade dried lavender or fresh from the garden (you want enough to taste but not so much that you feel like you’re sipping your grandmas perfume)

  • 1 Vanilla Bean

  • 2 Tbs Rose Petals

  • 5-10 Cardamom Pods 

  • Pinch Of Salt


unlock the flavor-

First things first. Carefully take a knife and split your vanilla bean down the center. Gently scrape out the seeds and set them aside to add back in later. We’re going to strain this after it infuses and don’t want to risk our vanilla bean seeds getting left behind in the strainer!

*If you cant get your hands on vanilla beans, vanilla paste or extract will do! Just add them closer to the end when we add our sugar and salt.

Next break open your cardamom pods to release all those hidden layers of flavor carefully using the flat side of a wide knife or a rolling pin adding just enough pressure for them to crack. This allows all the complexities of the oils of the seeds inside to make their way out.


Bring your water to a boil-

Pour your water into a small sauce pan, throw in your cardamom and vanilla bean, turn your heat up to medium high and bring it to a low boil. Once it’s simmering add in the lavender and rose petals 🌸 let all those lovely floral flavors come together like a romantic spring day in the garden.

cut the heat & let it cool ❄️

Cut the heat, cover and let this symphony of flavors infuse for 15 minutes. The color will start to darken and it should smell gorgeously aromatic. Pour in your sugar and a pinch of salt. Stir until it’s fully dissolved and the sugar goes clear. Walk away for another 10 minutes to let our botanical elixir cool down. Take this little moment of time to do something for you. Slow down and decompress.

Strain & Pour

When you get back into the kitchen, pour this mix over a strainer into a bowl and use a spatula to press every last drop of liquid out of the petals and pods. What we’re left with is the most delicate and delicious sweet syrup that can turn even the most basic beverage into something worth savoring. It can serve as versatile beautiful addition to smoothies, granola bowls, chia pudding, ice cream, pancakes and more. Let your imagination run wild and may it transport you straight from your kitchen into your own personal secret garden.

Finding a florAL BLEND THAT WORKS FOR YOU

We each have our own palette that favors flavors the same way way we each prefer colors, music, and scents that speak to us in ways we can’t explain. To some a whisper of lavender may be the perfect compliment to our morning matcha, while for some it might remind them of sipping hand soap. Don’t be afraid to improvise and play with unconventional flavors.

All the best dishes we know and love now came from a little curiosity and experimentation!

Yaz Demmers
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