I think the smell of lilac encapsulates spring so I like to bottle the flavour to use when the blossom has sadly gone.

Lilac Syrup

This syrup is great in cocktails (recipe below!) or you could add it to custard, whipped cream, pancakes, stewed rhubarb, or anything else you see fit. You can use any colour of blossom.

15 minutes cooking. 3-5 hours steeping.

 Ingredients

Makes one jar:

• 1 mug water

• 1 mug caster or granulated sugar

• 2 heads lilac blossom - picked wild (no chemicals) and in full bloom

• Half lemon, juiced

Method 

• Sterilise a jam jar.

• Pick each flower off the blossom head. Wash and leave to drain.

• Put the water and sugar into a pan and stir on a low heat until dissolved. Toss in the lilac.

• Turn up the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

• Pour into the clean jam jar and leave to steep for 3 hours.

• Taste and steep further for a stronger flavour.

• Once you are happy with the strength, strain, add the lemon juice, and pour back into the same jam jar.

• Seal and keep in the larder for up to two weeks.

COUNTRY COLLINS  

Ingredients

• Ice

• 20ml lilac syrup - see above

• 10ml lemon juice

• 25ml vodka

• Soda water or lemon Dash water to top up

• Slice of lemon

• Lilac blossom – optional, to garnish

Method

• Half fill a highball glass with ice. Pour in the vodka, lilac syrup and lemon juice.

• Muddle then top up with your mixer of choice.

• Garnish with a slice of lemon and lilac blossom.