03.03.20 Ceanothus

Ceanothus, wild California lilac, is spectacular in early March. The tree like bushes are exploding with puff balls of deep lavender. It’s a favorite, drought tolerant native plant in my neck of the woods, and according to the sources I could find, it’s not poisonous. So, I made a simple syrup.

Ceanothus Simple Syrup:

  1. Collect a bag full of ceanothus.

  2. Trim off flowers and rinse in a colander

  3. Use your fingers to remove only the flowers, no stems. This takes patience; get comfortable and put on your favorite podcast.

  4. Boil 2 cups of water with 1 tsp of stevia crystals (You could also use 1 cup of sugar)

  5. Add flowers when stevia dissolves and simmer for 7-8 minutes.

  6. Leave without heat for about 4-5 hours, then strain liquid into a glass container. 

Post Script: I won’t mislead you. This stuff tastes awful! It may have some medicinal prowess but it’s not worth making into simple syrup.

Christine Foerster