Herbal Spotlight: Celebrating All Things Peony, With Peony Simple Syrup Recipe

It’s THAT time of year again! [a bit earlier than normal due to the heat]  Anyone who has read my posts knows what PEONY SEASON means in this family! A major favorite in this house, we use these delicious flowers to make all the things-- Ice cream, panna cotta, cocktails, jelly, floral lemonades, & more! Their flavor is amazing & versatile.  Join me as we celebrate all things peony with some fabulous ways to use them -- & with recipes of course!

Use a mix of shades to get the best colors.

This year is particularly hectic & the peonies have opened weeks before I expected them to, so I am going to keep it simple this time & focus on a basic Peony Simple Syrup.
This delicious elixir can be used to craft amazing herbal lemonades & cocktails, to make sorbet & sherbet, & to ‘sauce’ peony panna cotta. It is very easy to make & keeps about 12 months in the freezer too.

Before we get to that, I would like to visit some past peony recipes I have put up. My Peony Jelly is super easy to make & the absolute Queen Favorite of all the many herbal goodies made in our house. Everyone in our family is in love with it, including my husband who is not usually a fan of floral flavors.
​The jelly is a stunning color [if you use fuchsia & pink blossoms] & has a wonderful peach-strawberry flavor with a soft floral that we just cannot get enough of. Read all about it & grab the recipe below.

No filter needed for this stunning Peony Jelly!

easy peony jelly recipe

As delicious as it is pretty!

Additionally, be sure to check out my Easy Peony Panna Cotta recipe! 
​This is the recipe to pull out when you are looking for a show stopper, as it is easily one of the prettiest desserts I’ve ever seen.
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Oh, & did I mention it is ridiculously easy to make?   Seriously, once your cream is infused, it takes all of 5 minutes to make this silky, delicious treat.  Get all the details here.

amazing peony pannacotta

Okay, back to Peony Simple Syrup.  Each full flower holds about a cup of petals. You can use any color peony for this recipe, they all taste great, but the fuchsia & pink ones are needed to get the pale pink seen in my pictures. To make a small batch, you’ll only need one full flower head -- but keep in mind, this syrup freezes well & will last for about 12 months frozen. If the idea of whipping out a taste of Summer in the dead of Winter appeals to you like it does me, consider doubling or tripling this recipe & popping some away in your freezer to enjoy during the dark days of January.
​You’ll be glad you did.

PEONY SIMPLE SYRUP [about 2 cups]

1 cup Freshly Picked Peony petals [about 1 full flower]
1 Cup Spring Water
1 Cup Sugar [or monkfruit or agave]*
*I do not recommend using honey to make your peony syrup as the flavor is very delicate & the honey rather overpowers it.

Begin by immersing your blossom/s into a sink filled with ice water to ensure you have no tiny ant hitch hikers.
Pluck the petals from the flower/s, being careful to remove any green portions & leaves. Rinse & drain well in a colander & set aside.
Place your sweetener of choice & water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.  ​

A blend or pink and fuschia petals turns my syrup a lovely, pale pink.

Once it boils, reduce the heat & simmer for about 2 minutes. Add your cleaned petals & stir, using a wooden spoon to press the petals down until they are all submerged, wet with the syrup.
Simmer for an additional 2 minutes, then remove pan from heat & set aside. Allow to steep while it cools to room temperature, then strain off the petals, pressing the petals to get every drop out. You can then compost the spent petals or simply throw them out.
Decant your Peony Simple Syrup, which will be delicately scented, peony flavored, &, if you used pink flowers, an incredible shade of pale pink. This syrup will last for about 4 weeks in your refrigerator & about 12 months in the freezer. This recipe will make about 2 cups--my image shows over 2 quarts as I have some big plans for my syrup this year....

Again, we liken the taste of peony to a combination of strawberries & peaches with a very soft floral note. To say the Peony Simple Syrup works well in lemonade is an understatement!
​It also plays very nicely with Champagne, vodka, & botanically-forward gins. Herb-wise, I find it pairs well with cucumber & with apple-mint. This pale pink syrup also makes a lovely sauce for serving your Peony Panna Cotta with, as shown in my pictures.

I hope you give it a try -- & please do share with me how you use it!
​As is to be expected, I will indeed be featuring peony as our ‘Blooming Fresh’ special for a Brunch at Cupacity soon --  & more than just the one day,
will be crafting some drink specials with it for
After Hours Cocktail Evenings there too.
Peony is just too good to enjoy for one day only! Hope to see you there-- Until next time -- Don’t forget to #StopAndEatTheFlowers