Where To Buy Dried Lavender For Cooking

Suzanne has been an online writer for over seven years. Her articles often focus on skin care and gardening.

A Simple Guide to Drying Lavender

Lavender is one of the most rewarding herbs you can grow. If you were to ask people what their favorite smell is, I would lay a bet that it would be either lavender or rose.

The distinctive sweet fragrance of lavender is recognizable, even to the untrained senses, and one that I have loved growing.

We always had clusters of lavender growing at the family home, in both our front and back gardens. Each autumn, when we said our fond farewell, we would often find that it had re-seeded itself to another part of the garden the following year. Lavender may be grown in gardening containers or plant pots if you don't have a garden.

Originating in the old world, lavender is associated with and native to the hot, dry Mediterranean as well as Arabic and African countries, including the Canary Islands lying in the Atlantic Ocean. Documented used date back more than 2,500 years, with many uses by the Romans or Greeks. The Romans, for example, were known to use lavender oil in cooking, scenting the air, and for bathing—all of which are very popular methods of using lavender today.

Homemade Lavender Products

Drying lavender or using the fresh lavender flowers is an excellent way of using this herb which is a member of the mint family.

The beauty of making your own products be they for the home, in skincare products, or as different forms of room fresheners, making your own little industry of natural products is not difficult, requires kitchen cupboard ingredients for the most part and save you spending your hard-earned cash.

Making the products are ideal for teens, teacher gifts, romantic gift ideas and just about any occasion you can think of, not forgetting it could be a money-earning business by selling your lavender delights!

If your garden rewards you yearly with a good display of lavender in summer, you are incredibly lucky.

Read on for how to dry your homegrown lavender and pick up ample suggestions in how to extend the wonderful heady scent.

Always hang your lavender stems to dry with the flowers pointed down.

Rictor Norton & David Allen, CC BY 2.0, via flickr

Drying Lavender at Home

You Will Need:

A good supply of lavender (ideally when it is almost in full bloom)
Sharp garden shears/secateurs or kitchen scissors
A basket or container
A ball of string

Method:

Going to the garden, cut the mature lavender as near the leaves at the bottom as possible. This gives you a nice long stem of lavender flowers.
Without crushing the stems, tie each stem individually, leaving a 3/4 inch between each one. This will enable air to circulate the lavender while drying and will avoid the flowers going moldy or rot setting in.
Tie both ends together, forming a loop.
Making sure the flowers are pointing to the floor, hang your chain like lavender in a dark, dry place for about a month.
Check on it every week as you may find it dries quicker depending on the conditions.
When fully dry, untie your bunch or bunches, and they are now ready to use!

if you have a large amount of lavender to dry, you can store it in bunches until ready to use. Store in a box with a lid in a dark cool place like the garage or basement.

dan, via FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Bath salts, bubble bath, and oil are some of the many beauty products you can make with dried or fresh lavender.

dusky, via FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Uses for Dried Lavender


Dried flower arrangements	Homemade potpourri	Inside oil lamps
Tuck it into pillows	Sew inside stuffed animal toys	Sew into eye pillows
Natural room fragrances	Homemade beauty products	Lavender sachets
Shortbread cookies	Lavender oil	Insect repellent
For sale	Lavender tea	Add to green tea
Add to salad dressings	Homemade soup	Lavender jelly
Weave lavender wands	Weave baskets	Add to inside of a greeting card
Add to wrapping paper	Under the car seat	In a dish
Hang in the wardrobe	Hang on a windowsill	Set it on top of a TV
Hang on outside of a lampshade	Basket by fireplace	Soothing lavender bubble bath
Scented water	Pouches	Wedding confetti

Why not try drying your homegrown lavender to sell it on a market stall, online, or direct to shops and make some extra income?

Aviad2001, CC By-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author's knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

Carol on September 10, 2019:

My plants neverflower much I grow in pots can you use the green stems they smell good too

Suzanne Ridgeway (author) from Dublin, Ireland on October 06, 2013:

Hi Joan,

The buds and spikes are best to use in sachets. Thanks for dropping in!

Joan on October 06, 2013:

Can I use the lavender leaves for sachet?

Suzanne Ridgeway (author) from Dublin, Ireland on April 02, 2013:

Hi RTalloni,

Many thanks for dropping by! Sorry to hear you lost your supply but hopefully the new location will be better than ever! Lavender is also great in pots and worth trying indoors in the kitchen from a root cutting or small plant. Hope you have a lovely crop soon!!

RTalloni on April 02, 2013:

After losing my best lavender plants I am starting new ones in a better location and am so looking forward to again having lavender stems to dry. Thanks for sharing this method!

Suzanne Ridgeway (author) from Dublin, Ireland on April 02, 2013:

Hi Athlyn Green,

many thanks for your input, lavender is so good in a variety of ways! lavender whipped cream sounds heaven!

Athlyn Green from West Kootenays on April 02, 2013:

I love lavender. The culinary lavender is wonderful mixed into white sugar. You can also make lavender shortbread or lavender whipped cream.

Suzanne Ridgeway (author) from Dublin, Ireland on January 26, 2013:

Hi Audrey,

How lovely for you to be growing lavender now! You must make some lavender oil too it is soooooo gorgeous!! Thanks so much for stopping by and your lovely comment!! Hope you had/have a great birthday!! :-)

Audrey Howitt from California on January 26, 2013:

I am growing lavender this year and am hoping to dry it as well--beautiful hub!