Make sure that the lavender buds you buy to cook with are marked as culinary lavender, especially if purchasing from a “craft” store.

Culinary lavender is a versatile herb that can be used in either sweet or savory dishes.

Sometimes it is used in place of rosemary, thyme, sage, or mint.  It pairs well with fennel, oregano, rosemary, thyme, sage, and savory.

Culinary lavender has a floral, sweet taste; but if used in excess, it can have a bitter taste and be like eating perfume. The old saying: “that a little goes a long way” holds true when cooking with lavender. We suggest use a little to start with, sample your recipe, and add more as needed.  Be sure to check if the recipe calls for crushing the buds first, they will be more powerful if crushed.  Typically, the buds are used, but some chef’s have tried using the leaves as well.  If using dried lavender buds in lieu of fresh, reduce by approximately 1/3 the quantity, as the potency increases with drying.

A well known herb blend, Herbes de Provence (salt-free, country-style blend), sometimes includes lavender buds.  The basic traditional Herbes de Provence recipe uses rosemary, savory, marjoram, and thyme.  But over the years, ingredients like lavender buds, tarragon, chervil, oregano, basil, and fennel seed have been added to some versions.  The Herbes de Provence we sold contained: Rosemary, Thyme, Basil, Savory, Fennel, Lavender and Marjoram.  It is great on grilled meats, fish, lamb, tomatoes and in any type of stews, soups, or vegetable dishes (especially eggplant or zucchini).

Here is a list of culinary uses of lavender:

Lavender infused honey – warm a pot of honey in a double-boiler and steep a bag of lavender buds in it for a couple hours.

Lavender teas – add lavender buds to your favorite loose tea, steep in hot water for a few minutes, and then enjoy.

Candied lavender buds – can be used to decorate cakes or other desserts.  Lavender pairs well with chocolate.

Lavender sugar – add 2 tablespoons of lavender buds to 2 cups of sugar, put in air-tight container, sit aside for a couple weeks, strain out the buds, and use the sugar in your dessert baking.

Mix lavender buds into sheep’s-milk and goat’s-milk cheeses and enjoy on crackers.

Lavender scones – add 2 teaspoons of crushed lavender buds to your favorite scone recipe.

Use lavender buds in place of rosemary in hearty stews, lamb, or wine based sauces.

Use the lavender stems for our meat, vegetable, fruit kabobs.

Below are a couple of my favorite recipes using lavender:

Herbes de Provence Chicken:

Ingredients:

6 chicken breasts

3 tbsp. butter

1/2 oz. Herbs de Provence

3/4 cup dry Vermouth

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In skillet lightly brown chicken breasts in butter and Herbs de Provence. Place chicken in baking dish with butter/herb mixture (scraped from skillet). Pour Vermouth over chicken and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, basting occasionally. Mushrooms may be added and baked with chicken. Serve on rice laced with vegetables.

Lavender Shortbread Cookies:

Yield: 2 dozen shortbread wedges or approximately 150 1” squares

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2-1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1-1/2 teaspoons dried culinary lavender, crushed

Directions:

Take culinary lavender buds out of the container to air dry.

Preheat oven to 300^oF.

Lightly grease two 9-inch round cake pans or one jelly roll pan (13” x 15”).

Crush lavender buds in a mortar and pestle or food processor.

In a medium-sized bowl, cream together the butter, salt, sugar, and vanilla. Stir in lavender buds and then beat in the flour.  The dough will be stiff.

Divide the dough in half and press into prepared pans.  Smooth the surface with your fingers or the bottom of a measuring cup.

Prick the dough with a fork.

Bake the shortbread for 35 to 40 minutes or until it is golden brown around the edges. Note: a dark colored pan will reduce the cooking time by approximately 10 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the shortbread.

Remove the pan(s) from the oven and loosen the edges with a knife.

Wait 5 minutes and then carefully turn the shortbread out, all in one piece, onto a clean counter or work surface.

Using a sharp knife, while bread is still warm, cut each round into 12 wedges (or 1” squares if using a jelly roll pan).

Note: if you wait until it is cool it will not be easy to cut.

Transfer the wedges or squares onto a rack or tray to cool.

Before we discuss the suppliers, I will briefly talk about the different soap making processes. If you want to learn more detail about the different processes, there are several books and websites for that. Basically, there are two different methods, also called processes; the cold process method or hot process method.

Cold Process soap (also called “CP” soap) is made by combining fatty acids and an alkali together. For solid soap, sodium hydroxide (lye) (be extremely careful when using lye) is typically the alkali. The fatty acids are usually in the form of oil and range from beef tallow to olive oil to hemp oil. In the cold process the chemical reactions (stages) between the acid and the lye take place at room temperature. The chemical reaction continues for many days after the soap is poured into molds. The cold process is the simplest and the one most often used by small artisans and hobbyists that produce hand made decorative soaps. Cold process soap usually uses more fatty acid that is needed to consume the alkali and acts as moisturizing agent. Because of cold process having excess acids left in, the soap is not as firm and may get mushy if left wet.

Hot process soap is where the acids and lye are boiled at least once. Simply stated: you put all ingredients a pot, heat it to a boil and stir frequently until the soap goes through the chemical reaction stages. A variation is to let the reaction take place at near boiling temperatures. In the hot process method most if not all of the chemical reaction is completed before the soap is poured into molds. Near boiling variation is simple and quick and is the one used in small factories. The full boil method is used primarily in industrial production. Hot process soap is firmer and more resistant to mushiness.

The type of oil used affects the characteristics of the soap. Some commonly used vegetable oils are palm oil, coconut oil, and olive oil. Seed oils typically result in softer but milder soaps. Olive oil is said to have extra mildness, while coconut oil and palm kernel oil yield hardness and good lathering properties.

Another term you may hear a lot when buying soap is milling. Milling is basically shredded soap put back together again using high pressure presses, thus removing any air trapped in the shredded soap. Triple-milled soap is soap that has gone through this process three times. Milling results in more evenly distributed color and fragrance, makes the texture smoother, and harder and longer-lasting bar of soap. French Milling uses a combined heat and cold process where the roller temperatures are alternately controlled with hot and cold water. This milling method produces a milder soap.

Wholesale Lavender soap can be found through many suppliers. I suggest trying to get samples from several different soap suppliers and then select the ones you like best. Soap and Sundries and Simple Scents Australia were the two soap suppliers that we used for our lavender soaps.

Soap and Sundries

Soaps and Sundries is located in Pennsylvania and is a family ran small business. All of their soap uses goat’s milk and shea butter. They have both scented and unscented 4 ounce bars. They also offer loaves for those you want to make larger bars. The soap is rich and creamy. You can buy anywhere from one bar to a thousand. Their lavender soap contains lavender buds. We sold a lot of their lavender soap. They are very is easy to work with.

Simple Scents Australia

Simple Scents Australia, also known as Australia Natural Soapworks, is based out of Australia, but has distributors in the United States. They offer pure natural soaps in a wide variety of scents wrapped or unwrapped. You get your choice of three weights: .9 ounce guest bar, 3.5 ounce bar, or 7 ounce bar. Their soaps are triple-milled so they are firmer and last longer. They use organic shea butter, palm oils, glycerin and other natural ingredients in all soaps. No animal fat is used.

They sell both retail and wholesale. If you buy wholesale the first order has a $150 minimum and any re-orders have a $75 minimum. They require you to submit an application to obtain a wholesale account. They have free shipping costs for retail purchases over $30 and $7.50 for orders $15.00 to $29.99. They offer a full refund if you are not satisfied with their product.

Other wholesale soap suppliers include:

The Soap Guy

Cedar Brook Wholesale Lavender

Country Scents

A lavender bunch is a bundle of dried lavender stems that still have the buds on them and they haven’t bloomed yet. A bunch may consist of approximately 250 to 500 individual stems. Usually, bunches are a deep purple color, have been air dried, and very fragrant. They measure approximately 11” to 17” in length. The head of the bunch measures approximately 4” in diameter and the base measures 2” in diameter. Set in the sun in the afternoon so the aroma fills the room (color will fade over time in the sun). When purchasing lavender bunches, you have to make sure to ask the lavender farm or other lavender supplier what year they are from or you can get bunches that are so brittle you won’t be able to resell them or use them. The Munstead and Grosso varieties of lavender are typically used for bunches. Some suppliers may only sell bunches during the June to September timeframe because lavender is harvested every year in July.

Bunches will retain their fragrance for months to a year. Pinch the lavender bud to reinvigorate the scent. Keep out of the direct sunlight as color may diminish. Collect the fallen buds and place in a bowl.

Mills Floral

Mills Floral, located in Duluth, Georgia, is a great source for lavender bunches. They have a minimum order size of $100.00. Any order under $100 will be charged a $15 fee (2011). Typically, they shipped the orders within 24 to 48 hours. You have to create an account to see their prices and you must have a resellers license to set up an account. Mills Floral offers their lavender bunches with or without sleeves. They have available three different sleeves: clear, kraft paper, and assorted lavender colored tissue paper. There is a minimum quantity to have to order on the unsleeved, kraft paper, and tissue paper bunches. They also sale lavender buds and other floral related items.

Atlantic Spice

Atlantic Spice, located in Massachusetts, sells lavender bunches (they call them bundles), and you can buy smaller quantities; that is, you can order a single bunch or a 100 bunches. Atlantic Spice has a $30 minimum order size, prior to shipping and you don’t need a business license to buy from them. They offer volume discounts as well as larger order discounts. The volume discounts break points occur at 5 pounds and 25 pounds for lavender buds. It is 10% off the one pound price when ordering between 5 and 24 pounds. It is 15% off the one pound price when ordering 25 pounds or more. You get a 10% discount when you order is over $200 and 15% discount when your order is over $500. Except for a couple times, Atlantic Spice has shipped our orders within one business day.

Other sources for dried and fresh lavender bunches: Sequim Lavender Farms, Lavender at Stonegate, and Keyscreek Lavender Farm

Not only can you use organza and muslin bags for making lavender sachets, you can use them to hold jewelry, herbs, bath tea blends and more. If you are putting on a wedding, bridal, birthday, or baby shower, you may want to make your own lavender sachets, or party favors and you will need organza bags.

The standard sizes used to make lavender wedding favors and lavender sachets are 3″ x 4″ and 4″ x 6″. You might even want to make ultra mini lavender sachets to add a special touch to a gift or to save money on party favors. These are 1-2/4″ x 2″ in size.

Here is a nice list of wholesale organza bag and lavender sachet suppliers.

3″ x 4″ and 4″ x 6″ Organza Bags

Your Organza Bag

Your Organza Bag (also known as Gifts International), is located in California, and does not have a minimum order requirement.  They sell all types of organza bags, but you will want to buy the flat organza bags if you are making lavender sachets.  They charge a flat shipping cost of $7.50 (as of 2011) no matter how little or much you buy.  Your Organza Bags has the lowest prices of any company we ever bought from. They are direct suppliers from China and this is how they can keep the prices so low.  They have 30 different colors or organza bags to choose from.  You get a 10% discount when you order is over $200.  We never had any problems with them and they ship fast.

4″ x 6″ Embroidered Muslin and Organza Bags

Papermart

Papermart, located in California, and does not have a minimum order, but you can place an order of $15 or less but there is a $3 small packages fee that is added to orders of $15 dollars or less.  They sell all types of organza bags, plain and fancy and the popular embroidered organza bags make the most beautiful lavender sachets. Papermart was the only source we found for the embroidered lavender bags. There is a lavender plant embroidered right on the front.  They do offer more bag colors than anybody else.  They sell other items; such as clear plastic bags, ribbon, zip lock bags, and plain muslin bags too.  We never had any problems with them.  They were our secondary source for plain, flat organza bags.

4″ x 6″ Plain Muslin Bags

Atlantic Spice

Atlantic Spice, located in Massachusetts, was the only source we used for buying the plain muslin bag.  They also sell them in 3″ x 5″ and 5″ x 7″ sizes. We found these smaller and larger sizes not quite right for making lavender sachets but muslin bags are also great if you sell herbs or teas.  Atlantic Spice has a $30 minimum order size, prior to shipping.  They offer volume discounts as well as order cost discounts.  The volume discounts break points occur when you buy 5 or more and 25 or more.  It is 10% off the one package price when ordering between 5 and 24 packages.  It is 15% off the one package price when ordering 25 packages or more.  You get a 10% discount when you order is over $200 and 15% discount when your order is over $500.  Except for a couple times, Atlantic Spice has shipped our orders within one business day.

On the west coast their sister company is San Francisco Herb. If you live closer to California you will want to buy from San Fran Herb because the shipping will be cheaper.

Ultra mini: 1-3/4″ x 2″ Organza Bags

Jewelry Display

Jewelry Display company is located in Florida and New York, and is the only source we found for the ultra mini organza bags.  They also offer them in 2-3/4″ x 3″ and 3″ x 4″ (which is an odd size compared to most companies who sell the 3″ x 5″).  Jewelry Display has a $25 minimum order size, prior to shipping.  They offer volume discounts.  The volume discounts break points occurs when you buy 25 or more, 50 or more, and 100 or more of a single product.  It is 5% off the one package price when ordering between 25 and 49, 10% off the one package price when ordering between 50 and 99, and 20% when ordering 100 or more.

Here are a few other sources for organza bags. They were okay but much more expensive and have higher minimum requirements. eFavormart and Nashille Wraps.

You will find that these lavender sources usually sell several types of lavender buds and also lavender essential oils or various types. When ordering lavender buds, you may come across several names for the different grades of buds.  The potpourri grade is commonly named: lavender #2, extra, or blue/grey.  The lavender buds typically used for culinary is commonly called lavender #1 or super.

While none of these suppliers will call the lavender buds culinary or good for eating, we always sold lavender super as the culinary variety. It is not treated with chemicals so is safe to consume. We would never suggest eating the blue/gray variety because they use chemicals to keep the bugs down and when they bring it in the country from France. All of the lavender buds we ever bought and sold came from France. You can buy lavender buds from places like Sequim, Washington lavender farms but we never would because what is grown here in the states isn’t as fragrant as what you will get from France.

Our list of wholesale lavender bud resources is listed from the cheapest to the most expensive.

Stay tuned for our post on where to buy wholesale lavender bunches.

Lebermuth

Lebermuth, located in Indiana, does not have a minimum order, but there is a $20 processing fee for orders under $300.  Lebermuth deals in bulk quantities or lavender buds and also sells lavender essential oil and lots of other herbs and spices.  They will charge a handling and processing fee for any orders that require repackaging of botanicals, herbs, and / or spices.  They had the lowest prices of all the companies we used, especially when ordering large quantities.  We never had any problems with them.  Their customer service representatives were very helpful and easy to work with.

Atlantic Spice

Atlantic Spice, located in Massachusetts, lavender buds cost more than Lebermuth, however, their advantage is you can get smaller quantities; that is, you can order a pound of this and a pound of that or sometimes even 4 ounces of whatever herb or spice you need. They also sell lavender essential oil along with the lavender buds.  Atlantic Spice has a $30 minimum order size, prior to shipping.  They offer volume discounts as well as order cost discounts.  The volume discounts break points occur at 5 pounds and 25 pounds.  It is 10% off the one pound price when ordering between 5 and 24 pounds.  It is 15% off the one pound price when ordering 25 pounds or more.  You get a 10% discount when you order is over $200 and 15% discount when your order is over $500.  Except for a couple times, Atlantic Spice has shipped our orders within one business day.

On the west coast is a company almost identical to Atlantic Spice (the owners of each are friends) called San Francisco Herb.

Both Atlantic Spice and San Francisco Herb sell lavender bunches. You have to make sure to ask them what year they are from or you can get bunches that are so brittle you won’t be able to resell them.

Monterey Bay Spice Company

Monerey Bay Spice company is located in Santa Cruz, California, and sells a variety of lavender buds called Lavandula officinalis. They sell it in the blue/gray version, super, organic, and powder form. They also sell Lavender angustifolia essential oil and a synthetic lavender oil.

Whole Spice

The Whole Spice company is located in Santa Cruz, California, and sells Lavandula Angustifolia. They sell it in the in small quantities ranging from 0.48 oz, 4 ounce,  and 1 and 5 lb bags. They also sell lavender powder, lavender sugar, and lavender sea salt.

While this is not an extensive list of wholesale lavender suppliers you really don’t need one. Our research showed us that the top 2 were the only sources were ever needed and in the 8 years we were in business that is all we bought from.

Simple Calming Bath Tea

Mix equal parts of dried lavender buds, dried rose petals, oats, and chamomile flowers; then put the mixture in either a muslin or cheesecloth bag.  The next time you decide to have a relaxing hot bath, put the bath tea in the tub as it is filling with hot water.  As you relax in the bath, your skin will be soaking in the nutrients from the natural herbs of the bath tea.  The bath tea will provide your body with skin moisturizing benefits and general emotional renewal and stress relief.   The lavender buds will bring calmness to the senses and is useful to relief stress, tension, and headaches.  Chamomile flowers help relax tired, achy muscles while softening the skin (Chamomile is a common allergen to those with ragweed sensitivities). Oats help smooth and comfort itchy, scratchy, and dry skin while giving your skin a silky feel.

Insect Repellent

Would you like a great smelling natural repellent for some pests such as moths and fleas?  Well, lavender buds are the answer.  To help keep moths away from clothes, put sachets filled with lavender buds in your drawers and closets. Sprinkle dried lavender on your carpets and vacuum to keep fleas away.  Not only does the lavender buds help repel the pests, it leaves a great scent fragrance in your house which in turn helps relief stress and tension.

Natural Deodorizer

You can use lavender as a natural deodorizer by sprinkling the lavender buds on carpets, under couch cushions, around pets sleeping areas, etc. and when you vacuum it up, you fragrance your home with lavender or place in an open bowl to enhance any room in the house.  Every once in awhile, as you walk by the bowl of lavender buds, reach in the bowl and give the lavender a squeeze to release the essential oils thus refreshing the scent in the air.  Put a bowl full of lavender buds in the bathroom, and every time you take a bath or shower, the steam will help release the lavender’s fresh fragrance.

Wedding Toss

You can also use dried lavender in your wedding ceremony – you can have the bridesmaids toss dried lavender buds along the aisle in front of the bride. As they step on the aromatic buds, a gentle, calming fragrance greets the bride and makes wedding day jitters disappear!

Dried lavender is also a great alternative for rice as it is fragrant and environmentally friendly. Many churches and wedding venues no longer allow rice because it’s difficult to clean up and it attracts rodents.  It also makes a great wedding favor inside a mini-organza bag – choose a color to match your wedding scheme. Your guests can take them home and place them in their drawers or in their pillowcases.

Here are step-by-step instructions for making mini lavender bouquets to use at wedding, bridal showers, or your next party.

Supplies Needed to Make Lavender Bouquets:

• dried Lavender stems
• green floral tape (to match stem color)
• ribbon (satin or organza – we are using 3/4″ wide in our photos)
• utility scissors
• fabric scissors
• ruler
• customized tag or business card (optional)

Instructions for Making Lavender Bouquets:

Step 1: Gather your supplies together on a work table (see list above)

Step 2: Pull out 10 to 20 good, straight stems from the bunch and strip excess buds. You only want about an 1″ of buds at the top of the stem.

Step 3: Arrange the lavender stems into a nicely shaped bouquet.

Step 4: Start floral tape at the top of the lavender bunch, just at the base of the last set of buds.

Step 5: Roll the floral tape down the stems about 1-1/2″ as you turn the bouquet.

Step 6: Roll the floral tape back up the stems as you turn the bouquet. Press the tape at the top with your fingers and cut off excess.

Step 7: Lay the lavender bunch next to a ruler and measure 6″ from top of bunch to bottom.

Step 8: Using utility scissors cut the stems off at 6″.

Step 9: Lay the ribbon next to the ruler and measure out 7-3/4″.

Step 10: Cut the ribbon straight across at 7-3/4″.

Step 11: Place the ribbon as shown in the picture above, overlapping right over left.

Step 12: Take right edge of ribbon and push under left making sure not to twist the ribbon. Pull tight and press ribbon flat down with your fingers.

Step 13: If you want to add a tag use a 1/8″ hole punch and put a hole at the top left of the tag. Feed the ribbon through the hole making sure not to twist it.

Step 14: Space the tag in the center of the ribbon. Tie the ribbon onto the bouquet as shown above making sure tag is on top.

Step 15: With fabric scissors cut the edges of the ribbon off at an angle.

The finished lavender bouquet! It looks so elegant on a fancy china plate and would  make a perfect party or wedding favor. So inexpensive to make too.

A common lavender essential oil used for potpourri and soap making Lavendula Angustfolia or 40/42 lavender essential oil.  It is pure in the sense that is made from only one variety of lavender, but, it uses several different varieties of lavender plants to achieve a constant fragrance form year to year, batch to batch.

Because lavender essential oil is very concentrated a little bit goes a long way; therefore, typically only a drop or two are used at a time.

There are several ways to use lavender essential oil to scent your world, here are a few:

Use a few drops of lavender essential oil in a lamp oil ring, or other essential oil diffuser or nebulizer. The lavender fragrance will fill the room as the heat from the light bulb, candle, or diffuser heats the oil.

Use a couple drops of lavender essential oil on lavender sachets, lavender buds, or lavender potpourri to refresh the scent.  Do not use too much oil and make sure to thoroughly mix in the oil.

Use lavender essential oil to help heal minor cuts, burns, and sores.  Make sure it is pure essential oil and discontinue use if a rash develops.

A few drops of lavender essential oil added to a vaporizer will help against colds, coughs and infections.

Create a linen spray by adding a drop or two of lavender essential oil to a mixture of distilled water and a teaspoon of Witch Hazel.

Mix a couple drops of lavender essential oil into favor unscented massage oil for a smoothly scented oil.

Add a few drops of lavender essential oil to a damp wash cloth and microwave for 60 seconds to create a relaxing compress that helps ease away tension and headaches.

Put a few drops of lavender essential oil around pet beds to remove any odor and help rid of and guard against fleas.

Scent your hot bath with a little lavender essential oil to allow the vapors to enhance your relaxing bath.

Use lavender essential oil to add fragrance to your soaps, lotions, bath teas, and creams.

Lavender is more potent at it dries and it gets it scent and taste from the natural inside of the buds. If you pick the lavender buds before they bloom they will be at their strongest. When cooking with lavender a little bit goes a long way. Don’t use too much or your dishes will be too perfumy and bitter.as you go. Store your lavender in an airtight container and store in a cool, dry location.

Here are a few recipes you can try that call for lavender.

Lavender Honey Salad Dressing

Ingredients:

This dressing will store in a airtight jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

• 6 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
• 1 crushed Garlic Clove
• 1 teaspoon Coarse Grain Mustard
• 2 tablespoons Honey
• 1 teaspoon Dried Culinary lavender

Instructions:

1. Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl.
2. Let stand for 30 minutes to allow flavors to infuse together.
3. Whisk again and serve immediately.

What is lavender and why do so many people like it? And better yet, why do so many others not even know what it is or what you could use it for? Lavender is a plant that you can grow in your garden. It produces beautiful purple flowers. Many people like to use the buds before they flower to make lavender essential oil or make a sachet with the buds. The buds are where all of the fragrance comes from. Once the buds turn into flowers they aren’t as fragrant because the oil inside of the lavender buds are what gives it the unique fragrance.

Lavender is a common ingredient in the kitchens of Europe and is one of the key ingredients in Herbs de Provence – the European version. Americans tend to leave it out, probably becuase they don’t know that it is an eatable herb. Using Herbs de Provence is a great way to begin cooking with lavender if you don’t want to try it on it’s own.

Lavender is gaining popularity as a culinary (eatable) herb in the United States and many lavender farms have popped up over the last 10 years in states like Washington and California where the climate is pristine for growing lavender.

Growing lavender is easy if your climate is right. If you live in a humid state or get a lot of rain you may have a problem. If it gets too much snow or gets too cold you could have a problem growing lavender. Lavender plants like it dry but it does need to be in an environment that does get cold and snow.

Lavender is a member of the mint family. You can use it as a substitute for the Rosemary, although it does have a different taste than Rosemary. It blends well with sweet and citrus dishes.