Lavender & Thyme Lemonade and Lemon sugar

Lavender & Thyme Lemonade and Lemon sugar

Ingredients

Lemon sugar:

• 1 cup cane sugar
• Zest of 1 lemon, save the lemon for the base and juice later!

Lemonade base:

• 2 cups water
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon dried lavender buds
• 3/4 cups lemon sugar
• 2 drops lavender oil
• 1 zested and squeezed lemon

Lemonade:

• 6 cups ice cold water
• Juice from 7-9 ripe lemons, chilled. Use 1 lemon for garnishing
• springs lavender,  for garnishing
• Ice

Steps

1. Prepare the lemon sugar first by mixing the sugar and lemon zest and let it sit in an air tight Mason jar for at least an hour. If you like you can grin the sugar finer, but I didn't. It's going to be strained later.
2. Bring water to a boil. While you're waiting for the water to boil, juice your lemons. Starting with the lemon you already zested for the sugar. Put the lemon juice in the fridge in a covered container for later.
3. Once the water is at a rolling boil, add in you lavender buds, thyme, lemon sugar, lavender oil drops, and your zested squeezed lemon.
4. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Your kitchen should be smelling pretty nice right about now!
5. After 20 minutes, turn off heat, remove pan from hot burner, and let steep until warm to the touch. The base color should be a baby pink, not purple.
6. If you're preparing the lemonade for another day, carefully pour the base mixture in a mason jar or small covered pitcher and refrigerate until you're ready for step 7.
7. Grab the base, chilled lemon juice, and ice cold water. In a tall pitcher, mix all three together until well combined. Taste, and add more sugar if needed. I just added more plain cane sugar.
8. Add ice to the pitcher.
9. Refrigerate until ready to serve. 
10. Garnish with lavender springs and lemon slices.
11. I was served lemons, but I made lemonade.