SC - Flavored honey

[Phil & Susan Troy]

Milady Sianan wrote, re Lavender's pedigree:

>Family:  labitae
>Part Used:  Flowers
>Constituents: volatile oils
>Action:  aromatic, carminative, nervine
>Helps to:  Improve the digestion, reduce flatulence and colic, ease nervous
>tension


But I have not seen anyone mention that there are several species of
Lavender, which differ in their fragrance, and in most cases in their
bitterness as well.

I own a useful little herb guide called Herbs For All Seasons, by Rosemary
Hemphill, Angus and Robertson 1972 and new Ed 1983 (ISBN 0 0207 14637 3), in
which she lists the cultivated varieties as:

French Lavender (Lavandula dentata)
English Lavender (L. vera, L. officinalis, L. spica)
Italian Lavender (L. stoechas)

All are said to originate in the mountainous regions bordering the Western
half of the Mediterranean and thrive on plenty of sun, dry conditions and
poor soil. This is why we can grow some truly awesome lavender bushes here
in Innilgard (Adelaide, South Australia).
Rosemary states that English lavender was not cultivated in England until
about 1568 (sadly she does not give her reference for this statement)

She says that French lavender is the hardiest and blooms all year, and that
lavender oil is made from both the flowers and the leaves.
English lavender is more highly scented and lavender oil is made from the
flowers only.  It is also favoured for dried lavender.
Italian lavender is not used for oil/perfume but as a fresh strewing herb,
especially in Spain and Portugal, and its flowers are used by the Arabs for
medicinal preparations.

She also gives a recipe for Conserve Of Lavender Flowers.  Again she does
not quote the original, but says it is a variation on the conserve recipe in
The Queens Closet Opened, by W.M.  the Cook to Queen Henrietta Maria c1655.
It is thus:

10 stalks of English or French Lavender Flowers
4 tablespoons icing sugar
2 dessertspoons Rosewater

Rub the flowers off the stalks and chop finely.  This should make approx 1
tablespoon of chopped flower
Beat the icing sugar and the flowers together in a bowl, add the rose water
slowly to make a stiff paste.
Spread sparingly on the top of plain sweet biscuits, or over a plain cake
and let set.

I suspect that the preference for either French or English lavender for
cooking is because you only need the petals of the flowers to impart the
lavender flavour and so avoid bitter and woody flavours that the stems and
leaves would give.  Having tasted lavender shortbread and lavender ice (a
sort of gelati and in period if you are late, Italian or French) there were
very few visible lavender bits compared to the strong flavour (and lavender
oil had NOT been used because it should not be used).

I also suspect that of the English lavenders, L. officinalis is the herbal
lavender as opposed to the ornamental one.

Esla of Ifeld

ps: a bit about me, since this is my first post to this list, and an
introduction seems to be the polite thing.
I have been in the SCA for 11 years, and cooked at my first event and have
been cooking ever since.
I have been honoured with a Laurel for my efforts , and with a Pelican for
my inability to ignore things that need to be done.  I currently serve the
Crown of the West as Baroness of Innilgard.  My husband, Master Osgot of
Corfe is my partner in all these things.




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