Prickly Lavender Pear Blueberry Lemonade Recipe

Prepare fruit

If using whole prickly pears, carefully peel and puree until smooth, then strain to remove seeds. Measure 1 cup of prickly pear puree/juice. If using bottled prickly pear juice, measure 1 cup. Rinse blueberries if fresh; measure 1 cup.

Combine ingredients

In a small saucepan combine 1 cup prickly pear puree/juice, 1 cup blueberries, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, and 1 cup water.

Simmer

Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once it simmers, reduce heat to low and add 1 teaspoon dried culinary lavender and 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest. Let simmer very gently for 6–8 minutes until blueberries have burst and syrup is aromatic.

Infuse and strain

Remove from heat and stir in 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice. Let the syrup steep for 8 minutes to allow the lavender to infuse. Strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl or pitcher, pressing solids to extract liquid. Discard solids. Taste and add up to 1 tablespoon more sugar if you prefer sweeter syrup.

Cool syrup

Allow the syrup to cool to room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator until cold (about 30–45 minutes) before assembling the lemonade. The syrup will keep covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Mix base lemonade

In a large pitcher combine 1 cup fresh lemon juice and 4 cups cold water. Stir to combine. Taste and adjust dilution to preference (add more water if too tart).

Add syrup

Add chilled prickly pear-lavender blueberry syrup to the pitcher. For a well-balanced flavor, start with 3/4 cup syrup for the whole pitcher (adjust to taste). Stir gently to combine until the lemonade is evenly colored and flavored.

Chill and prepare glasses

Fill glasses with ice (about 1 cup ice per serving). If making a sparkling version, fill each glass halfway with lemonade mixture and top with sparkling water (about 1/4 cup per serving) right before serving to preserve fizz.

Garnish and serve

Pour finished lemonade over ice in individual glasses. Garnish each glass with a lemon slice, a sprig of lavender, a few fresh blueberries (use the 1 tablespoon for scattering across servings), and optional mint leaves. Serve immediately.

Non-alcoholic and batch notes

This recipe yields a delicate, floral lemonade. For a more intense prickly pear or blueberry flavor, increase syrup to 1 cup per 4-cup lemonade base. To make a cocktail, add 1–1.5 ounces gin or vodka per serving. Keep leftover lemonade refrigerated up to 48 hours; if using sparkling water, add it only when serving.