Spring is here—look up, and you’ll see trees bursting into bloom. Look down, and you’ll find tiny purple violets growing everywhere. Well, at least I’m seeing them here.
Violets have been used for ages, going back to the ancient Romans and Greeks, They were especially popular in Europe and particularly in France and England. They’ve been (and still are) used in candies, pastries, syrups, and essential oils. You will recognize the flavor and fragrance if you’ve ever had violet candies.
I was walking down a street in our neighborhood almost a year ago when I said hello to a woman doing yard work. She had a whole side lawn full of violets. It looked pretty neglected, so I came right out and asked her if she would mind if I took one. She did better than that—she grabbed her shovel and asked me which one I wanted! So I picked one out, and she dug it up for me. I went home, planted it in a pot, and now it’s coming back to life.
I saw her again a couple of weeks ago, and she asked me if I was the one she gave violets to. I said yes, and they were doing well. She told me I could help myself to her violets anytime. This is a forager’s dream come true! Her side lawn had been covered in violets, so I helped myself to a nice bagful. When I was finished, I hadn’t even made a dent.
I figured my first foray into cooking with them (and my first foray into foraging) would be a violet-flavored simple syrup.
Should you decide to try this, my main suggestion and this goes for all edible flowers, is to make sure you precisely identify the violets. Though the leaves should be edible, they can be mistaken for something else, so the violets should be blooming when foraging. Next, please ensure they are unsprayed, which likely means avoiding picking them up from public parks. Also, the roots are not edible, so leave them to produce again. In cooking the violets, use the petals only—no green parts.
I’ve adapted this recipe from The Spruce Eats—an excellent resource for living.
In preparation for making violet syrup, you’ll need to wash them well by gently swishing them around in a bowlful of water. Rinse and repeat several times, letting the dirt fall to the bottom of the bowl. When the water is totally clear, strain them with a sieve and allow them to air dry.
The original recipe called for a cup of violet petals, but when all was said and done in removing the stems and calyxes, I had about ⅔ of a cup of petals. So that’s what I used, and the syrup still came out perfect, at least in my eyes. Removing the petals is time-consuming, but make it work for you—it’s worth it. Think Zen.
It is suggested that if the water in your area is hard, it’s best to use distilled water to guarantee your syrup will retain the fantastic purple color. I recommend using it regardless. I mean, look at that color! Can you say antioxidents?
It’s said that organic sugar will also muck with the color. I used a very light organic sugar, and my syrup turned a light blue-violet from deep purple. Maybe it made a difference, maybe it didn’t. If you try it with white sugar, please let me know.
Violet Syrup
- ⅔-1 cup violet petals
- 1 cup distilled water
- 1 cup white sugar
Place the cleaned flower petals in a glass or metal bowl or jar. Boil the water and remove it from the heat, letting it cool for about 30 seconds.
Pour the hot water over the petals and stir, making sure all the petals are covered. Allow the water to cool, then cover. Let it sit for 24 hours.
The next day, strain the flowers from the water in a sieve, pressing the petals against the sides and releasing as much water as possible into a double boiler or a bowl set on top of a pot of water.
Add the sugar into the infused water and heat the pot, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
Once dissolved, pour into a bottle or jar and allow to cool.
This makes a little over a cup.
You can use this to flavor cocktails or make your own violet soda. Mixing it with something slightly acidic, like a flavored soda, will turn it pink.
It’s very sweet, so I don’t need much to make a tasty drink. I really like about a tablespoon or so of it in mineral water. I also made violet and mint ice cubes—what a way to dress up a drink!
Since sorbet is made from simple syrup, there is potential to make a really interesting frozen dessert.
What ever you make, should you try this yourself, do let me know!
