Forgiveness is the fragrance that the Violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it. ~ Mark Twain
Yesterday was a Goldilocks kind of day. Middle Tennessee has experienced chilly, rainy weather for the past week, we were beginning to think spring would never come. Then yesterday, it' poked its head in the door and hollered, "Howdy!" like an unexpected, beloved visit from a long lost friend.
My dear friend Scott Smith spent the afternoon at Cross Bridges collecting a basket full of wild violet blooms to make Wild Violet Blossom Syrup.
Wild Violet Blossom Syrup
(Only pick flowers from chemical-free woods or lawns. This includes fenced-in yards like my own where a host of dogs have lived for the past decade. Just saying.)
- 2 cup wild violet petals, cleaned and ALL greenery removed
- 1 cup boiling water
- 2 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon, optional (turns blue syrup to purple and brightens flavor)
Remove all of the green, stalks and leaves from the violets and put the flowers into a
non-reactive glass or metal pan or in the top of a double boiler. (no aluminum).
Pour the boiling water over the flowers, cover with a lid or dishtowel and allow to infuse for 24 hours.
After infusion, add the sugar to the water and violets mixture. Bring the water in the bottom of
the double boiler to a boil and keep stirring the violet mixture until the sugar has
completely dissolved. Keep the water at a rolling, but gentle boil. If you don’t have a
double boiler, make your own by placing the sauce pan on top of larger pan with water underneath or place pan directly on the heat, but keep the heat very, very low. If you put the pan directly on the heat and allow it to get too warm, you'll lose that beautiful blue/purple color.
Strain violets after the sugar is dissolved and cooled, bottle the violet syrup in a sterilized bottle and keep in the refridgerator for up to
6 months.
Use in cakes, cookies, pancakes, icings, butter creams, ice creams, beverages, and cocktails.
DO NOT use blooms from the houseplant African Violet which are not edible.
Aviation Cocktail
- 2 ounces gin
- ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ ounce homemade violet syrup
- ½ ounce maraschino syrup
Add to cocktail shaker with ice and shake vigorously for 10-15 seconds, strain into cocktail glass of choice, garnish with fresh violets, lemon peel spirals,cherries.
Blue Moon
Same recipe as above, but leave off maraschino syrup and strain into a stemmed cocktail glass.
Bonny Boy cocktail
1 ½ oz. vodka
1/2 oz. malört
1/4 oz tequila
¾ oz. dry vermouth
Add to cocktail shaker with ice and shake vigorously for 10-15 seconds, strain into Martini glass. Garnish with lemon peel spirals.
Violette Royale
- 4 oz Champagne
- 1/2 ounce Violet Syrup
Pour syrup into bottom of champagne glass, add chilled champagne, apply some Violet-scented moisturizing cream
and put on some "Violet" music
or read a Violet Carlyle historical mystery.
Don't forget to save a few, fresh violet blossoms to add a gorgeous new color to your tossed salad.
Enjoy the blossoms of spring!
