How to Make Violet Flower Syrup

The common blue violet is a short-stemmed flowering plant commonly found self-seeding freely in lawns and gardens. Many homeowners consider these bright purple flowers as weeds for their ability to quickly and effortlessly spread in both sunny and shady conditions, making them difficult to control. Wild violets typically bloom in late April and early May, and persist throughout the hot summer months.

Common blue violet, "Viola sororia"

Personally, I don't mind these stray flowers. Their tenacious behavior demands acknowledgement, and their vibrant coloring deserves recognition. Even so, when it comes time to tend to the yard and do some gardening, my mom doesn't hold a particularly friendly approach to the weedy plants. As such, I've taken to a sort of makeshift approach at reducing the violet's presence each season when they start appearing. By plucking the flowers from their roots, I remove them from my mom's hardy gaze, and take the petals in as an ingredient for he kitchen.

Over the years, I've grown more interested in foraging and resourcing from the local outdoors. From wild strawberries to staghorn sumac to the mayapple, becoming more in tune with the edible flora of my area has been an enjoyable and experimental learning experience. Of course, before you do your own foraging and eating of he readily available wild ingredients near you, it's important to do ample research and be able to correctly and confidently identify the species you're looking for. Some edible mushrooms and plants have characteristically similar copycats that aren't as edible. Some of these copycats will only give you a stomach ache, and others might send you on a trip to the hospital. Being responsible with your foraging and collecting is important both for your health and for he environment!

I've made violet flower syrup a few times since learning the ropes as an amateur forager. I find it to be one of the easier recipes for beginners, as it requires few ingredients, little preparation, and a commonly found, easily identifiable species.

Collection of the flowers is easy since they're fairly common. If you live in eastern North America, you probably have some violets in your yard or in a nearby field or woodlot. Before collecting, be sure the flowers haven't been sprayed with chemicals like pesticides. Also, you don't need to pluck the plant from the root- you only need the flower petals!

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➤ To make violet flower syrup, you'll need roughly one cup of the flower heads/petals, lightly packed; a cup of water; and a cup of white sugar.

➤ After gathering your ingredients, pinch the violets off at the top of the stems. Be sure to remove any green parts on the flower- typically the leaves, stem, and base of the flower head. You can use the entire flower head or just twist off the petals.

➤ In a small pot, boil your water. Turn off the heat and let the water cool for a few minutes before adding the violets to the pot. You should not be boiling the violets!

➤ Allow the flowers to steep for at least 24 hours. You should cover the pot with a kitchen towel or lid while it does this, to capture condensation and trap in heat.

➤ Strain your new violet-infused water through a fine-mesh sieve (a cheese cloth works well, too!) and gently press any additional liquid from the flowers.

➤ Return the strained violet water to the stove and turn the heat to low. Add sugar to the violet water on low heat to dissolve the sugar. Do not simmer or boil the liquid or you will risk losing the bright blueish-purple hue of your syrup!

➤ Allow your syrup to cool and place in a sealed jar or other protective container for up to 6 months in the refrigerator.

If desired, you can also add a few drops of lemon juice to your syrup to change the color to a brighter purple-pink color!

Your homemade violet syrup goes perfectly in your choice of tea, cocktail, or mocktail! You can also use the syrup to add color and taste to desserts, frostings, and sparkling water!