Foraging: Violets Plus a Violet Syrup Recipe - (2024)

FAQs

What do you do with violet syrup? ›

Here are a few ideas for how to use your violet syrup:

As a sweetener for lemonade or iced tea. As ice-pops frozen with fresh fruit and edible flowers for the kiddos (and adult-o's). Paired with seltzer water and a sprig of mint. Poured over ladyfingers in a vanilla pudding berry trifle situation!?!

Health Benefits of Violets and Violet Syrup

Violets are rich in Vitamin A and Vitamin C. Violets have anti-inflammatory properties and can be used. Violet syrup can be used to sooth coughs and sore throats.

Totally optional, but you can add lemon juice to change the color of your syrup to a more pinkish-purple color, adding it little by little until you get your desired shade. Store in a glass bottle in the fridge where it will keep for several months if not longer. You can freeze it for future use too.

To prepare, fill a Mason jar to the top with violets. Once filled, pour vodka over the flowers until they are submerged. Put a lid on the jar and shake daily for several days, up to one week. Strain and store in amber glass dropper bottle in a dark place.

#4 — Steep the violets for 24 hours.

Don't be tempted to skip the full 24-hour steeping time, though. The longer the petals steep, the more purple pigment is drawn out, and the more depth of color your finished wild violet syrup will have.

lavender tastes of lavenders, violet tastes of violets. the difference is not unlike that between apples and peaches, as far as fruit goes.

Violet is a classic alterative herb; encouraging the elimination of wastes from the body by improving liver, kidney, digestive, and lymphatic function. In cahoots with other tonic seasonal herbs, violet sets the stage for a nourishing transition from the heavy blanket of winter to the lightness of spring.

Harvesting wild violet

Leaves are edible but because the leaves are easily confused with other non-edible plants it is important to stick with the sure bet if you are unfamiliar with violets and their look-alikes. Violet flowers can be used to garnish salads or flavor vinegar and syrup.

Strain syrup through a finely meshed sieve to remove flower petals. Let syrup cool to room temperature. Transfer to glass jars, label them, and store in refrigerator for up to six months.

SC Times described violets as "sweet and extremely floral," and violet syrup is sure to be sweet. On their website, Monin describes their violet syrup as having a "mild, floral, springtime flavor."

Does syrup go rancid? ›

Does Maple Syrup Go Bad? The short answer is technically no, syrup does not expire. That's due to the high sugar content of pure maple syrup, according to the experts at Ben's Sugar Shack, who produce syrup in New Hampshire.

Some people use sweet violet for respiratory tract conditions, particularly dry or sore throat, stuffy nose, coughs, hoarseness, and bronchitis. Other uses include treating pain in the minor joints, fever, skin diseases, headache, trouble sleeping (insomnia), and tuberculosis.

If you use fresh herbs to prepare a tincture, double the quantity of dried herbs so you are using 2 ounces for every 1 ounces of dried herb called for in your recipe. An alternative formula is to add one part herb to five parts of alcohol.

Drying violets is super easy! Wash them using the method above, and then lay them on a towel over a drying rack and set them in a dry place for 4-7 days. Once they are fully dry, place them in an airtight container, like these cute jelly jars, and store in a dark cupboard.

The calyx (the green part that holds the petals) can turn the lovely blue-purple color to brown, and give the syrup a “green” spinachy taste. The flowers alone will give the syrup a lovely grape-y floral taste.

The syrup changes colors based on the type of liquid you add it to! It's a really neat hands-on science experiment for kids to learn about pH. The violet syrup itself can range from bright purple to dark blue. When added to an acid like lemonade, the drink will turn pink.

Lilac syrup, which contains lactulose with other sugars eg, galactose and lactose, is used in the treatment of constipation and hepatic encephalopathy. Lactulose is a disaccharide, a sugar molecule composed of 2 smaller sugar molecules bonded together, in this case, fructose and galactose.