My favorite spring treat is to create syrup and jam from violets. We have several patches in Riverside Park – located almost anywhere you look this time of year. You don’t need a lot of blossoms to make a batch (6) the jam and syrup made from the violets are a most beautiful shade of pink. Below are two violet recipes I like to use this time of year. Both the jam and the syrup are excellent, but the violet syrup is, dare I say, just as good as maple syrup on pancakes!
Violet Syrup
Fill any size glass jar with Violet Blossoms
Pour boiling water over the blossoms - enough to cover
Put a lid on the jar and let sit for ~ 24 hours
Strain and save the blue liquid and compost the violet blossoms
For each cup of violet extract add…
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice (juice of 1/2 lemon)
Bring to a boil (I keep it to a low boil for ~ 10 Minutes)
Carefully pour syrup into sterilized canning jars and cover
Refrigerate after cooled down. It should last several months
Violet Jam
1 cup Violet Blossoms – packed full
¾ cup Water
2 tablespoons lemon juice (or the juice of one lemon)
Blend until it’s a smooth paste
Slowly add 2 ½ cups sugar until blended
Combine ¾ cup water and 1 package Pectin in sauce pan
Bring to boil and boil hard for 1 minute
Add to paste in blender
Blend for additional minute
Sterilize jars by putting them in boiling water for 10-15 minutes
Pour paste into sterilized jars and cover
Refrigerate (will last 3 weeks) or freeze for a winter treat
More reasons to give the common violet a try:
- It’s easy to pick – having kids help makes it even more fun
- It’s a false flower, so you’re not preventing the flower from propagating (picking the flowers actually triggers the plant to make more flowers — like deadheading an herb
- Violet jam or syrup make the perfect perennial Mother’s Day gift
