Description
Violet Simple Syrup! Perfect in cocktails ( like a Violet infused French 75) or mocktails. Think Mothers Day, Bridal Showers or Weddings. Romantic, floral & feminine. The possibilities are endless!
Ingredients
- 1 cup violets, packed
- 1 cup filtered water, or use distilled.
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1–3 drops lemon juice- optional
Instructions
- Collect violets that are free from pesticides. Remove leaves, stems and calyx- basically remove everything that isn’t a purple petal.
- Bring 1 cup of filtered water to a simmer in a small pot. Turn the heat off, let the water stand 5 minutes to cool slightly, then add the violets to the pot, stir, and let cool completely. Do NOT boil the violets. Cover with a kitchen towel and let stand for at least 24 hours on the kitchen counter.
- Strain the violet-infused water through a fine-mesh sieve, gently pressing any additional liquid from the violets. Return strained violette water to a bain-marie. Add sugar. (For every cup of liquid yielded, add 1 cup of sugar)
- Stir sugar into the violet water over a bain-marie or in the same pot over very very low heat, just until the sugar dissolves and is incorporated. DO NOT SIMMER or BOIL as you will lose the gorgeous color of the violets. Just warm enough to dissolve the sugar. You should have a beautiful cool blue-hued syrup.
- Optional: To turn the syrup to more of a clear purple color as you see here, stir in one drop of lemon juice, one drop at a time (1-3 drops) or if you prefer the cool blue hue, leave the lemon out! Too much lemon will make the color completely disappear- so be careful here.
- Store the syrup in a bottle or jar in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.
Notes
VIOLETS:
There are different kinds of violets. Please make sure you are using Common Blue Violets.(They should smell sweet and grape-y) If unsure, please try this page for identification. You are looking for WILD violets with the botanical name of Viola sororia or Viola sororia albiflora. The kind grown in shady parts of your lawn in zones 3-8. They typically have a little bit of gold in the center. Make sure they are untreated with pesticides!
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. So take your time here and be patient, removing all the green!
To make a Violet Infused French 75 : In a shaker fill with ice, add one ounce gin, ½ ounce lemon juice and 1/2 ounce of violet syrup. Shake well and strain into a chilled flute or cocktail coupe. Top with chilled Champagne or Prosecco and garnish with lemon twist and a fresh-picked violet.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tablespoon
- Calories: 26
- Sugar: 6.4 g
- Sodium: 0.4 mg
- Fat: 0 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 6.8 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg