An enchanting addition to spring drinks of all kinds. Also magically soothing for sore throats.
•Purple sweet violets (viola odorata)**
•Boiling filtered water, to cover violets
•White sugar, equal to amount of water used
•Lemon juice, just a bit (optional)
Gather violets, rinse gently, remove stems, and place flowers in a heat-safe glass jar. Cover with boiling water to extract blue pigments; steep overnight in the fridge.
Strain into a nonreactive pot (liquid will be bright blue), and add sugar equal to the amount of water you used. Stir gently and heat until the sugar is dissolved. Pour into a clean glass bottle or jar; add a tiny bit of lemon juice a little at a time to transform the blue color to a shade of violet
Use the syrup to add sweetness, color, and a delicate floral note to teas and other drinks. (Optional: you can also wait and add blue syrup directly to lemonade, tea with lemon, etc., and watch it change color in the glass.) Refrigerate for up to 4 weeks.
**A note about violets: If foraging, be sure that you are using the correct species (some plants, such as African violets, are toxic!), and that you are gathering from an area that hasn’t been treated with chemicals. Also leave plenty of flowers behind for our pollinator friends—e.g., if there are a dozen plants in an area, gather from 3-4. Finally, choose only purple violets, as the white ones won’t produce that lovely color.
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