Sweet Violet Syrup

Sweet violets have a been a long time favorite flower/herb of mine. i was first introduced to the healing properties of the violet after stumbling across a copy of Susan Weed's Healing Wise book about 15 years ago (am i really that old??).

We have sweet violets that grow wild all over our yard. Several years go, i transplanted a bunch of them to border my lettuce bed, it also gave me easy access for harvesting the beautiful purple blooms.


Violets are edible (both leaves and flowers) and can used in salads, candied, made into jellies and syrups. One of our favorite things to make in the spring is Violet Syrup. It contains just a bit of the flower essence, has a sweet mild flavor and according to my kids...tastes like Spring.
Violet syrup is very easy to make, and can be used on pancakes and waffles, added as a sweetener to lemonades or drizzled over ice cream.

First thing you need to do is gather your violets. Make sure you are picking fresh violets that have not been sprayed (organic) or grown close to the road (they can absorb toxins from car exhaust).

To make Violet Syrup you need approx.

2 cups fresh violets
1 cup boiling water
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
juice from one lemon.

Wash and remove stems, but it's okay to leave the sepals attached. Place your blossoms in a deep bowl and cover with bowling water. Cover the dish and let set at room temperature for several hours up to 24 hours.

Your water will turn a gorgeous deep blue. Line a colander with layers of cheesecloth and use to strain the violets, reserving the violet water. Squeeze any excess moisture out of the violets, then discard the used blooms. Set aside.
Place the 2 cups of sugar and one cup of water (not the violet water) in a saucepan and boil until the mixture becomes a very thick. Add the fresh lemon juice to the violet water and watch it turn from blue to purple! Then add the violet water to the pan, and bring it to a rolling boil. Boil 10 minutes or until desired thickness.

Pour into a sterile jar, allow it to cool and then store it in the refrigerator for up to a month. Ours never lasts that long, we eat it up quickly on homemade pancakes. :)

“A blossom of returning light, An April flower of sun and dew; The earth and sky, the day and night Are melted in her depth of blue!” - Dora Read Goodale