Description
A spring time delight! Turn beautiful purple edible violets into a syrup and then watch it magically turn pink when mixed with lemon juice for the best lemonade of your life!!!
Ingredients
Violet Syrup
- 2 cups loosely packed edible violets
- 3/4 cup boiling water
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
Violet Pink Lemonade
- 2 tablespoons violet syrup (or to taste)
- 1 cup water or sparkling water
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- violet ice cubes
- lemon slice, fresh mint, violets for garnish
Instructions
To make syrup:
- In the evening fill a jar with the fresh-picked violet flowers. Pour boiling water over violets and cover the jar. Steep overnight for best results.
- Strain violet infusion into a small saucepan. Add the sugar and allow the mixture to come to a low boil then reduce heat to a rolling simmer. Simmer to a runny syrup consistency, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. It should start to lightly coat the back of a wooden spoon or sides of the pan when swirled. The syrup will continue to thicken as it cools.
- Meanwhile, sterilize a small heat-proof glass bottle or jar and lid by filling it with boiling water.
- Pour hot syrup straight into the sterilized bottle and seal. Store syrup in a cool dark cabinet or refrigerate.
To make lemonade:
- Stir 2 tablespoons of violet syrup (or to taste) per 1 cup of water in a drinking glass. Wait to add lemon juice if you want to create a magic color change.
- Add ice cubes. Then pour in lemon 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and stir. Watch the color change to pink!! Kids love this!
Notes
The violet syrup should keep for about 6 months.
To make violet ice-cubes, add violet flowers to an ice cube tray and then fill with water. Freeze until solid, about 2 hours.
Always use caution when foraging for wild edible plants. Make sure to identify the plant correctly by referencing guidebooks and asking an experienced forager to confirm a plant's identity.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Drinks
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: violet syrup recipe, violet lemonade, wild violet syrup