Violet Flower Syrup
Use culinary violets only - not decorative varieties which may contain pesticides. The syrup has a delicate sophisticated flavor.
Use culinary violets only - not decorative varieties which may contain pesticides. The syrup has a delicate sophisticated flavor.
- 1/2 cupfresh culinary violets(or 2 tablespoons dried)
- 1 cupwater
- 1 cupwhite sugar
- 1Strain through a fine mesh strainer.
- 2The color will be pale purple - add a drop of food coloring if desired.
- 3Refrigerate for up to one month.
Store in a sealed glass bottle in the refrigerator for up to three weeks. Keep away from direct light, which fades the color. The floral aroma is most vibrant in the first two weeks. Keep refrigerated.
Use only culinary-grade dried violet flowers — decorative varieties may have been treated with pesticides. Steep in water heated to around 180°F rather than a full boil, which can diminish the delicate floral aroma. The vivid blue-purple color comes from anthocyanins that are pH-sensitive; a few drops of fresh lemon juice will shift the color dramatically toward pink.
Violets (Viola odorata) have been cultivated for culinary and medicinal use since ancient Greece, where Athenians regarded them as a symbol of fertility and used them in wine and food. Violet-flavored products gained wide commercial popularity in the early 20th century — most famously in Crème Yvette and Parfait Amour liqueurs, and in the iconic Aviation cocktail, first published by Hugo Ensslin around 1916, which calls for Crème de Violette. The distinctive grape-like, floral flavor of violet was a hallmark of pre-Prohibition bartending before going dormant for decades and being revived during the craft cocktail renaissance of the 2000s when Crème de Violette returned to production. Homemade violet syrup allows bartenders to replicate that color and flavor without the expense of a full liqueur purchase.
**Violet Lemon Syrup** — Add the zest of one lemon during steeping and a squeeze of juice after straining for a color-shifting pink version ideal for Aviation-style cocktails. **Violet Rose Syrup** — Combine equal parts culinary violet and culinary dried rose petals for a complex, layered floral syrup. **Sparkling Violet Shrub** — Add one tablespoon of champagne vinegar to the finished syrup for a shrub-style version that pairs beautifully with sparkling wine.
Free from all top-8 allergens. Use only culinary-grade flowers sourced from a reputable supplier; wild-harvested or decorative violets may have been exposed to herbicides or pesticides.