5 Simple Uses For Wild Violet Flowers In Kitchen Recipes

Wild violets burst open in early spring and exhibit varying shades of white to deep purple. I have always eagerly awaited this moment, I love using wild violets in recipes in my kitchen! Violets are edible picked right from the stem and have a musky, floral taste with a sweet kick at the end.

Some of my earliest childhood memories of spring are going picking for violets with my mom and sisters and filling baskets and jars (much like the one pictured above!) with delicate violet flowers in preparation for violet jelly and wild violet simple syrup. All foraged flowers were brought home and canned into jelly. I still make a small batch of jelly every year, boiling the violet petals down to a bubbling, indigo syrup mash on my stove top.

Violet Flower Ice Cubes

Use Violet flowers in ice cubes! Any flower frozen in ice will immediately add appeal to any punch bowl, rocks glass or simple pitcher of ice water. I made these by filling my ice balls half way, allowing to freeze completely, layering my violet flowers onto frozen portion and filling the ice ball the rest of the way. This technique keeps the flowers suspended in the center of the ice sphere and created a beautiful effect when served in a glass with a cocktail.

Violet Jelly

The old classic! Where my passion for violet flowers began! I love to have a batch of violet jelly in my cupboard for those special occasions where plain old strawberry or a crisp, tart curd just won’t do. This jelly is versatile and can be spread on butter cookies, a light sponge cake ( I prefer angel food, the airy cake and the flowery jelly are a match made in heaven) or toast. When making the jelly the vibrant indigo color will fade as the citric acid or lemon juice is added. To combat this, you can add food coloring if you would like a deeply shaded of purple jelly. I personally don’t have a preference and have made this jelly both ways and the results are always delicious.

Sugared Violet Flowers

Sugar coating is another classic preparation of freshly picked wild violet flowers. This technique takes time to dry, so if you are making these for a special occasion, plan accordingly and let dry overnight. These sugared violets add an elegant, Victorian Era touch when used as a garnish on cookies, cakes and baked goods. Or try adding onto the rim of a cocktail for a more tropical look. These candied flowers are a bit labor intensive and can feel tedious to create, however the result is spectacular and well worth the effort.

For sugar violet flowers you will need:

• Freshly Picked Wild Violets
• 1 Egg White
• 1/2 Cup Superfine Sugar
• 1 Small, kitchen use only Paint Brush
• Parchment Paper

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Sugared Wild Violets

Sugared wild violets are a delightful way to preserve the beauty and delicate flavor of these flowers. They can be used to decorate cakes, cupcakes, and other desserts, or enjoyed on their own as a sweet treat. To make sugared violets, simply dip the flowers in egg whites, then coat them in superfine sugar. Allow them to dry before using or storing in an airtight container."

Prep Time30 minutes mins

12 hours hrs

Total Time12 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Keyword: floral recipe, sugared violets, wild violets

Yield: 20 Violets

Cost: 2.5

Equipment

• Parchment Paper
• Paint Brush Small, Clean, Kitchen use Only

Materials

• 24 Pieces Freshly Picked Wild Violets
• 1 Egg White
• 1/2 Cup Superfine Sugar

Instructions

• Lay parchment on a large plate
• Whisk egg white until frothy, (no need to break out the mixing stand here, a simple whisk will do).
• Carefully "paint" the egg white onto the violet flowers, individually
• As soon as you have completed a flower, hold it over the bowl of sugar and sprinkle sugar onto the flower, evenly coating all sides.
• Delicately place the violet on the waiting parchment paper and continue process until all flowers are completely coated in sugar.
• Leave flowers to dry overnight.
• Use these sugared flowers anywhere a touch of floral sweetness is needed, on cakes, cookies or as a garnish for cocktails.

Wild Violet Flower Ice Cream

This is such a simple way to incorporate violets into a dessert, take vanilla ice cream mix with violet flowers and serve! For the image above I layered some violets onto the bottom of a teacup I had lined with plastic wrap, I mixed my vanilla ice cream with wild violets in a separate bowl. Then I patted the ice cream into the cup and let refreeze for an hour before turning out onto a plate. Mixing the flowers with creamy, sweet ice cream really allows the flavor of the violets to shine and is a simple, easy way to use edible violets in a dessert.

After years of working with violets in the kitchen here are few lessons I have learned:

Violets have a very delicate flavor and are fragile ingredients to use in the kitchen. If you noticed in the entire post the only recipe I have where heat is used with violets is the jelly. Even in that recipe, the hot water and violets are immediately removed from the burner and allowed to seep and cool. I personally prefer not to use violets directly in baking or stovetop cooking applications. The flavor of violets is extremely delicate and if you overheat them you will damage the floral essence of your floral harvest! Instead I like to use wild violets in cold recipes. The flavor shines much brighter and the musky, almost honey like sweetness really comes thru.

I hope you enjoyed this floral filled post as much as I have enjoyed writing it! If you have any other recipes or see a technique or use for violet flowers I have not gone over, please leave a comment below and let me know. Happy Picking!