Plenty of people have been looking forward to Spring - this is day 2! For many, it's a time to do yard cleanup from Winter, raking up twigs, clearing dead plants from flower/veggie gardens in preparation of new planting.

I don't know about you, but yardwork makes me THIRSTY. I'm sure many of you have heard of dandelion wine (and cooking the greens). Have you ever heard of Violet Lemonade? Yes, lemonade! We are not talking about African violets - completely different plant family - but wild violets that grow everywhere.

Don't be surprised. We make teas and tinctures and syrups out of many plants. Violets are GOOD for you! Did you know that wild violets are rich in vitamins A and C, as well as other vitamins and minerals? Add them to salads, use them to decorate a cake, candy them, or make violet jelly, vinegar, or syrup.

Here are a few recipes...

VIOLET LEMONADE

• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup of fresh purple violet petals
• 5 Tbsp of sweetener of your choice (sugar, Stevia, etc)
• juice from 3 lemons
• Ice
• fresh violet blooms for garnish

1. Put water in a microwavable bow and microwave water on high for a minute and a half or until water begins to boil. Let water stand to cool for about two minutes.
2. Stir in violet petals and sugar until the sugar is dissolved.
3. Steep petals until mixture is cooled to room temperature.
4. When cooled, stir in lemon juice.
5. Ready to serve? Strain the mixture and place it in a blender with ice.
6. Continue to add ice until your frozen lemonade reaches a slushy consistency.
7. Pour into glasses and top with a fresh violet and drink up!

WILD VIOLET SIMPLE SYRUP

• 4 cups wild violets
• 2 cups boiling water
• 2 cups organic evaporated cane juice sugar (or a substitute)
• 3-4 drops of lemon juice

1. Fill a quart or half-gallon glass jar with fresh wild violet flowers.
2. Boil 2 cups of water, then pour enough water over flowers to fill the jar. Use a wooden spoon to smash down the violets into the water.  Put a lid on the jar and let the flowers sit in the water for a full 24 hours.
3. After 24 hours, pour the violet “tea” into a fine mesh strainer. You should have about 2 cups of liquid. Using your fingers, press all of the liquid out of the petals. (You can add the petals to your compost!)
4. Combine the “tea” with 2 cups of evaporated cane juice sugar (or your substitute). Place it on the stove on low-medium heat. Whisk the sugar and “tea” together while the mixture heats. DO NOT BOIL! This is crucial!
5. As soon as the sugar is dissolved, remove the syrup from the heat and add 3-4 drops of lemon juice to it. This causes a chemical reaction that makes the color of the liquid go from blue to a bright purple!
6. Using a funnel, pour the finished wild violet syrup into a bottle or jar with a tight lid. You can store the syrup in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.

NOTES:

• Add it to iced tea
• Drizzle over ice cream
• Spoon it over waffles or pancakes
• Pour over fresh fruit
• Freeze into ice cubes and add to drinks (freeze a whole violet flower in each cube!)
• Soak pound cake cubes in syrup and add to trifles
• Add it to sparkling water
• Make a cocktail!

WILD VIOLET COCKTAIL 1

• 2 oz wild violet simple syrup (if you don’t like sweet cocktails, use 1 oz)
• 2 oz vodka
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 cup ice

1. Add 1 cup of ice to the cocktail shaker. Add the syrup, vodka, and lime juice. Shake, shake, shake!
2. Place wild violet ice cubes into a lowball glass. Strain the cocktail out of the shaker into the glass. Enjoy!

WILD VIOLET COCKTAIL 2

• 1 oz wild violet simple syrup, chilled
• 1 oz vodka or gin
• Club soda

1. Add syrup and vodka/gin to a glass. Add wild violet ice cubes, then fill with club soda.
2. If you like, moisten the rim and dip it in sugar before making your cocktail.

WILD VIOLET LIQUEUR

Here's the link:
http://kitchenlane.com/2017/04/homemade-violet-liqueur.html