Here in Maryland, 'tis the season for violets, and if you have as many of these lovely early spring flowers in your yard as I do, you might be curious to see if these purple beauties have any uses besides ground cover and decoration.
In addition to being the food for larval fritillary butterflies, violets are also a fun addition to the kitchen, and have a number of culinary uses.
Today I'll share my recipe for homemade violet liqueur.
Ingredients:
250ml of 100 proof grain alcohol (made by adding water to 151 or everclear) ; enough fresh violets to bring the level of the infusion to 500ml (eg lots) ; a 500ml canning jar with a good seal.
Instructions:
Fill the jar with violets. Add the alcohol. Stuff in more violets until the alcohol fills the jar. Let sit in a cupboard for about a month, shaking every couple of days.
After the month: add 250ml simple syrup, 250ml water; coloring if desired. Strain out flowers, blend remaining ingredients, funnel into 750ml bottle.
Note: It's important to pick the flowers low on the stem, only removing the green part right before it meets the alcohol. In my opinion, the best technique is to alternate adding alcohol and violets to the jar until it's full.
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