4 c Violets; freshly picked
-unsprayed
2 c -Boiling water
6 c Sugar
1 Lemon; juice of
2 c -Water
Select only the freshest and most unblemished violets
in your garden. Place violet petal in a deep bowl and
pour the boiling water over them. Weigh down with a
heavy dish to keep them submerged. Place the bowl in a
draft-free place at room temperature for 24 hours.
Line a colander with layers of rinsed cheesecloth and
place over a bowl. Pour violets and liquid into
colander, squeezing out juice from the violets;
discard the violets. Place sugar, lemon juice and
water in a saucepan and boil into a very thick syrup,
near the candy stage. Add violet water and bring to a
rolling boil. Boil 10 minutes or until thickened. Pour
into sterile bottles. Allow to cool, then seal and
refrigerate. Serve with ice water or club soda.
VARIATION: Substitute 4 cups fragrant rose petals and
add 1 cinnamon stick per bottle of syrup. MAKES: 2
QUARTS
