A Little Springtime Magic

or how the common violet is actually a scientific marvel, and the life of the party!

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Did you know that violets are pH indicators? And that ends up being a science-y way of saying that they are super-fun at a birthday party!

My husband’s birthday is this week, and the kids are each cooking up a treat to celebrate his special day with a springtime picnic. I’ve got one kiddo making cinnamon rolls, one making candied pecans, and one making pink lemonade - with violet syrup!

meet the violets

Violets are absolutely precious little blossoms. They’re an extremely common wildflower with excellent manners, typically sprouting tidy mounds of heart-shaped leaves graced with shy, nodding flowers.

Here on the homestead, we have three types. Common Blue Violets spring up in sunny meadows. Sweet White Violets bloom in the dappled shade of the forest. And Johnny Jump Up Violets have been spreading prolifically since we first planted them along our front walkway.

They all self-sow readily, and I encourage them to spread pretty much anywhere - the more, the merrier, in my opinion!

Because, besides being absolutely lovely, violets are also a gentle and beneficial herb, with a variety of calming and soothing properties. Flowers and leaves are both edible, fresh or dried, and I always set aside dried blossoms for use throughout the year. Added to tea, they have a light, floral sweetness, are relaxing like chamomile, and ease irritated sinuses - very handy in a Maine winter!

All of that is more than enough to earn violets a special place in the hearts of the herbally-inclined. But violets are not done with you yet. They also have a party trick!

make a little syrup

It all starts with a simple syrup. Violet syrup begins, of course, with violet blossoms. Gather only the very purple-est blossoms for maximum effect :)

The first violets of the year are just barely beginning to sprout here on the homestead, early tender leaves nudging gently from amongst mosses and mulches. So at first I didn’t think that our favorite picnic beverage was going to be on the menu. Happily, I have now confirmed that dried violet blossoms work just as well!

Gather 2 cups of fresh blossoms (or 1 cup dried) in a glass or stainless steel container. Heat 1 cup of water to boiling. Violet pigment is sensitive to heat and will break down at a high boil. Instead, pour boiling water over your blossoms and then leave them to steep, covered, overnight.

In the morning, strain the liquid into a kettle or small saucepan and add 1 cup of sugar to make a simple syrup. Plain white granulated sugar will best preserve the violet color. Be gentle with the heat, using low heat and stirring regularly until all of the sugar is dissolved and your syrup comes just to a boil.

Remove from heat and store in a clean jar, ready for use. Your syrup will be a rich, deep purple, really stunning - but the fun is only beginning.

have a little fun

The unique purple pigment that gives violets their name also changes color based on pH. Like those little paper test strips, violet pigment responds vividly to acids and bases - although, of course, much more charmingly than anything that comes in a chemistry set!

All you need is an acid like lemon juice, a base like club soda, and a little child-like wonder!

Start with a nice, clear glass, so you can see everything that’s happening. Have a long handled spoon or chopstick handy for stirring. Splash an inch or so of club soda into the bottom of your glass. Now add a splash of violet syrup. As the syrup mixes, it will turn teal! Stir to spread the color throughout.

Now, reverse things. Add a little lemon juice to the mixture. The lemon juice will float, but where it mixes, it will return to purple. Splash in more lemon juice, and it will turn hot pink!

You can repeat this experiment to your heart’s content, and the violet pigment will continue to transition through this wonderful range of colors: teal for a basic solution, purple at neutral, pink for acidic. The swirls and eddies, the boundary layers, the sudden transformations, are just endlessly mesmerizing. Simple, astonishing, and entirely delightful!

This is so much fun to play around with, but my favorite way to use violet syrup is to…

make pink lemonade!

It’s refreshing, delicately primrose-pink, and the floral violet sweetness complements the traditional lemon tartness in the most unforgettable way!

In a clear glass jar, start with 1/2 c of violet syrup. Add 1/2 c of lemon juice, stirring as it turns the most brilliant shade of sunset pink. Fill with 3 c water, and chill before serving.

Alternatively, begin by mixing up a batch of your favorite lemonade, a bit on the tart side, and chill before serving. Add violet syrup directly to individual glasses, and enjoy the spectacle of your glass transforming from palest yellow to rosy pink in cotton-candy swirls!

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There’s really no reason why violets need to have this extra trick up their sleeves. They’re already very proficient at securing future generations, their primary purpose. They’re also lovely, which is nice, right? And then, they’re beneficial to human health, for which I’m so grateful, it’s more than I deserve. And then, and then, and then…pure, wonderful, delightful, adorable, enchanting, perfect fun!

So as you get ready for your next sunny picnic, raise a glass to violets and the best glass of ice-cold pink lemonade you've ever tasted! Common, perhaps, but entirely extraordinary, a tiny blossom that also just happens to be a scientific marvel, and the life of your next party. Cheers!

There are lots of sources available for learning more about violet syrup! Learning Herbs.com, Fare Isle.com, and Hearth and Vine.com all offer their own takes on violet syrup. Once you've got the basics, there's lots of room to adjust the details - so have fun and experiment!

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