Blue Violet Jelly

Blue violets boast a vivid color, and wild violets are among the first to appear across your yard each spring. This Blue Violet Jelly offers a delicate floral flavor, with some noting a subtle hint of grape. As with all backyard foraging, it’s essential to know your environment well—never harvest violets for recipes unless you’re certain the area is free from herbicides and pesticides, and always take the time to properly identify the plant before using it in your kitchen.

Blue violet flowers and leaves can be eaten, however, the roots cannot. They can cause nausea or vomiting. Leaves and flowers can be added to a salad and eaten raw or be the focus of a recipe such as this one. You can even freeze them into ice cubes for a cute addition to a late morning brunch.

They are known to be used in the past to help with dry coughs, provide antioxidants, and have anti-inflammatory properties.

Ingredients:

2 cups of Purple Violet Flowers – packed gently

4 cups of Water

4 cups Cane Sugar

1/4 cup Lemon Juice

1 box Pectin (powdered)

Instructions:

• Collect enough purple violets to create 2 cups of flowers. Collect them from a safe place where herbicides and pesticides have not been sprayed. You can just pop off the flower heads, this is all you will need for this jelly.
• Measure out 2 cups of purple petals and place in a large mixing bowl.
• Bring 4 cups of water to a boil.
• Pour the boiling water over the petals. Allow to steep to room temperature. As the tea steeps, you will see it turn from a blue color to a dark green. This is normal. Once cool, cover and refrigerate overnight or for 12-24 hours.
• Strain the violet tea that was created through a fine mesh strainer to remove any petals or debris, pressing the flowers to save as much of the dandelion tea as possible. Next, strain it again through a cheesecloth to remove any tiny particles.
• Place the strained violet tea in a large saucepan.
• Stir in lemon juice. This will bring the tea to a purple color.
• Stir in your box of pectin and bring to a boil.
• Add sugar and stir in, and return to a boil, stirring constantly.
• Boil the jelly for 2 minutes.
• Remove from heat, skim, and stir.
• Pour into prepared canning jars, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace.
• Use a butter knife and run it along the inside of the jar to remove any air bubbles.
• Wipe the edge of the jar to remove any debris.
• Add lids and rings and seal.
• Process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes.
• Allow to cool on the countertop undisturbed overnight.