Floral play

[magid]

It's spring, and violets and lilacs are in bloom. Every year I think about doing something with violets, but somehow with Passover and work and such, it doesn't happen. This year, I managed it. Well, except that I usually think of candied violets, but that involves lots and lots of individual piecework, and I'm rather lazier than that (I bake brownies, not cookies, for the same reason). And I found out that lilac blossoms are also edible.

So. I picked lilacs and violets, aiming in each case for as intense color as I could (though did include some white violets, figuring some white is better than fewer overall), and did a couple of experiments.

First, I tried lilac liqueur, soaking the flowers in vodka. Unlike fruit, these seemed done (read: turned brownish from light purple) about a day later, and since it was clear that there was no juice that could be pulled out from sugaring them, I made a simple syrup instead (breaking my usual rule of no water in liqueurs), and guessed how much to add. It's a light brown liqueur, and it's not a strong scent, so I'm not sure that this was particularly successful.

Next, I riffed off the directions for violet syrup to make a lilac syrup. This meant covering fresh blossoms with hot water, and letting it steep overnight. Once the water was infused to a nice purple color, I drained the flowers out, then boiled the lilac liquid with sugar to make a syrup, which is a dark purple. The directions included adding lemon juice, which I didn't do, because I wasn't sure how the color would change, and wanted it to stay purple.

I did similar things with the violets. I let the violet petals steep longer in vodka, and the liqueur ended up being a pale pale purple. The syrup is less dark than the lilac syrup (and still without lemon, so not red, but purple).

Net results so far: a quart of the lilac liqueur, a pint of the violet liqueur, two pints of the lilac syrup, and less than a pint of the violet syrup. I'm not sure what to use them in/with; thoughts appreciated.

Flowers for future play: dandelions, roses

Comments

[hrafn.livejournal.com]

I suppose you could use the flower stuffs in place of vanilla extract. Perhaps in shortbread. Or pour it over ice cream. Or mix with carbonated water or mild soda (like 7-Up). Maybe in tea?

How strong is the flavor in the resulting liquer/syrup?

[magid.livejournal.com]

Good ideas! (though I don't drink fizzy liquids, so I'd not bother with flavoring sodas)

The floral notes are fairly mild, though perhaps a taste test involving more than just be would be more objective.

[hrafn.livejournal.com]

No fizzy liquids?? NO ROOT BEER* FLOATS?!

*or whatever

[magid.livejournal.com]

Nope. I don't like soda, beer, or champagne. Weird, I know.

[gingicat]

I'm going to attempt to grow nasturtiums this year, if you'd be interested in experimentation.

And I'd love to be a guinea pig for your experiments! :)

[magid.livejournal.com]

Nasturtiums for some reason just say "salad" to me. Not sure why. Should probably poke the interwebs to find out if other things are reasonable.

:-)

[fetteredwolf.livejournal.com]

I love lilacs and we have two big bushes in front of our house. I would say, come harvest them if you'd like, but I think they are getting along now- most of the flowers are pale. It's a pity the season is so short, but it makes it all the more special.

[magid.livejournal.com]

It's nice of you to offer! I think I might be done with them for this year. Though I also think I should start getting in the habit of carrying a bag for possible foraging...

[megmuck.livejournal.com]

You need to get invited to more cocktail parties! I'm sure there are obscure pre-Prohibition drinks that involved violet and lilac liquers.

[magid.livejournal.com]

I think there's someone on my friendsfriends list who's an accomplished bartender. I should ask him, perhaps.