Foraging for Wild Violets
Spring is here and wild violets are ripe for the picking. I vividly remember my first time foraging for edible plants; my aunt and I making a salad from dandelion greens and violets on a sunny spring day. As a child, I can say that I did not appreciate the taste, but the experience was everything.
Pennsylvania is home to an abundance of wild edibles and many can be found in your own backyard. Edible flowers, especially violets, are extremely versatile and have many potential uses. They can be eaten fresh in salads, added to cookies or baked goods for decoration, used as garnishes for cocktails, and so much more.
You can candy or dry the flowers, use them to infuse oils and syrups, or freeze them in ice cubes to brighten up you favorite drink. Violets are also said to have various medicinal properties and can be steeped in hot water to make tea.
At Algo, we love cocktails and experimenting with new ingredients. We were lucky to stumble upon a large number of violets on a recent trip to Chester County and decided to make a violet simple syrup. A handful of violet petals, hot water, and sugar is all you need for a lovely blue-purple syrup.
Check out our violet vodka cocktail made with a spicebush vodka from Eda Rhyne Distilling Company (Asheville, NC) below:
Cheers and happy foraging!
