No. 555— Violet Syrup, or Syrup of Violets
Ingredients
Directions
Infuse the violets
Place the violets in a round-bottomed copper bowl over a charcoal stove.
Add the orris root and gradually pour in the hot water, stirring carefully.
Boil the mixture for 10 minutes, then strain it through a clean cloth into a basin.
Make the syrup
Add the sugar and gum arabic, along with a few drops of cochineal.
Boil the mixture in a clean copper bowl, removing any scum.
Finish
Once the syrup is cold, bottle it and finish as directed.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Violets
- Provide the main floral flavour and aroma of the syrup.
- Fine loaf sugar
- Adds sweetness and body, and concentrates the syrup as it boils.
- Gum arabic
- Thickens the liquid and gives the syrup a smoother, more viscous texture.
- Orris root
- Adds a subtle floral, violet-like aroma.
- Cochineal
- Gives the syrup its pink-red colour.
The step that matters
Removing the scum while boiling the syrup. Scum that rises during boiling is impurities and proteins from the mixture. Skimming it off keeps the syrup clear and stops off-flavours from setting into the finished liquid.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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