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 from the bottom.
Boil the mixture for 10 minutes.
Strain the mixture 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.
Remove any scum from the mixture.
Once cooled, bottle the syrup.
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 characteristic floral flavour and colour of the infusion.
- Fine loaf sugar
- Forms the body of the syrup and provides sweetness.
- Gum arabic
- Thickens the syrup and helps keep it smooth and stable.
- Orris root
- Adds a subtle violet-like aroma that lingers in the syrup.
The step that matters
Boil the mixture for 10 minutes. Boiling extracts the flavour from the violets into the hot water, but the bowl must stay clean and the liquid must not be overheated. Scorching or contamination can spoil the colour and taste of the syrup.
“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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