Along with the lovely tradition of making dandelion jelly in the spring, I also grew up with violet jelly. As a girl it took a lot of time to gather the hundreds of flowers needed to fill my mom’s pint jar. It often involved walking with my sister to parks and lawns that were further from the house than we were used to roaming. It was an adventure.
So I was delighted to find patches of violets springing up here and there in our parkways when we first moved here. I don’t make violet jelly every year, you really have to drop everything and get out there while they’re still blooming. You can find dandelions off and on all summer, but the violet flowers are a one-time deal. It took us about 45 minutes to roam around the neighborhood picking any flowers off of the parkways that are city property. I don’t worry much about pesticide, because there are so few of our neighbors who treat their parkways the way they do their lawns. And if they have violets and dandelions, they likely don’t treat either! Our neighborhood is relaxed like that.
There’s Science Behind Violet Jelly’s Beautiful Color:
The most magical thing about this jelly is the color. It glows with an amethyst purple that is almost prettier than the flower itself. And it makes a nice science demonstration.
When you pour the boiling water over the petals, the liquid turns a dark sapphire blue. The first time I made it I thought I had done something wrong. But when you add the lemon juice, the citric acid reacts to the cyan-compounds and lowers the pH, turning it right back to purple! It’s pretty neat. The flavor is very mild. It’s mostly just sweet. I’ve thought of adding a drop or two of rose water to give it a more floral note but always chicken out. If you try that, let me know how it tastes!
Some Tips for Perfect Violet Jelly On the First Try:
- Try to gather on a dry day. Muddy flowers mean muddy jelly. Ew.
- Which leads me to my next tip, which is to gather flowers in an area you feel confident is not loaded with pesticides and dog pee.
Make sure to get as many flowers into your pint jar as you can. Press them down gently to fit them all in. The more flowers, the deeper the color.
- Make your violet tea as soon as you can after picking, while the petals are still a nice and fresh. A few hours is fine.
- Liquid pectin and powdered pectin behave differently. This calls for liquid pectin. Call ahead to make sure your grocery store stocks it. When I called mine, they asked me to spell it four times and then asked me if it was a “medical thing”. But they did carry it, just took some coaxing.
Use the deepest pot you have because boiling jelly is no joke. It boils up very high and can be a real menace if it overflows.
- The recipe calls for 80z. (half pint) jars
. I also put this jelly in smaller 4oz. jars for gifts. Ball sells a 4oz mini jar
with a one-piece lid that I like. I’ve seen them at Target too.
- The recipe says to put these in “processed jars”. This means the jars and lids have been boiled and prepared like you do with legit canning. There is a pretty good tutorial here if you’d like your jelly to be shelf stable. I usually make 8 jars and give 7 away, so I’m fine with just refrigerating.
. I also put this jelly in smaller 4oz. jars for gifts. Ball sells a 
with a one-piece lid that I like. I’ve seen them at Target too.
Special thanks to my mom, Vicki Nowicki, for keeping this tradition going throughout my childhood and for sharing her recipe. I’ve made some changes to standardize the measurements, but the ingredients and method are the same.
More Wild Edible Plants Recipes From Bakers Brigade:
| Cook Time | 15 minutes |
| Servings |
8 o. jars
|
- 1 pint violet flowers
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 4 cups sugar
- 3 oz. liquid pectin
Ingredients
|
|
- Pour boiling water into your jar of violets until it is full, making sure to gently press on the violets to release any air bubbles. Cover your jar and keep it out of bright sunlight for about 24 hours. The color of the violet tea will look sapphire blue, not purple.
- Line a colander with a paper towel or coffee filter and strain the violet tea. If necessary, add enough water to your tea so that the mixture equals 2 cups.
- In a deep pot, mix the tea and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Boil for one minute. Add the sugar and pectin, then bring to a hard boil for another minute. Turn off the heat and skim the top.
- Pour into processed jars.
Hi just wondering how much boiling water do you pour over the petals?
Hi Leslie :). I usually just pour enough in to fill the jar. It tends to be about 1.5-1.75 cups, depending on how tightly you’ve packed your flowers. The important thing is to start the jelly-making with two cups of liquid. XO.
Everything went well but I only got 5 jars. Not sure how to explain that.
I know this has medicinal properties, but how do you use it?
I use it like any other jelly <3. I put it on toast, it's lovely on crackers with goat cheese. It's also a great filling for a layer cake. I've used it, along with sugared violets, to glaze and decorate the tops of pound cake or almond cupcakes. What medicinal properties might it have? That sounds interesting!
According to my research it is a great expectorant.
Properties and Uses:
Diaphoretic, emetic, expectorant, laxative. Primarily used for respiratory problems.
Tea made from the leaves also made a soothing gargle as wellas for headache.
It has a lot of vitamin C and kids in Europe eat them because of this.
They are yummy for sure!
Can I make the tea strain it and store it in the fridge for a week or so
I can’t see any reason why not! I think if it’s cool and dry it should be fine. Let me know how it turns out!
I did this and it worked great! I realized AFTER I picked the flowers that I was missing some items I needed, so I stored the strained tea for several days and the jelly still came out great!
That’s wonderful Andrea! I’ve had to store the tea for a few days myself and it doesn’t seem to make much of a difference ❤️
How did that work? Did you add the lemon before storing in the refrigerator or just before making up the jelly? Thanks!
I usually do it right before making the jelly 🙂
Thank you for the recipe and sharing your childhood. I’m very new to this, so I have to ask. I just pick the petals off the plant and not any other part of the flower. Correct?
Hi Andra 🙂 For this recipe you can just pluck the whole flower, even a tiny bit of the stem won’t hurt anything. If you look at the top pick on this post, of the flowers in the jar, that’s how I do it. To make the tea, I just pour the boiling water directly into the jar over the flowers. Does that help?
If I make jam it usually gets processed in the canner or it is a freezer jam that stays in the freezer until I am ready for it, but this recipe doesn’t say to do either. Do you think if I put it in freezer-safe jars that it would freeze well?
You can absolutely can this, that’s what my mom does. But yes, this would freeze just fine. I usually just keep mine in the fridge because I give all but a few jars away and I’m terrified of “real” canning.
Hi can you elaborate what you mean by processed jars? Thank you.
Hi Kathy 🙂 I usually make this as refrigerator jelly but I know many people like to hoard it all for themselves and that means it must be shelf stable 😉 If you look at the tips above you’ll find this: “The recipe says to put these in “processed jars”. This means the jars and lids have been boiled and prepared like you do with legit canning. There is a pretty good tutorial here (http://www.simplycanning.com/water-bath-canning.html) if you’d like your jelly to be shelf stable. I usually make 8 jars and give 7 away, so I’m fine with just refrigerating”
I only stock the powdered MCP premium fruit pectin and am wondering if that would work for this recipe? This pectin is made by the makers of Sure•Jell if that helps any.
I wish I could say but I just don’t know enough about the different types to advise you. I like to live dangerously so I’d probably just try it, knowing that I might get syrup or jello shots instead of jelly. If you do try it with the pectin you have, be sure to let me know how it turns out!
A friend said she used powdered and it turned out fine just don’t forget the lemon juice
Can you freeze violets for later use in making jelly?
I’ve never tried this! Good question. I’m not sure if the temperature changes would affect the color. If you try it, let me know!
If you wanted to make “blue” jelly and Not add the lemon juice, would that make a big difference in the taste or flavor? Or do you need the lemon juice to react with the tea?
Hi Paul! Unfortunately, the acid in the lemon juice plays a key role in the “set” of the jelly. It’s not enough to affect the flavor much. You can read more about the science of jelly, and the ph requirements of a good set here: https://www.thekitchn.com/why-do-you-have-to-add-lemon-juice-when-making-jam-223840
There is a real difference in different types of pectin…IF THE RECIPE CALLS FOR LIQUID PECTIN USE LIQUID PECTIN —–IF IT CALLS FOR POWDERED PECTIN USE POWDERED PECTIN, I am not sure why the difference. Something else to keep in mind when making jams or jellies DO NOT DOUBLE THE RECIPES OR IT WILL NOT SET!!! DO NOT CUT BACK ON SUGAR –IT WILL NOT SET. I have been thru ALL of these trial and errors and know this to be true–so save yourself the disappointment of jams /jellies that don’t turn out. FOLLOW THE RECIPE AND USE AMOUNTS OF INGREDIENTS AND TYPES CALLED FOR… If you do as above your jams and jellies will be something to be proud!!! Happy jam/jelly making!!!
Yvonne
Is one packet of liquid pectin = 3oz?
Yes!
Yes! One silver envelope is 3 oz
Did you use real lemons for the juice or is bottled lemon juice ok to use?
Hi Lela! I’ve always used real lemon juice but I honestly can’t see why bottled lemon juice wouldn’t work. The acidity should be very similar
Do you put the jar lids on right away or after it cools and sets?
Right after you pour!
Hi! Thanks for sharing your recipe. My friend picked me violets a few days ago, and they dried before I had time to use them. Now, the violet water seems to be very pale. Do I just need to give it time? They have only been steeping about an hour. Or do you need to use the violets when they are fresh?
Hmmmm, I’m not sure. I would leave them overnight and see. The liquid should be a pretty deep sapphire color once you strain them. Be sure to squeeze all of the liquid out of the petals. Keep me posted!
I dehydrate my violets so I can make it whenever I’d like and it comes out just perfectly with dried herbs 🙂 It definitely needs to sit overnight, so give it some time! Enjoy!
Followed recipe to a T… runny unset jelly… now what ?
Oh no, how disappointing! You pretty sure your boiling time and measurements were accurate? Has it fully cooled? If so, I’m not sure what happened. You can certainly scrape it out back into the pot, add a bit more pectin and reboil it. I have never had this not set for me, so any advice I have is anecdotal, lol. If you do fix it, please check back in and give an update <3
HD Nisley, do you live much above sea level? If so, water bath processing time must be increased in order for any jelly/jam to set (due to the lower boiling point of water). Google it to see how much you’d need to increase time for your elevation (I have to increase from 10 minutes to 25 minutes!). If you’re close to sea level, you won’t need to increase water bath processing time (refer to the chart I said to google). In either case, be sure it’s at a HARD/ROLLING boil for a full minute after adding the sugar. THEN add the pectin and bring it back to another hard/rolling boil for another minute. Then proceed with ladling into your jars, etc, and processing in your water bath.
What kind of sugar did you use? Can you use brown? Maple? honey?
I have always used white sugar <3 I would hesitate to substitute not only because the chemistry might change, leaving you with unset jelly, but because any color in the sugar will definitely impact the final color of the jelly. If you'd like to substitute anyway, I would do some googling to see what best practices are 🙂
So i made 2 batches of this and it had not set properly.. i have beautiful violet honey instead of jelly… i was shy of lemon juice.. i didn’t think it would make a difference being short a tablespoon but i guess it does. I thought the lemon was just for the color.. i guess i need to hit the field again to pick. Do u think if i use this same batch and add the lemon juice it will work?
Does it matter what color violets are used? We have an abundance of white violets.
I wouldn’t recommend white violets. They don’t have much of a flavor and won’t impart any color to your jelly
Absolutely amazing. I followed your lead and added 1/4 tsp of Nielsen-Massey Rose Water. The adventure was well worth the result. So tasty!!! Thanks for helping this forager create jelly from nature!!!
So glad you liked your jelly! I’m gearing up to make some spruce ice cream. Why not?
I have made violet jelly a couple of times this spring and have used powdered pectin, as the recipe I used calls for. They all turned out beautifully!
That’s wonderful Jan!
Hi Jane, Love this recipe! I was just wondering if you have piped this on top of a cake and how it turns out? I just wanted to create little clear drops on a design I’m working on. Thankyou x
Interesting design idea Edwin! I’ve poured it on top of a pan cotta tart or dipped pound cakes in it. To do either, you just need to heat the finished jelly up a bit until it’s liquified. It should firm right back up when it cools.
Great recipe. Our yard if full of violets. So I spent a some time picking them and made the jelly. I water bathed mine for 5 minutes. Setup beautifully! And it earned me a no purple Grand Reserve Champion at our county fair in July2020!
Congrats Janice! Thanks for sharing your success
Hi,
I made your jam and it tastes great! I have one question th ou ugh. Mine ended bv up being thin. I followed the recipe exactly. I read in a comment earlier about lemon bv juice and read the article you posted. It mentioned the lemons and ph level. Is it maybe because the lemons weren’t ripe enough? Should I try bottle juice next time? Or is violet jelly supposed to be thin? This is my first time ever making any kind of homemade jelly, so I would appreciate any tips. Thanks.
Hi Brandy! Sorry your jelly didn’t set up properly. It could be a lot of things. I suggest using some of the strategies here: https://www.homestead-acres.com/how-to-fix-jam-or-jelly-that-didnt-set/
You might need more acid, or perhaps you didn’t boil hard or hot enough. Good luck and let me know how it goes!
Hi Brandy! It is probably not the ph, though I can’t be sure. I would guess it is the amount of time you hard boiled it. I would suggest reheating and trying again, adding a little more pectin as the link suggested. Let me know how it turns out!
I have tried this recipe twice. The first time, I made the mistake of cutting the sugar in half because I thought it would be way too sweet, and it didn’t set up. The second time I followed the recipe exactly (except I added just one tablespoon of lemon juice instead of two) and the next morning, the jelly still hasn’t set up. Is just one minute of boiling after adding the sugar and pectin really enough?
Hi Sarah! Jelly needs precise amounts to set properly. The acidity in the lemon juice is critical for setting the jelly. Check out this link for tips on getting it to set: https://www.homestead-acres.com/how-to-fix-jam-or-jelly-that-didnt-set/
The good news is that you can probably fix the existing batch by adding the correct amount of lemon juice and then reboiling. Let me know how it goes!
I tried the instructions for “without added pectin” and it worked!!! I have three little jars of violet jelly beautifully set up in my fridge now.
That’s great! Thanks for sharing your success <3
Sarah Walsh, every jelly/jam recipe I’ve ever read or made (especially if you get recipes off the pectin manufacturers websites) say to add your sugar and pectin separately, bringing it to a hard/rolling boil after each addition for 1 full minute.so that would be 2 full minutes of a hard/rolling boil total, not 1 minute total. I haven’t made this particular recipe yet (but my ‘tea’ is steeping so I can tomorrow morning), but I plan to do the usual thing, which is to add the sugar, rolling boil for 1 minute, add the pectin, rolling boil for another minute. I don’t think just 1 minute total would be enough to make it set properly.
I have learned if you don’t use a good
name brand sugar you tend to have runny jelly.It also turns to sugary crystals in the jar.
Interesting Pam! I know some sugar at the grocery store is actually beet sugar, and some is cane sugar. Do you think that’s the issue? I always buy cane sugar 🙂
I came across your recipe via comment on Facebook and was surprised at how simple it appears to be! I have seen tons of violets this spring, so I bought liquid pectin and some very cute little jelly jars – and the next time I went out a few days later, it seemed like all the violets were gone already, because I couldn’t find any! Was very bummed and expected that I would have to wait until next year.
However, today I did some foraging in the county north of mine and found the equivalent of about a pint of common blue violets, so they are steeping right now! Thanks so much!
Hi Becky! So glad you found some violets after all. Yes, this recipe really is quite simple. Let me know how you like it 🙂
Thanks, Jane! I did indeed find it to be simple! As a first-time jelly maker (jeller? ha), I appreciated the advice about the very deep pot – I used a merely deep pot and the boiling mixture *almost* bubbled over, but not quite.
Since I’m not planning to give this first batch away, I changed the final flavor up for some jars just to experiment – added a little bit of orange blossom flavor to one jar and a dash of rose flavor to another, while leaving the remainder simply violet, so I’ll report back about how that turns out.
Question: I’ve just left the closed jars on the counter to jell – is that correct? I wasn’t sure if they needed to be refrigerated at this point to finish the process. Thanks again!
Yes, that’s perfect! On the counter until room temp and then into the fridge. I’m curious to hear which flavor you like best. I often use orange extract or orange blossom water with my dandelion treats (I’m making a creamy sorbet right now), but never with violet. Keep me posted!
Can you substitute apple cider vinegar for the lemon juice? I am allergic to citrus fruit. I substitute vinegar often in recipes that call for lemon.
I think that should be fine Harriett! Both lemon juice and apple cider vinegar have a ph of about 2. The ph is the most important part as the acidity works together with the pectin to make it gel up. Let me know how it goes 🙂
I only use sure gel low sugar box. what recipe to follow for this?
Hi Tina! I haven’t made the low sugar version so I’m no expert Have you tried googling? Sorry I can’t be of more help ❤️
Can you use dried violet flowers for this recipe?
I’ve never tried that so I don’t know if the color compounds would leach into the water in the same way. But give it as shot and tell me how it goes 🙂
If I adjust the servings on the page so that it adjusts the ingredients, it still says to start with 2 cups of liquid in step 2. If I want to make 2 8 oz jars instead of 4, should I start with 1 cup?
Not sure about the way the recipe widget is adjusting quantities, but if you are halving the recipe, definitely halve all the ingredients 🙂 I haven’t tried that myself so I’ll be curious to hear if the recipe works at that quantity. Jams and jellies are an enduring mystery to me!
So I am wondering about the violets. Here in central NJ, wild violets are basically a weed and grow everywhere. They have no scent, I haven’t tried eating them, but I assume they don’t taste like much, either. However–viola odorata–scented violets–are a different story, and are the source of violet candies, perfumes, etc. I am growing them in my garden and I’m wondering if the violet jelly idea was meant for the scented violets (which do have an exquisite, delicate scent/flavor), rather than unscented violets. Your comment that it doesn’t taste like much but sugar makes me think the recipe might originally have been for scented violets, and not the common unscented ones. ?