I’m always trying to think of new ways to serve up the gorgeous amethyst color of spring violets. This creamy violet sorbet is gorgeous. It looks gorgeous and it tastes gorgeous. This is technically a sherbet (a sorbet with added dairy) but since I can never figure out how to pronounce the word sherbet, I’ve decided it’s a creamy sorbet. It’s just the right amount of tart and sweet with a little floral kick of rosewater. Just like the violet lemonade and violet jelly, it’s the color here that makes it so special.
Picking the Violets:
We live in an urban area, and you can find violets almost everywhere this time of year. It takes 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 in their lawn, they likely don’t treat that either! Our neighborhood is relaxed like that.
There’s Science Behind Cream Violet Sorbet’s Magical Color:
The most magical thing about making things with violets is the color. 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.
Some Tips for Perfect Creamy Violet Sorbet On the First Try:
- Try to gather on a dry day. Muddy flowers mean muddy sorbet. 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 your violet tea as soon as you can after picking, while the petals are still a nice and fresh. A few hours is fine.
- 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.
- American violets don’t have much of a scent or flavor, the color is the star here. I like to add some rosewater but you can also substitute violet essence or skip it.
- Churn this in your ice cream maker, and don’t be in a rush. The more it churns, the smoother it will taste. Follow the ice cream maker manufacturer’s directions.
- Let this freeze up really hard before serving so you don’t have a melty, soupy mess on your hands.
- Be sure to hold your pinky up when you eat this, it is that elegant!
More Wild Edible Plants Recipes From Bakers Brigade:
- Violet Jelly
- Dandelion Jelly
- Violet Lemonade
- Caramelized Spruce Syrup
- Pawpaw Ice Cream
- Dandelion Lemon Bars
| Servings |
quart (approx.)
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- 1 1/2 cup violet tea
- 1/2 cup lemon juice about one juicy lemon
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream very cold
- 4-6 drops rosewater
- pinch salt
- 2 cups violets flowers only, lightly packed into pint jar or measuring cup
- 2 cups boiling water
Ingredients
For the Sorbet:
For the Violet Tea:
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- Pour boiling water into your jar of violets until violets are covered, 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, squeezing out the flowers to get as much color out as possible. You will have 1 1/2-2 cups finished violet tea.
- In a quart-sized jar or measuring cup, combine the violet tea and lemon juice. Add sugar and stir or shake. Put in the refrigerator to chill, stirring or shaking every once in a while until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Once completely chilled, gently stir in the whipping cream and the rosewater, adding one drop at a time.
- Churn in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions. Freeze until well-frozen, about 4 hours. Scoop and enjoy!
