Violet Lemonade

Try this floral and fun color changing Violet Lemonade. Made with wild violets this is a fun bright pink springtime drink that everyone will be excited about!

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Springtime Wild Violet Lemonade Recipe

This is one of those recipes I get so nerdy about, now I was never big into science during school (much more of an art kid) but chemistry was always my favorite of the sciences (which I guess does correlate with baking, cooking, and mixology). When I get to make fun recipes like naturally color changing lemonade I get giddy and when I say giddy I mean excited to write a few paragraphs about why this magic happens.

Besides the fun of the magic, making this violet lemonade is also a great reason to get outside during the spring and literally smell the flowers. No food coloring is needed just some amazing wild edibles!I think this is a great one to have the kids help out with it is a great way to connect, have a lot of fun, and get them outside and maybe even interested in science.

Color Changing Magic

Wild Violet flowers aren't the only plant to cause color changing magic. Many know about the Butterfly Pea Flower which will produce the same reaction. Actually if you are wanting to make fun color changing lemonade but it isn't violet seasoning it is probably easier to find dried butterfly pea flowers than dried wild violets. Either way these beautiful purple flowers might be the most fun flowers to make drinks with.

Violets contain anthocyanins, anthocyanins are associated with the antioxidant and colorant properties of the flower. These compounds are directly responsible for the blue, purple, pink, red and orange colors found in plants. In violets, the main anthocyanin responsible for the deep blue to purple color is delphinidin. Delphinidin is found in a lot of purple colored plants with butterfly pea flowers having the highest concentrations but they are also found in the grape varieties cabernet sauvignon and concord, as well has in cranberries and pomegranates.

So what makes the 'magic' is how the anthocyanins react when they are no longer neutral, when the compound is neutral the color is a blue-purple. When acid is added, most commonly in food from citrus like lemons or limes the compound changes to a magenta or pink color. And if you were to had a basic heavy food like saffron or cucumber the color would actually change to more of a green or teal color. And that is the simple reason we are able to make this magical lemonade, anthocyanins.

Ingredients

• Lemons - For fresh lemon juice, the more fresh the lemon the better.
• Water - Make sure you use good tasting water, filtered water works best.
• Sugar - I happen to prefer regular granulated sugar in my lemonade but if you would like to use a different sweetener such as honey feel free just adjust to taste.
• Violet Flowers - Wild violet flowers often bloom in early spring to early summer, yes these are the cute little flowers, the purple ones that most people view as weeds but they are actually a great plant to forage as the leafs, stem, and flower are all edible. I personally love violets because they are usually the first things I forage after a long winter where I live. Use caution when picking violets ensuring you are harvesting from a safe place. And note there are different varieties, for example there is a white version that look identical to the purple version, unfortunately the white won't create the magic. Violets are best to harvest during the late morning. Violets are reported to have some medicinal properties and have been used for sore throats, controlling coughs, boosting the immune system with vitamin c, and known to help with insomnia. 

Instructions

Prepare the Violet Tea: Start by bringing 1 cup of water to a boil. Place the violet flowers in a heat-safe jar or container, then gently pour the freshly boiled hot water over them. Allow the violet tea to cool to room temperature, then transfer it to the refrigerator to steep overnight.

Strain the Violet Tea: The next day, retrieve the violet tea from the refrigerator and strain it using a fine mesh strainer Affiliate Link into a clean container. After straining you might note that some of the water was soaked up by the flowers, if this happens add more cold filtered water so the amount of tea is equal to 1 cup. Set the strained violet tea aside for later use.

Make the Sugar Syrup: In a small pot, bring another cup of water to a boil. Add the sugar to the boiling water, stirring until it completely dissolves. Once the sugar syrup is ready, remove it from the heat and set it aside to cool slightly.

Mix the Lemonade: In a large pitcher, combine 1 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice with the remaining 2 cups of cold water. Slowly pour in the sugar syrup, stirring gently to incorporate it into the lemon mixture. Now, it's time for the magic – carefully add the chilled violet tea to the pitcher and watch as the lemonade transforms into a mesmerizing shade of violet.

Adjust Sweetness and Chill: Give your violet lemonade a taste test and adjust the sweetness to your liking by adding more sugar if necessary. Once you are happy with your sweetness, you can either serve the lemonade immediately over ice cubes or refrigerate it to chill further. I always like to garnish the lemonade with a one or two violet blossoms and some lemon slices for an extra touch.