Homemade Violet Liqueur

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

This homemade violet liqueur is made with the violets I picked from my garden. Comes March, my garden fills up with wild violets and this is my favorite way to use them. It is a unique edible gift to give to friends!

Jump to:

• Edible Wild violets: Common dog-violets 
• Recipes with violets
• How to make violet liqueur
• Why the violet liqueur is not violet
• Making the violet liqueur violet
• What to do with violet liquer
• Setting up a liqueur workshop
• More homemade liqueurs recipes
• No risk of botulism
• Homemade Violet Liqueur

Edible Wild violets: Common dog-violets 

Wild violets grow spontaneously in the region of the Cote d’Azur, the Mediterranean climate is their perfect habitat.

Coming March, they grow everywhere in my garden and I can easily forage 2 to 4 oz – 50 to 100 gr in few hours.

They are called Common dog-violets or Mammola violets in Italian. There are edibles and there are many recipes you can make with them.

Recipes with violets

I like to make this violet liqueur or crystallize them to decorate cakes. You can also use them on a salad for decoration.

Whatever recipe you are making, they should be used immediately once foraged as they wilt very fast once picked.

How to make violet liqueur

Infuse the violets in alcohol

1. Pick the violets with the long stem, so the flower does not get damaged (about 2 oz – 50 g)
2. Place them in a bowl with fresh water and rinse them
3. Drain them and place them in a jar removing the long stem
4. Cover them with 1 cup – 250 ml of 95% alcohol
5. Let them soak for 4 to 5 hours

Prepare the syrup

1. Simmer 3 cups – 600 g of sugar in 4 cups – 1 l of freshwater
2. Simmer until the sugar dissolves completely
3. Let the syrup cool down at room temperature
4. Transfer it into a large bottle

Soak the violets into the syrup

1. Drain the violets from the alcohol
2. Place the violets into a blender
3. Blend them
4. Pour the violets into the syrup
5. Store the infused alcohol into a separate jar
6. Let the syrup and the alcohol rest for 1 day

Mix and bottle the violet liqueur

1. The next day, filter the syrup
2. Mix the syrup with the alcohol to make the liqueur
3. Transfer the liqueur into fancy bottles

Why the violet liqueur is not violet

As you can see from the picture, the violet liqueur does not have a violet color. I searched for a reason and I found different explanations:

• I have used the entire flower to make the liqueur while some recipes using only the petals claim to yield a violet liqueur. Personally, I didn’t do that for 2 reasons:
  • The number of flowers required to achieve the same weight with only petals is way too much work. I am picking them myself and don’t want to spend an entire day looking for violets.
  • Removing the petals from the sepal will also require a lot of time and patience.
    You are welcome to try and leave me a comment here below if using only the petals will yield a violet liqueur.
• I also found recipes using water with low PH like distilled water and they claim their liqueur is violet. However, I know that water with low PH is not safe to drink and you can read more about it in this article: What pH Should My Drinking Water Be?
• Other recipes add lemon juice. I tried that and it didn’t work.

Making the violet liqueur violet

To make the violet liqueur violet, I have been looking for an alternative easy and safe solution that does not compromise the natural flavor of the violets.

So I went to visit the crystallized flowers factory museum Florian located in the village right across my valley in Pont sur Loup.

I found out from their videos that their crystallized violets are not naturally violet as their color fades when the flowers are caramelized.

Edible artificial violet color is added to the flowers to make them violet. That is an easy solution.

So I soaked few crystallized flowers into the liqueur and as the sugar melted the violet color dyed the liqueur.

This may not be the most natural way to dye the liqueur, but I am using the same colour used by the artisanal factory Florian.

The dye is certainly safe to use and the flavor of the violet is not compromised.

If you have any other suggestions on how to easily and safly dye the liqueur violet, please let me know in the comment below.

What to do with violet liquer

This liqueur is creamy with a delicate violet flavor. You can serve it as it is at room temperature after dinner.

A fun drink to make with this liqueur is the Aviation Cocktail, and in the link, you can find the recipe from Elaine in Dishes Delish.

I like to give it to my girlfriends as an edible gift in a nice fancy bottle, coupled with a jar of my homemade crystallized violets.

Setting up a liqueur workshop

You can easily create your liqueur workshop with just a few items. They are not expensive and you can order them online from my Amazon shop: Homemade Liqueur Lab. Those are my favorite and specially selected tools to make the process smooth and easy:

1. Jars 67 ounce – 2 liters: I use large canning jars to infuse herbs or fruits in the alcohol. They are easily sealed and don’t take much room in the cupboard. I usually brew different types of liqueurs at the same times so I need several jars. If you are an occasional liqueur maker, you can just use the bottle below.
2. 1 gallon – 3-liters glass bottle: I use this bottle in the second part of the brewing process, once I add the syrup. It is a transparent glass bottle so I can check how the liqueur is progressing and if it needs a good shake. It is important that this bottle has a large neck so the residuals of the fruits, zests, spices, or herbs can be easily removed without any problem once the liqueur is ready to be bottled. Personally I have 2 of those large bottles.
3. Funnel with a wide and short stem: When you are pouring the liqueur from one bottle to another during the brewing process, you need to have a funnel with a wide and short stem so it doesn’t get clog with the ingredients that are brewing in the alcohol.
4. Auto-stop funnel: However, once the liqueur is ready, filtered and all the solid particles have been removed, I like to use an auto-stop funnel with a floating system that stops the liquid from flowing once the bottled has been filled.
   
   It is very difficult to gauge how much liquid can fit in a bottle and I often fill the funnel way too much. Instead of overflowing the bottle, the auto-stop funnel locks the stem automatically and the excess liquid remains in the funnel.
   
   The funnel can be easily removed, transferred into another bottle using the handle that keeps the liquid inside the funnel and no liqueur is wasted.

5. Fine Mesh Strainer: to remove all solids and particles from the liqueur once it is ready to be filtered.
6. Measuring mugs: it is very important to use the exact proportion of syrup vs alcohol. Measurements mugs are a must.
7. Ladle with spout: to easily pour the liquid into the funnels from a large bowl or pan. I always use the ladle with a spout to take the syrup from the pan where I boiled it into the funnel. If you don’t have a pan with a spout, this is the easiest way to pour the syrup once it is cold.
8. Fancy vintage bottles: I love to have my own liqueur assortment into those vintage bottles. It gives my homemade liqueurs an extra wow factor.
9. Small glass bottles with lids: if you want to store the liqueurs in small bottles or if you want to give it as gifts to friends and family those small bottles are perfect. The lid seals and they can be easily carried. They even come with labels to write the name of the liqueur and the date.
10. Shot glass set and/or Small liqueur glasses: it is very important to serve the liqueur in small shot glasses so it can be slowly sipped and relished.
11. Good Grips Bottle Brush: to easily clean all the bottles after each use. Some liqueurs can be very sticky and stain easily like the walnut hull.
12. If you want to give your liqueur an extra festive look you can also use the Rose Ice Cube Stackable to make rose ices or the ice cube with light to make your liqueur shine at night.

Subscribe to get: 20 cultural habits that make Italians great cooks

Plus download the printable liqueur labels you find in the picture below.

More homemade liqueurs recipes

Homemade liqueurs are such a satisfying project, enjoy them after dinner with your partner on a special day, offer them at the end of a dinner party or package them in fancy bottles as an edible gift.

I already have some published and more will come. Just be ready when the fruits are in season to start your collection:

• limoncello
• limoncello cream
• chocolate liqueur
• nocino
• curacao
• strawberry liqueur
• licorice liqueur
• Italian eggnog VOV
• violet liqueur

Check out the category: Homemade liquors

No risk of botulism

Since a reader asked, I would like to reassure everyone who has doubts, this liqueur is not at risk of botulism. This recipe uses Alcohol 95% or vodka 50% of ethanol.

Here is a study that proves botulism cannot grow in Alcohol: ”The growth and neurotoxin production (botulism) were delayed by an ethanol concentration of 4% ethanol and completely inhibited by a concentration of 6%”.

Effect of Ethanol on the growth of Colstridium botulinum

Botulism is a concern with home canning… not fermentation or infusions of fruits and vegetables. Here more information about botulism from the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service:

Clostridium Botulinum

If you are making this violet liqueur, leave your comment below I would like to hear from you. You can find more delicious ideas if you FOLLOW ME on Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram or sign up to my newsletter.