Finally the wild violets are here, growing wildly where they please! They are easy to miss, so small they are growing close to the ground. But I have seen them in peoples’ gardens and by the side of the roads. I have gathered them from the wild forests and meadows.
When I shared my violet harvest on instagram, several people messaged to ask… why violets? What can you do with them?
Violets, just like dandelions and plantain, have been reduced to the category of weeds. Gardeners see them as a problem and are vexed by their refusal to be controlled. But they have been on this land for millennia longer than we have. And there was a time – before we convinced ourselves that this world was ours and ours alone – that “weeds” like violets arrived in early spring and helped bring us back from the brink of starvation after a long, harsh winter. They are old, sweet friends.
We may not rely on them for food and medicine anymore, but they still do something for your heart, right? They are a marker of life, of hope. They are soft to touch, pleasant to the nose, beautifully violet (a color category all their own!) to the eyes.
So let’s try to answer the questions… why violets? What can we do with them?
Why Violets?
Wild violets are truly nutritious. Rich in minerals like calcium and magnesium, they nourish the body with quality nutrients. While we might gravitate toward the blue-purple flowers, the leaves are even more nutrient-dense, and more plentiful as well. For every one flower, there are ten or so leaves. And when harvested in early spring, they contain an impressive amount of vitamins A and C. In fact, weight for weight, wild violet leaves contain twice as much vitamin C as oranges!
Wild violets also contain a phytochemical called rutin, an anti-inflammatory antioxidant that helps neutralize free radicals. Rutin has always been shown to prevent chronic diseases like cancer, and even neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, etc.
Wild violets are known as excellent blood cleansers. They’re also known to stimulate lymphatic flow. Both of these purification processes are just what our bodies crave in the spring months. They can help facilitate the removal of old, stagnant energy and toxins, clearing some space for new refreshed energy. A spring tonic for sure.
Wild violets have been used to treat upper respiratory illnesses, both acute and chronic. They work as an expectorant to clear out the respiratory tract and provide relief from asthma attacks and bronchitis.
A simple violet infused vinegar, or violet infused honey, can help relieve symptoms from cold and flu viruses, congestion and sore throats. Again, these are common symptoms in spring months when our bodies need a little extra immune support. Wild violets strengthen and soothe.
Another way wild violets can soothe us is to sleep, literally! They were used as a traditional remedy for insomnia, and now modern scientific studies prove that violets truly do help to relieve insomnia and promote quality of sleep.
Topically, wild violets are used for skin conditions like eczema, dry skin, bug bites, and varicose veins. The leaves especially contain lots of mucilage properties which help calm the skin tissues and relieve inflammatory conditions.
Violets are also a natural source of salicylic acid, also found in aspirin. Which explains why Native Americans made a poultice out of wild violets to treat headaches. But they are useful for relieving pain from all kinds of topical sores and skin infections.
A strong infusion can be made from the leaves and flowers and applied to the eye area to reduce eye puffiness.
Because violets also have antiseptic properties, they’re useful in salves to treat minor scrapes and bruises. Even a simple poultice made with fresh violet leaves and flowers can help speed up healing of bruises.
I’m sure there are other benefits of wild violets that I haven’t covered here, but I think we have plenty of reasons already to go gather some, yeah?
Foraging Notes
I am talking about wild violets (Viola odorata) varieties here. Luktviol we call them in Swedish.
As I mentioned in a previous post about foraging, wild foods are known to be nutritionally far superior to cultivated varieties! Get more tips and benefits on foraging here.
Please ensure that you are foraging from truly wild, unsprayed areas away from heavy traffic and industrial activity. Also please ensure that you harvest responsibly, which means taking only what you need and never taking all. When it comes to violets, I harvest 1 for every 15 or 20 that I see, leaving plenty for pollinators. I also give thanks for this incredibly generous and fully wild gift. Gratitude helps preserve the kinship between humans and violets (or whichever plant I’m harvesting).
And be 100% sure that what you’re foraging are indeed wild violets. Here in Sweden, the are several other purple flowers growing close to the ground in early spring that are NOT violets and are, in fact, toxic. Check an identification guide or go out foraging with someone who feels confident about identifying them correctly. What helps me identify violets even more than their flower is their heart-shaped leaves. Once you harvest wild violets a few times, there is no way to confuse them with anything else.
After gathering your violets, give them a quick rinse in clean water and lay them out to dry on a clean kitchen towel. It should only take an hour for the water to dry off. At that point, you can use them fresh. Or if you want to dry them completely so that you can store them, lay the violets out on a clean breathable surface – I use woven birch wood trays for this – giving them plenty of space. It will take a 2-4 days, depending on your climate, for all of the water to evaporate. The flowers will shrink down significantly, but don’t worry, all of their nutrients are still there.
What can you do with wild violets?
Gathering violets is incredibly fun and relaxing, but taking them home and creating with them is incredibly rewarding. Here is a shortlist of things you can make with wild violets.
Violet honey, which is as lovely as it sounds. Simply fill a jar half full with violets and pour your favorite raw, local honey on top. Let it sit for a few days, or 24 hours at least. If your honey is very thick and non-pourable, then gently and slowly heat it over a water bath first before pouring it over the violets. Turn the jar once per day and make sure the violets stay beneath the honey to prevent spoilage. This violet infused honey is nourishing food and medicine! Stir a bit into tea or drizzle over yogurt to boost immunity.
Violet vinegar – which is easily made by pouring high-quality apple cider vinegar over a jar full of freshly picked wild violets and left to sit for a few days. Bonus: if you use mostly violet flower heads, your vinegar will take on the most radiant purple color! My violet vinegar was less purple due to the fact that I also included leaves in the infusion.
Once you have violet vinegar, you can use it as a hair rinse. You can pour it in a bath to help with aches and pains – especially lovely after a day spent foraging or gardening. You can use the violet vinegar to soothe minor sunburn – just dilute the vinegar 1:1 with water. Store in the fridge for extra cooling factor.
Decorate your cakes, or your salads with violet flowers. Just as you would sprinkle on calendula or nasturtium flowers, just sprinkle on the violets. Very lovely over a pavlova too, which I did for our Easter cake this year. A meringue bottom covered in fresh whipped raw cream with blueberries and wild violets scattered on top – fantastic!
Also you if you make violet vinegar (above), use it when making salad dressings, replacing the vinegar content with your violet infused vinegar!
For a very fancy cake decoration, you can make candied violets. Wish I had the time and patience for this as the result is stunning.
Cook violets into porridge or soups as a natural thickening agent with nutritional benefits. The thickening action is due to the mucilage properties in violets.
Infuse violets into your favorite cosmetic oil – here’s how to make your own infused oils! Use your violet-infused oil in body creams, salves, balms, face serums and more. A violet infused oil will be especially helpful for inflamed skin conditions, or even to use on varicose veins. Otherwise, it offers you skin some valuable nutrients to keep it healthy and strong.
Make a poultice out of fresh violet leaves to relieve pain or headache, or to reduce eye puffiness.
Violet tea – especially nice just before bed. Violets are a soft lullaby into sweet dreams. Just pack your tea strainer with 1 Tbsp dried violet flowers + 1 dried violet leaves. Let them steep in boiling water and enjoy. Bonus points for stirring in a teaspoon of violet honey (above) too 🙂
HomesteadLady made a wild violet jell-o that I’d love to try using my favorite grass-fed gelatin. This is a surefire way to get wild violets into my kids too.
Sweet Violet syrup can be made – here’s a recipe – which can then be poured over pancakes or over yogurt. Violet syrup can be drunk like a juice, or be used to make violet soda or even violet lemonade for a luxuriously wild twist. Again, easy ways to help the kids fall in love with violets.
And lastly, a Violet cocktail. For this I go to a favorite book in my home library: Wild Cocktails by Lottie Muir. I search for violets and see that Lottie recommends turning wild violets into a simple syrup with water, sugar and lemon juice. “The color is extraordinary,” she writes. “And it is perfect for the Wild Violet Sour,” which is basically 2 parts dry gin to 1 part wild violet syrup, plus an egg white and optional dash of cassis – all shaken together with ice and strained into a chilled glass.
Well I think we have plenty of ideas now! Hopefully you’ll be inspired to get outside and enjoy the violets while they’re here.
xx Beth
