Violet Syrup

Directions

1. 1
   Select only the freshest and most unblemished violets. Place violet petals in a deep bowl and pour the boiling water over them. Weigh down with a heavy dish to keep them submerged. Place the bowl in a draft-free place at room temperature for 24 hours.
2. 2
   Line a colander with layers of rinsed cheesecloth(I use a clean terrycloth towel) and place over a bowl. Pour violets and liquid into colander, squeezing out juice from the violets; discard the violets.
3. 3
   Place sugar, lemon juice and water in a saucepan and boil into a very thick syrup.
4. 4
   near the candy stage. Add violet water and bring to a rolling boil. Boil 10 minutes or until thickened. Pour into sterile bottles. Allow to cool, then seal and refrigerate. Serve with ice water or club soda.
5. 5
   VARIATION: Substitute 4 cups fragrant rose petals and add 1 cinnamon stick per bottle of syrup. Yield: 2 quarts.