Violet leaves are one of my favorite early spring greens, delicious and tender in a spring salad.
Viola species
EDIBLE flowers, leaves
Violet leaves have a mild, bright, slightly lemon flavor and are an easily foraged gateway food to get friends and family interested in “eating the weeds.” Its flowers are pretty and delicious, too.
Violet is a small herbaceous perennial that has soft, heart-shaped leaves arranged in a basal rosette. The flowers, which extend on short stems from the axils of the leaf, are five-petaled and bilaterally symmetrical. They range in color from white to white-blue to purple and often hybridize.
Violet leaves are one of my favorite early spring greens, delicious and tender in a spring salad.
Violets grow abundantly in the dappled shade of fields and disturbed places, or in lawns of untreated grasses. The plant begins to unfurl in early April and continues to grow and bloom through May. It begins to die back in summer and then reappears with another set of leaves to gather later in the fall when the rains return.
Violet flowers are edible in salads and confections and are delightful candied. Harvest before spring rains damage the delicate blossoms.
Leaves can be picked by hand by the basketful. Choose leaves that are relatively clean and dirt free. They will store one to two days in the refrigerator in a moist towel; wash when ready to use. The flowers should be picked on a dry day as excess rain and moisture can damage the fragile blooms. The blooms can be dried on a screen for later use, but be forewarned—what looks like a large gathering of blossoms will dry down to about one-tenth the size. But they are so pretty, it’s worth the effort.
Violet leaves are high in vitamin C and are delicious as a raw vegetable, with a bright and slightly lemon flavor. Add them to a wild foraged salad or combine with chickweed to make a foraged green smoothie blend. Violet flowers are also a forager’s spring delight. The flowers are lovely as a garnish on salads (children will delight in picking them for their dinner plate). An infusion of the flowers can be transformed into a deep purple tea, which can help soothe a sore throat and clear lymphatic congestion from a spring cold.
The infusion can also be made into a simple syrup for cocktails, as well as the base for a violet flower jelly. The jelly will become a vibrant fuchsia when lemon juice is added—another kid-friendly foraging project. Spoon the jelly over fresh spring goat cheese and garnish with a few candied violet flowers. Simple and perfect.
Violet is a common spring plant and gathering its leaves and flowers will not impact future harvests. Clumps of violets can easily be transplanted if you want to help grow the stand of violets for future gathering.
