Violets! Violets! Violets!

I found this great recipe in a gardening magazine, how to make your own homemade violet syrup! The ultimate goal for me is to use the syrup to make violet-lemon spritzers, which is a perfect spring cocktail.
The wood violet is the Wisconsin state flower and creates a lovely carpet of purple in April and May. Violets have a delicate, floral scent and are very cheery in appearance.
The method of making syrup from violets is centuries old.  A recipe taken from Hannah Woolley's Queen-Like Closet (written circa 1692) reads as follows "Take violets clipped clean...to every ounce of violets take two ounces of water, so steep them upon embers till the water be as blew as a violet..."

I have revised the recipe to reduce the amount of sugar content plus enhance the delicate aroma and taste of the violets.

2 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh purple violet blossoms, stems removed
4-5 strips of lemon zest (size should be 1 inch by 1/2 inch)
1 cup boiling water
1/3 cup coconut sugar

*original recipe includes 1 Tbsp. of light corn syrup and 2/3 cup of granulated sugar

Make sure violets are clean. Add violets and lemon strips in a 4-5 cup heatproof bowl. Pour boiling water over them and stir into the water, making sure that the water covers everything. Cover and let stand 1-3 hours.
Thoroughly strain the violet/lemon water concoction into a 1-2 quart saucepan. Discard blossoms and lemon. Stir in sugar and corn syrup into the violet/lemon water. Bring to a boil, stirring, over medium heat. Adjust heat to a gentle boil. Cook without stirring for 4 minutes. Check the syrup color, if you want a warmer shade of purple, add a few drops of lemon juice until desired hue is obtained. Bring the mixture back to a boil and cook for 1 minute.
Set aside and let cool. Then pour mixture into sterilized jars. Let them cool to room temperature and store in refrigerator up to 6 months.
Makes about 1 1/4 cups syrup.
I personally did not add the corn syrup simply because for one, this recipe already contains a lot of sugar (plus corn syrup is very toxic to the body) and two, because it turned out fine without it. For my violet-lemon spritzer cocktail, I only need about 1 1/2 Tbsp. per beverage anyway.
Enjoy!