This post is a sponsored post by Ball® Canning. All of my opinions and experiences are my own. Many thanks to the brands that support my work here on Maia Terra.

It’s finally feeing like spring here in the midwest. For me, that means it time to shake of the heaviness of winter. I spring clean my house, why not the same for my body too. One of my favorite ways to incorporate spring cleaning for my body is spring tonics, because without fail, incorporating nourishing, and delicious beverages into my daily routine is something I will do and it feels like an act of self care. Nettles, cleavers, dandelion are all wonderful but today i’ll be sharing my love of violets.

These days I wish I could be sharing a drink with a friend over a bonfire, but for now, the kiddos and I are enjoy these quarantine drinks in the garden. We are foraging for some of the ingredients in the garden and on our walks in the forest. One plant friend that keeps making its way into our days is violet.

The benefits of violets

Violet is a lovely spring plant. Often times the wild, seasonal plants that arrive in our garden or underfoot are because they are needed for that specific time. After a long, stagnant and dry winter and early spring, violets offer bitter, pungent, moistening and cooling tastes to wake up our bodies and move energy. In aryuvdea, violet is said to decrease pitta, or heat and kapha, or stagnation as it cooling and clearing. A wonderful tonic for spring and summer.

Often times, modern medical research comes around to support how indigenous peoples used the plants. The Cherokee used the common blue violet for respiratory ailments. Making violet a wonderful plant for these times in pandemic, protecting and nourishing our respiratory systems. Violet works for dry coughs and colds, as an expectorant and a demulcent due to its moistening effects.

Why not take advantage of the power of this small but mighty plant in a few different refreshing spring beverages?

Energetically, the simple, unassuming yet gentle nature of violets has an affinity for the heart and nervous system, calming and soothing those suffering from grief, irritation, anger, and heartache. I don’t know of anyone not experiencing some level of irritation as this quarantine period is extending longer than anyone would have guessed.

I love that violets can be found in most places encouraging us to get outside and into nature and bring it into our daily routines. You can harvest the blue or white flowers and the heart shaped in the spring and summer when fresh and vibrant.

Herbal Ice Cubes

Fill your ice cube trays tray half way with water and add violets or other edible flowers, some of my favorite include lilacs, borage, nasturtiums, and dandelion. Put in the freezer until almost frozen then add more water to cover.

Violets: Two Ways

Today i’d like to share two recipes with you utilizing violets: an herbal shrub and a lemonade. Disclaimer: originally I was going to share a chaga lemonade recipe. Chaga, one of my favorite medicinal mushrooms and something that I’ve been able to source locally, wildcrafted sustainably. As I was reading more about chaga, and as its gained in popularity, the widespread commericalized use is endangering this fungi. It is leading to unsustainable over harvesting and scientists and ecologists do not yet know the impact this is having on forest ecology. So I decided to focus on an a plant with no sustainability issues and that can be found in most places by anyone. When harvesting or wildcrafting, please be cautious you have the correct identification. I will use a plant guide if I am unsure and make sure that there are no chemicals sprayed near where you are harvesting.

I love making and serving these two beverages in the NEW Ball® Flute Jars for drinkware. They are functional as you can put on a regular mouth lid, like the Ball® Leak Proof Lid for infusing, shaking, mixing, and making but their elegant shape is lovely for entertaining too, whenever that can happen again, sigh.

For now, i’m entertaining and nourishing myself with delicious beverages from the garden in the garden. I’ve also been using the Ball® Flute Jar as little vases around the house.

Violet and Blueberry Shrub Recipe

If you are not familiar with a drinking vinegar, herbal shrubs are made with organic apple cider vinegar (you can experiment with champagne or balsamic vinegars too) but apple cider vinegar boosts the digestive system and includes wonderful probiotics. Infusing herbs in vinegar is one common preparation to get beneficial nutrients and compounds from plants, along side water infusions and alcohol infusions. With an herbal vinegar, the addition of raw honey and fruit makes taking herbal rememdies fun and delicious.

The basic ratio of an herbal shrub cold processed is 1 part fruit, 1 part herb, 1 part sweetener, and 1 part vinegar. Once you’ve tried a shrub is really fun to get creative with your pairings. You can take the extra step of infusing your vinegar with an herb before adding it to the shrub or you can do it all together.

ingredients

1 cup of violet flowers (purple make for a beautiful color, but the white variety works too for the medicinal properties)

1 cup fresh blueberries, if frozen, thawed

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2-1 cup raw honey

directions

Muddle together your violets and blueberries in Ball Flute jar. Add the apple cider vinegar or previously infused violet vinegar to the muddled blueberries, mix in the honey until incorporated. Cover with a Ball® Leak-Proof lid or with parchment paper and a metal lid. Be careful the vinegar doesn’t touch your metal lid or it will corrode and ruin your beverage. Let this sit in the refrigerator for a week or two to infuse, tasting occasionally. Once it is done infusing, strain into a jar to store. To serve, add a tablespoon or two to sparkling water and ice. For an alcoholic twist, add a splash of gin or vodka or add champagne instead of sparkling water. Shrubs are wonderful addition to your cocktail menu. Refrigerate. It should keep up to six months in the refrigerator.

Violet Lemonade

Ingredients

1 cup full of fresh purple violets

3 cups filtered water

2 tablespoons raw honey

4-6 lemons, halved and juiced

Directions

Gather your violets and rinse. Add 1 cup violets and 3 cups filtered water to a saucepan, bring to a boil and then simmer covered for 10-15 minutes. Turn off heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Strain this violet infusion in a Ball Flute Jar, it should be blue! Add in honey. Top with a lid and shake to dissolve honey or stir. Let cool. Add your fresh squeezed lemon juice and mix again. This should turn your lemonade violet pink! Top off with your herbal ice cubes or frozen blueberries and serve.

Rhubarb Rose Cardamom Shrub

This is my all time favorite shrub combinations. I’m including this to show a different way to use the base shrub recipe. Rhubarb is one of the first spring harvests from our yard and the combination with rose is so sweet and delightful. Rose is a cooling herb and wonderful for opening the heart and reducing stress.

Ingredients

• 1½ cups Rhubarb, thinly sliced or pureed in a blender

• 1 cup Raw Honey

• 1/2 dried rosebuds or 1 cup fresh organic rose petals

• 1 cup Raw Apple Cider Vinegar

• 1 tablespoon cardamom

Directions

Add the rhubarb and rose to a Ball® Flute Jar. Muddle to release the juices. Add the vinegar and honey and stir. Cover with a Ball® Leak-Proof lid or with parchment paper and a metal lid. Be careful the vinegar doesn’t touch the lid or it will corrode and ruin your beverage. Let this sit in the refrigerator for a week or two to infuse, taste occasionally. Once it is done infusing, strain into a jar to store. To serve, add a tablespoon or two to sparkling water and ice. For an alcoholic twist, add a splash of gin or vodka or add champagne instead of sparkling water. Refrigerate. It should keep up to six months in the refrigerator.

This post is a sponsored post by Ball® Canning. All of my opinions and experiences are my own. Many thanks to the brands that support my work here on Maia Terra.

My herbal reference + source for this post and most of my writings come from Herbal Academy’s Herbarium.