SC - Re: Saxon Violets

[alysk at ix.netcom.com]

Here's a period recipe for violet sugar, not candied violets.

ROSE SUGAR, in poem Naturen Bloeme (Flower of Nature) by Dutch poet Jacob van 
Maerlant, written between 1265 and 1270.  From "Rose Sugar and Other Sweets" by 
Joop Witteveen, Petits Propos Culinaires, Number 20, 1985, pp 22-28.

1.  "Rose sugar (suker rosaet) is made in the following way: rose petals that have been 
rubbed fine with sugar are put in a glass jar and left in the sun for 30 days; the contents 
must be stirred daily; the jar must be well sealed and it will remain good for three years."

Witteveen says that "One could make this sugar not only from roses but also from violets 
(Viola tricolor L. and Viola odorata L.) and later also from borage and rosemary."

Alys Katharine