A Wild Springtime Treat
Spring must have been a welcome change after the long, hard winters of World War II. After months of shorter, darker days in patched and darned clothing it must have been like hope reborn. After struggling through cold months with limited fuel and last summer’s root vegetables, watching every green thing sprout from the earth must have driven people into gardening fervor.
Gardening: A National Pastime
In Britain, gardening became a national pastime by necessity. As an island nation with major import problems, there were two choices: Grow food or go hungry. Before the War, a huge amount of the nation’s food was imported. Britain’s enemies knew this and planned to starve the population into submission. Britain’s government had other plans.
Every available scrap of land became devoted to some crop. Flower gardens were dug up and replanted with vegetables. Even the smallest and most unusual nooks and crannies were transformed into food production areas.
Gathering & Preserving
In orchards and along roadsides, both cultivated and wild fruits were also carefully collected and made into jams and jellies for later use. These required a large amount of sugar. Although sugar was among the most heavily rationed items during the War, the government made special allowances for sugar used to can fruits.
In many neighborhoods groups of women gathered each summer to preserve as much of the season’s bounty as they could. These canned fruits provided urgently needed energy and nutrients. Some civilians also chose to reserve their personal sugar rations for canning.
Wild Edibles
Foraging for wild foods is nothing new—our forebears have been doing it for millennia. There is something satisfying about heading outdoors with nothing but a basket and returning home with actual food!
Edible plants grow in many climates without the least work on our part. In my area, we have plantain, purple dead nettle, henbit, dandelion, redbud, wild violets, clover and red clover, to name a few. Even our native long-leaf pine trees offer food (the inner bark) and delicious tea (from the needles). Long-leaf pine needles are a terrific source of vitamin C. Of course, you have to be careful to identify plants correctly to not get sick—but once you recognize edible plants, you have something fun to work with.
One of our favorite springtime edibles is the wild violet—not to be confused with the African violet. Wild violets, both the white and purple varieties, make a delicate tea or jelly. We like to gather a bowlful of flowers in Spring and preserve them so we can enjoy their ethereal flavor any time of year.
The Benefits of Home Canning
This is just the kind of thing folks would have done during World War II. Making jelly does require a good bit of sugar so homemakers would have to either reserve rations faithfully or apply for an extra ration to be used for canning. It would be worth it, to have something so light and wonderfully sweet all through the year when so many favorite foods were unavailable.
Home canning is quite simple but the steps do need to be followed carefully. If you have never tried it, you can find trustworthy instructions in places such as your county’s home extension office, or in a current Ball® Blue Book. There are thousands of recipes for preserving all kinds of food, but only two basic methods: Water bath canning and pressure canning.
Wild Violet Jelly includes acidic lemon juice so it can be water bath canned. Once you are familiar with the basic steps and safeguards, jelly is one of the simplest foods you can preserve at home. And, not only is the end result terribly tasty, but you also get to enjoy your ability to make and store your own food. In these times (as in all times), it is good to have this kind of skill. No doubt, homemakers during the War were happy to be able to create joy and sustenance from simple things.
Wild Violet Jelly
Ingredients
Instructions
- Home canning jelly is simple but it is important to understand the basic principles for canning safely. If you are new to canning, get this information from your county extension office or a current canning book such as the Ball® Blue Book. Follow approved home canning procedures to prepare mason jars, rings and lids (1/2-pint jars are ideal for jellies).
- Prepare water bath canner and gather canning equipment (lid lifter, jar lifter, canning funnel, tool to remove air bubbles (such as a small plastic scraper), sturdy tray or platter and kitchen towels.
- Fill water bath canner to appropriate level with water; then, place over medium-high heat and allow water to come to a boil while preparing jelly mixture.
- Separate violet flowers from any stems or leaves. Place flowers in a colander and rinse thoroughly but gently. Place in heat-proof bowl or 1-quart mason jar; then, pour boiling water over. Allow to cool to lukewarm; then, cover and place in refrigerator overnight.
- Strain through a cheesecloth-lined colander into a large (non-aluminum) pot. Squeeze cheesecloth to get as much liquid as possible from flowers. You should have at least 3½ cups of violet tea.
- Add lemon juice and stir gently. (The lemon juice will change the color of the tea.)
- Add powdered pectin. Stir gently over high heat until pectin dissolves and mixture reaches a full boil.
- Boil one minute; then, add sugar all at once. Continue to stir until mixture returns to a full boil. Boil one minute.
- Remove from heat. Gently stir mixture for 5 minutes, being careful to skim off any foam. (The foam will not affect jelling but will cause the finished product to look cloudy.)
- Ladle syrup into jars, leaving ¼ inch head room. Remove any air bubbles by running a small scraper around the inside edge of each jar. Wipe the edge of each jar clean; then, seal finger-tight with lids and rings.
- Process in water bath canner for 10 minutes. (Time may change due to altitude; verify the time needed for your altitude.)
- Immediately remove jars from canner using jar lifter. Place on a towel-lined tray or platter, cover lightly, and allow sit undisturbed for 24 hours. Check seals; if any jars did not seal, reprocess them or store in refrigerator for use within 1 to 2 weeks.
“For behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.”
Song of Songs 2:11-12