Honeysuckle Simple Syrup

Honeysuckle flowers have such a unique and delicious flavor. Their sweet and delicious nectar provides such a unique, wildflower flavor - mixed with a citrus burst and a little sugar - this syrup is so good.

We just bought a new house and I was kind of sad when we moved because our old house was surrounded by honeysuckle bushes. Turns out, the woods around our new house is also loaded with them. (Two different kinds actually!) I was SO excited when we figured that out.

Honeysuckle is so versatile - besides just sucking out the nectar, you can use them to make a rich, wildflower-tasting simple syrup to add to cocktails and drinks, and a delicious, earthy, unsweetened tea. (If you combine the two - boy, is that good.) We also love to dehydrate the honeysuckle flowers for use throughout the year.

Table of Contents

• 🥘 Ingredient Notes
• 🍽 Equipment Needed
• 🥣 How to Make It
• 🙋‍♀️ Frequently Asked Questions
• Different Types of Honeysuckle (Found in the Southeast)
• Here's What Japanese Honeysuckle Looks Like:
• Here's what Amur Honeysuckle looks like:
• 🍳 Serving Suggestions & Uses
• 🥫 Storage/Shelf Life/Reheating
• ✏️ Helpful Tips
• Other Fun Drink Recipes
• 📝 Recipe

🥘 Ingredient Notes

• Ripe Honeysuckle Blossoms - Pick the ones that are no longer white, just pale yellow and not dark and wilty.
• Sugar
• Orange Peels
• Water

🍽 Equipment Needed

• A small/medium-sized saucepan
• A metal sieve or strainer
• A big bowl

🥣 How to Make It

Honeysuckle Simple Syrup is so easy to make.

Begin by cleaning honeysuckle - submerge the flowers into a bowl of cold water and swish them around a little to get any bugs or dirt off.

Strain the flowers and remove the green bulb if any still have it.

Add the sugar, water, flowers, and orange peel to a small pot, and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves. Note: You’re only using the orange peel. You can save the rest of the orange for a snack. (Pictures 1 - 5)

Remove the pot from heat, cover, and let the flowers and orange peels steep for 1 hour. (Picture 6 - 7)

Pour the mixture through a mesh sieve into a glass jar or other container. (Pictures 8 - 10)

Store in the fridge for up to a month and use as you would regular simple syrup.

🙋‍♀️ Frequently Asked Questions

Different Types of Honeysuckle (Found in the Southeast)

Japanese Honeysuckle is the best for dehydrating, making tea, and making simple syrup.

Here's What Japanese Honeysuckle Looks Like:

Amur Honeysuckle (pictured below) is more of an invasive weed that smells good but doesn't have as much sweet nectar. Amur Honeysuckle also blooms a few weeks before Japanese Honeysuckle, at least in Tennessee.

Here's what Amur Honeysuckle looks like:

As you can see, the Amur Honeysuckle flowers are much smaller and it grows as more of a bush - whereas the Japanese Honeysuckle has larger, trumpeting flowers that while still kind of bushy - are more of a vine that climbs on other plants.

🍳 Serving Suggestions & Uses

Use honeysuckle simple syrup as you would use regular simple syrup. We like to use it in tea & cocktails.

🥫 Storage/Shelf Life/Reheating

This simple syrup will last in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

✏️ Helpful Tips

• Make sure to pick honeysuckle blossoms only when they are ripe - if they are overly ripe or still a little green, they won't taste as good or be as sweet.
• Use this simple syrup when making cocktails. We love making Honeysuckle Mojitos, Honeysuckle Sazeracs, and Honeysuckle Boozy Iced Tea.
• This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled to make more. It can also be frozen.

Other Fun Drink Recipes

Have You Tried This Recipe?
Please rate it and leave a comment below. I would love to hear what you think!

📝 Recipe