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    Home » Recipes » Courses » Drinks

    Honeysuckle Simple Syrup

    Published: April 14, 2022 by Kari · Leave a Comment · This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no cost to you.

    RECIPE ↓
    A pin image of a bowl of honeysuckle blossoms.
    A pin image of a bottle of honeysuckle simple syrup.
    A pin image of a bowl of honeysuckle simple syrup.
    A pin image of a bowl of 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.

    A small bowl of honeysuckle simple syrup on a white tea towel with flowers scattered around.
    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

    The ingredients in honeysuckle syrup, laid out and labeled.
    • Ripe Honeysuckle Blossoms - Pick the ones that are no longer white, just pale yellow and not dark and wilty.
    • Sugar
    • Orange Peels
    • Water
    The stages of honeysuckle showing when to pick them.

    🍽 Equipment Needed

    • A small/medium-sized saucepan
    • A metal sieve or strainer
    • A big bowl
    A brown bowl filled with honeysuckle flowers and a sliced orange.

    🥣 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.

    A collage of images showing how to clean honeysuckle flowers.

    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)

    A collage of images showing how to make honeysuckle simple syrup, steps 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)

    A collage of images showing how to make honeysuckle simple syrup, steps 6 - 10.

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

    Click here for more honeysuckle uses!

    🙋‍♀️ Frequently Asked Questions

    How do you know when honeysuckle blossoms are ready to be picked?

    Honeysuckle blossoms are ready to be picked when they are a pale yellow, but not yet wilting.

    What are the different types of honeysuckle?

    There are two kinds of honeysuckle that are prominent in the southeast - Amur and Japanese. Our old house in North Carolina had Japanese Honeysuckle and our new house in Tennessee has Japanese & Amur Honeysuckle. (The Amur honeysuckle has much smaller flowers with sadly, less nectar - and they are much more invasive - they spread like wildfire.) This article has a lot of information about the differences between the two and I cover this more below.

    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:

    A bowl of Japanese honeysuckle flowers.
    A man in yellow pants and a gray sweater picking honeysuckle off a bush.
    A Japanese Honeysuckle bush.

    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:

    A hand holding three honeysuckle flowers on a bush.
    A honeysuckle bush.
    A honeysuckle bush.
    A man in a red shirt picking honeysuckle flowers off a bush.
    Honeysuckle flowers on a bush.
    Honeysuckle blossoms on a bush.

    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.

    Button linking to the Pinterest page for Southern Bytes.

    🥫 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

    • Honeysuckle Tea
    • 35 Game Day Favorites for the Best Season of the Year (Football Season!)
    • Hot Chocolate Bomb Homemade Mocha Coffee
    • The Ultimate List of Hot Chocolate Bombs You Need to Make

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

    📝 Recipe

    A small bowl of honeysuckle simple syrup on a white tea towel with flowers scattered around and half an orange

    Honeysuckle Simple Syrup

    5 from 1 vote
    Honeysuckles 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.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 5 mins
    Steeping Time 1 hr
    Total Time 1 hr 10 mins
    Course Condiments, Drinks
    Cuisine Southern
    Servings 48 teaspoons

    Equipment

    • a large bowl
    • a large pot
    • a strainer or colander

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 cup honeysuckle flowers stems + leaves removed From the Japanese Honeysuckle plant
    • 1 cup sugar
    • 1 cup water
    • 1 naval orange peel organic

    Instructions
     

    • Clean honeysuckle by dipping them into a bowl of cold water. Set aside.
    • Remove the green bulb if any have it.
    • Add the sugar, water, flowers, and orange peel to a small pot, and bring to a simmer. Simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
      1 cup honeysuckle flowers, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, 1 naval orange peel
    • Note: You’re only using the orange peel. You can eat the orange.
    • Remove pot from heat, and let the flowers steep for 1 hour.
    • Pour the mixture through a mesh sieve into a glass jar or other container. Store in the fridge for up to a month.

    Notes

    Yield - about one cup of sweet, simple syrup. Serving size is a teaspoon to start, then increase to desired sweetness.
    This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled to make more. It can also be frozen.
    Mix with Honeysuckle Tea for a delicious spring drink.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1teaspoon

    Nutrition information is approximate and is automatically calculated, so should only be used as a guide.

    Keyword honeysuckle simple syrup, simple syrup, wild edibles
    Tried this recipe?Mention @southernbytes or tag #southernbytes!
    « Honeysuckle Tea
    How to Dehydrate Honeysuckle Blossoms »

    About Kari

    I am a WordPress Developer, Food Blogger, and Health Coach. I love to cook and experiment with fun new recipes. I hope you enjoy!

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    Hi, I'm Kari!

    I am a WordPress developer, food blogger, and health coach. I love to cook and experiment with fun new recipes. I hope you enjoy!

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