Honeysuckle Simple Syrup

This recipe for Honeysuckle Simple Syrup uses foraged wild honeysuckle in a sweet simple syrup that is perfect for cocktails, iced tea, lemonade, and more!

The honeysuckle came late this year. 

I’ve been watching for it for weeks and weeks, but the long, wet winter pushed back this wildflower’s blossoming time.

And then, quite suddenly, there was honeysuckle everywhere.

If you’re in the middle of a honeysuckle bloom, and want to capture the flavor and scent of these edible wildflowers– try foraging for honeysuckle!

I love making honeysuckle vodka, but this syrup is my other favorite flower recipe (and this one is kid-friendly).

This easy honeysuckle simple syrup is a sweet, floral sweetener that’s perfect for cocktails, lemonade, and tea.

If you love using edible flowers, make sure to check out these flower ideas: nasturtium salad, chive blossom vinegar, chive (+ chive blossom) butter, and stuffed squash blossoms.

What is honeysuckle?

Honeysuckle is a flowering vine that has spread it’s way across the planet– weaving it’s invasive roots across America and into my backyard.

And probably your backyard.

Is Honeysuckle Edible?

When you forage for honeysuckle, look for a specific type. You want to find Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica).

Japanese Honeysuckle flowers contain an edible, sweet nectar.

Where should I look for Japanese Honeysuckle?

If you see honeysuckle vines taking over your backyard, your local park, and your favorite hiking trail, those vines are probably the invasive Japanese Honeysuckle.

For this recipe, we’ll be infusing a sugar-water mixture with the flowers, allowing the nectar to soak into the syrup, and then discarding the flowers.

What does Japanese Honeysuckle Look Like?

Japanese Honeysuckle grows on a vine. The flowers are white at first, and turn yellow with age, and will be about 1 1/2 inches-long.

The untoothed, hairy, ovate-shaped leaves are opposite one another on the vine, and grow to about 3 inches-long.

Don’t forage the flowers unless you’re sure it’s the right type of honeysuckle, because only the Japanese Honeysuckle has the sweet nectar inside.

Use a guide book if you need help identifying honeysuckle. I recommend this National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers.

How Can I Forage Honeysuckle?

Start by positively identifying the honeysuckle as Japanese Honeysuckle.

Avoid harvesting in areas with a lot of pollutants (like near a road), and make sure you have permission to gather the honeysuckle if it’s not on your property.

To forage the flowers, I usually carry a bucket and a pair of gardening shears, and simply trim away flowers from the vine.

What’s the difference between simple syrup and thicker syrups?

This is not a thick pancake syrup.

Simply syrups are thin, and are delicious in drinks because they dissolve quickly.

To make a basic, unflavored simple syrup, you use equal parts sugar and water, and simply heat the water until the sugar dissolves. 

For this honeysuckle simple syrup, we’re adding honeysuckle into the mixture.

How do you make a floral infused simple syrup?

To make a simple syrup that’s infused with flowers or herbs, you add the plants to the sugar water, heat the water, and simmer the mixture for about 5 minutes.

For flowers with a strong flavor (like lavender), you’re done. All you have to do is strain the flowers out.

But, if the flavor you’re infusing is very delicate (like honeysuckle), you’ll let the flowers sit in the syrup for about an hour before straining them out.

If you want to try more simple syrups, try this mint simple syrup, lavender simple syrup, citronella simple syrup, and ginger simple syrup.

How Can I Use this Honeysuckle Simple Syrup?

Add this syrup to lemonade, iced tea, hot herbal tea (like chamomile or mint), or cocktails.

Try swapping the honeysuckle syrup for the simple syrups in these recipes: Lavender Lemonade, Bourbon Sour with Lavender, How to Make a Mint Julep, and Rhubarb Champagne.

It’s also a delicious way to sweeten herbal teas, like fresh mint tea and catnip tea.

Print Recipe

5 from 11 votes

Honeysuckle Simple Syrup

This recipe for Honeysuckle Simple Syrup uses foraged wild honeysuckle in a sweet simple syrup that is perfect for cocktails, iced tea, lemonade, and more!

Yields 1 cup.  Serving estimate is 1 tsp.

Author: Sarah Trenalone

Prep Time1 hr

Cook Time10 mins

Infusing Time1 hr

Total Time1 hr 10 mins

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: 48 people

Calories: 16kcal

Freezer Friendly?

No

Will It Keep?

1 Month

Ingredients

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

Instructions

• Clean honeysuckle by dipping them into a bowl of cold water.  Set aside.
• Add the sugar, water, flowers, and orange peel to a small pot, and bring to a simmer.  Simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

  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

Yields: About 1 cup syrup.  Serving size estimates 1 teaspoon per serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 16kcal (1%) | Carbohydrates: 4g (1%) | Sugar: 4g (4%)

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Sarah Trenalone

Sarah is the primary creator at Champagne Tastes.

She's a photographer, food writer, and traveler, and loves traveling with her husband. Together, they hike the National Parks, travel along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, and of course, eat.

Sarah is certified in Backcountry Kitchen and Backcountry Navigation from the Colorado Outward Bound School and Identifying Wild Plants from Backpacker.

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