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– this syrup is for you.

This easy Honeysuckle Simple Syrup is a sweet, floral sweetener that’s perfect for cocktails, lemonade, and tea.

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?

Honeysuckle flowers contain an edible, sweet nectar.

The berries are mildly poisonous– so avoid them.  (The berries on the variety of honeysuckle near me appear at a different time of year than the flowers do, so avoiding the berries shouldn’t be an issue.)

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.

How Can I Forage Honeysuckle?

I usually carry a bucket and a pair of scissors, and just trim away flowers from the vine.

For tips on foraging for and cleaning honeysuckle, check out this post: Honeysuckle Vodka.

What is a Simple Syrup?  What’s the Sugar to Water Ratio?

Simple syrup is made with equal parts sugar and water.  For a plain simple syrup, you heat the water until the sugar dissolves into the water.  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.

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

You can also make fabulous infused simple syrup with lavender and mint.

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
• Rhubarb Champagne

5 from 3 votes

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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.

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Keyword foraging recipe, wild edibles

Prep Time 1 hour

Cook Time 10 minutes

Infusing Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings 48 people

Calories 16 kcal

Author Champagne Tastes

Ingredients

• 1 cup honeysuckle flowers, stems + leaves removed
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 naval orange peel, organic + unwaxed prefered

Instructions

1. Clean honeysuckle by dipping them into a bowl of cold water.  Set aside.

2. 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.

3. Remove pot from heat, and let the flowers steep for 1 hour.

4. Pour the mixture through a mesh sieve into a glass jar or other container.  Store in the fridge for up to a year.

Recipe Notes

Nutrition Facts

Honeysuckle Simple Syrup

Amount Per Serving

Calories 16

% Daily Value*

Total Carbohydrates 4g 1%

Sugars 4g

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.