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Thread: honeysuckles

  1. #1
    Member feral chef's Avatar
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    Default honeysuckles

    I have very fond memories of pulling the stamen out the back of the flower and sucking the sweet juice. I was wondering if there is a way to proccess them in bulk and get the juice quicker. Like maybe mashing then straining, or blending. anyone ever try to get a large amount like this.


  2. #2
    Senior Member Winnie's Avatar
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    Nope, but I remember doing it too! Thanks for bringing back a happy memory.
    Recession; A period when you go without something your Grandparents never heard of.

  3. #3
    Senior Member gryffynklm's Avatar
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    I have only see recipes for Jelly, teas, syrup, things like that. I know from experience that the flowers have very little nectar. Honeysuckle is usually used as a flavoring. I don't have experience with Honeysuckle itself but have experimented with roses and violets. I have made tea with dried petals, flavored iced tea with fresh petals, simple syrup with violet and rose, candied petals. The trick is to keep it subtle and not to over do it or it will taste like perfume. You could try flavoring water or make a light simple syrup (sugar solution). I have used this to sweeten ice tea.

    I use a ratio of 1, 2, 3.
    1 cup Honeysuckle lightly packed (Violets, orange blossom, roses)
    2 cups of sugar (can use more or less)
    3 cups of water

    Combine the flower petals and stamen only and the water in a glass or stainless steal bowl overnight in the refrigerator.
    Strain the flowers and set aside in container i use a quart jar
    Put the liquid into a sauce pan with the sugar and heat until the sugar devolves. You can boil the solution. you will loose some volume to the boiling. You should end up around 2 pints more or less depending on evaporation.
    Pour over the flowers set aside and let cool.
    I strain the liquid as I pour into the final jar. (two pints or so)

    I suppose you could strain hot into the jars and do a water bath canning method but I haven't made enough to make canning worth while.
    Last edited by gryffynklm; 07-10-2013 at 11:29 AM. Reason: quantity clearification
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  4. #4
    Member feral chef's Avatar
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    ok gryffynklm I like your idea its sorta what I was thinking so it worth a shot.

  5. #5

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    haha I had the same curiosity this summer and collected enough honey suckle nectar to fill a small glass vile. It took a couple hours drip by drip. We then boiled it down until the sugars crystallized and tasted it in a spoon. The honeysuckle sugar tasted fantastic.

    It was a cool experience but I probably wouldn't do it again.

  6. #6
    naturalist primitive your_comforting_company's Avatar
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    ... or you could let the bees do it for you

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