The honeysuckles are in full bloom in these parts, and the kids and I have been enjoying the harvest.
I’ve already shown you how I make Honeysuckle Jelly… now I wanna share a delicious way to use honeysuckle flowers to make a cough and sore throat relieving syrup.
Honeysuckle is widely known for its medicinal benefits, and the taste is truly lovely. You can keep it in the fridge for up to one month, but I prefer to pour the syrup into ice cube trays or mini muffin pans and freeze them for the winter months when fresh honeysuckle is no longer available.
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh, wild honeysuckle flowers
- 4 cups (1 quart) water
- 1 cup honey (local is best)
Directions
- Gather 2 cups of fresh honeysuckle blossoms. Pick off the green tip on the bottom of each flower for best flavor.
- In a small pot, bring 1 quart of water to a boil, then add the honeysuckle flowers. Stir to make sure all flowers are immersed.
- Turn the heat down to low, and simmer for 10 min. Strain off leaves, and return liquid to pot.
- Bring the liquid back up to a boil, and stir in 1 cup of honey. Continue to boil for 1 min., then remove from heat and allow to cool before storing.
- To Use: Can be added to a warm tea to sip, or can be taken 1-2 tsp. at a time every 2 hours, as needed. Be careful not to give anything with honey to children under 2 years old.
Caution- Do NOT use honeysuckle berries- they are toxic.
Disclaimer– I am not a doctor and I am not giving medical advice. I am merely sharing something I personally have found to be helpful, and I assume no responsibility for the actions you choose to take yourself. Don’t take my word for it, do the research yourself before trying any home remedies.
Do you have wild honeysuckle where you live? What’s your favorite way to use them?
A city girl learning to homestead on an acre of land in the country. Wife and homeschooling mother of four. Enjoying life, and everything that has to do with self sufficient living.
I’ll have to try this. I have a Honeysuckle bush just outside my door. It smells heavenly!
Making my very first batch of honeysuckle cough & sore throat syrup this evening. The scent is heavenly…looking forward to trying this during cold season. Thank you for sharing!
Nancy
P.S. Tomorrow I plan on making the honeysuckle jelly. My family is excited about this….
Yay!! Honeysuckles are in full bloom here! The kids and I will be harvesting lots of them this year. Enjoy your hard work!
what are you talking about when you say berries some reason i dont remember seeing any berries?
Nathan,
Here’s a link with pictures of honeysuckle berries:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honeysuckle
Hope that helps!
Does one just use the green tip with the stamens, then? And discard the petals?
Fran,
No, no- you use the whole flower and petals, discarding only the green tip on the end.
Hello,
What is the possibility that it would work to can this syrup?
Hey Kendra-
Do you harvest your honeysuckle and freeze it for use in the winter?
Was just wondering. Working on some natural remedies for the family and wanted to try this out later on.
Hi Amanda,
No, I usually just use them fresh to make whatever I need for future use 🙂 I’ve thought about freezing them, but haven’t tried it yet.
My honeysuckle is just starting to bloom, but I purchased it from a nursery several years ago and the flowers are orange. Does anyone know if this kind is medicinal? I’ll have to research.
I make elderberry syrup every fall, in the same way this honeysuckle syrup is made. I use local, raw and unfiltered honey, so one thing I do different is NOT boil the honey. I don’t want to kill any living good stuff and defeat the purpose of spending more for quality honey. I would let the honeysuckle water cool, and add the honey while it’s still warm, but not hot, and mix well.
I hope I can try this with my honeysuckle!
Jen,
I don’t know if it would have the same medicinal qualities as wild honeysuckle, but if it’s true honeysuckle it should have some benefits at least. 🙂
Sherry,
You can take the flower off the plant, slowly pull the green tipped end and out will come the most delicious “honeysuckle juice”. As a southerner for many generations, I can attest that this is a heart of Dixie childhood favorite. 🙂
Thanks for the post. Made me smile thinking about your kiddos enjoying the honeysuckle. Mine are too. We’re in Georgia, so it’s been a good month since it’s been flowering. My g’ma who lives near Seattle asked me about the honeysuckle blooming just this week. She recalls the smell in the air and the sweet secret she was let in on many years ago. 🙂
Excited to find your honeysuckle recipe, also glad for the berry information. I did not know they were poison, of course I didn’t even know you could use honeysuckle for anything other than enjoying the smell and enjoying the look of the plant.
Thank!
What is the shelf life for this cough syrup recipe? I love your blog.
Judy
Hi Judy,
As mentioned, it will last about a month in the fridge. If you freeze it, the cubes will last several months. HTH!