monday. honeysuckle syrup.

i know it's not thursday, so it's not food-day, but i had so much fun making this yesterday that i can't help but share! my grandma used to have two honeysuckle bushes in her backyard, and as kids we used to pull out the stems on the blossoms to get the tiniest drop of nectar—so worth it! i can't even begin to explain the amazing smell and taste of these little guys!


well, just another reason to love my yard—i have thousands of honeysuckle blossoms vining their way up the side of my house this time of year. so taylor and i decided to do something productive with them.


i showed her the ways of 'stem-pulling' ...


... and then we gathered enough to make honeysuckle syrup (they hold the most nectar at night and early in the morning!)
ingredients.
4 C. loosely-packed honeysuckle blossoms (no stems or leaves!)
4 C. granulated sugar
juice from one lemon
water

how to.

1. cover the blossoms in a bowl with cool water and let stand at room temp overnight.
2. strain blossom-water into a saucepan and add sugar and lemon juice.
3. boil for 1-2 minutes, lower to a simmer for 15-20 minutes—or until syrupy.
4. let cool for 10-15 minutes and pour into glass jars. keeps in the fridge forever!

how to use syrup.

1. mix 1-1/4 C. of honeysuckle syrup with 12 lemons and 3 quarts of water. mix well and add sugar as needed.
   
2. mint leaves would be great with this, too!