# Honeysuckle jelly



## PrettyPaisley (May 18, 2007)

The girls have discovered a tree with an enormous amount of honeysuckle on it. I showed them how to eat them and they love it. I thought about looking into making jelly - though I've never had any I looked up a recipe. Seems that it is not much more than flavored sugar water, right? Now that I think about it .... that must be all jelly is. Is there a way to make it with any nutritional value? Even an ounce?


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## doingitmyself (Jul 30, 2013)

4 cups flowers (remove the green bulb)
4 cups boiling water
4 cups sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 pkg liquid pectin

Steep flowers 45 minutes in boiling water (to make infusion) stir often
strain add sugar, lemon juice, bring to boil add pectin boil 1-2 minute more according to instructions fill jars, water bath like all jellies. 
Nutritional value, likely just carbs, still a nice treat once in a while! Good luck!


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## ct01r (Jan 21, 2014)

If you don't mind me asking; how DO you eat it? I remember as a kid, my brother showed me at our grandmothers - she had a HUGE vine (at least it seemed to me as a 6 year old!). When our kids were young, I tried to showed them, but fell short. I remember that we pulled the flower apart, sucked the juice (nector?) off, but just couldn't figure it out. Our kids just looked at me ("yeah, Dad, right. We're going to eat flowers.") Any tips would be greatly appreciated! Curt


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## vicker (Jul 11, 2003)

Yes, but it would take a lot of honeysuckle flowers, and people with a strong work ethic.  I make jams and jellies the old fashioned way and add little sugar.


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## haunted (Jul 24, 2011)

_*If you don't mind me asking; how DO you eat it?*

_Pinch the flower off the vine, then pinch off the green bulb at the flower base. Suck on the end of the flower. You only get a drop of sweet nectar, but it sure is fun for kids!


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## ct01r (Jan 21, 2014)

Thanks, haunted! I'll try that with my grand daughter - maybe I can redeem myself! Curt


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## vicker (Jul 11, 2003)

Using your fingernails, carefully pinch the end off of the blossom without cutting it all the way trough. Now, you can carefully pull the pistil out through the bottom. The Stigmas will bunch together and force the nectar before them, and a drop of nectar will be forced out of the base of the blossom. Place that drop on your tongue. After you pull the pistil all of the way out, suck any remaining nectar from the blossom.


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## PrettyPaisley (May 18, 2007)

Well so much for that.  While the girls love to spend an hour or so a day eating the honeysuckle, we all took our own bowl out this morning to harvest the flowers and not only was it taking for-EVAH to get 4 quarts ... I noticed that there was a ton of poison ivy all around the vines. We went to every spot we could fine honeysuckle but none were poison ivy free. I am honestly surprised the girls haven't been affected; they have been licking honeysuckle flowers for a couple of weeks now. I wonder if they are immune? Either way - I may try to harvest enough for a batch of jam but I've never had poison ivy and I don't want to get it now. 

But on a happy note, we went traipsing around and came across a tree that had the most wonderful smelling blooms on it. Come to find out it's a chinaberry tree and I just read it can be a plant based pesticide. So I'm going to take my basket back out tomorrow and harvest some of those berries and whip up a batch to kill whatever is feasting on my pink eye purple hull pea leaves! I'm very excited!!!


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## midwesterner (Mar 8, 2009)

PrettyPaisley said:


> ...taking for-EVAH to get 4 quarts


I think the recipe called for 4 cups, not 4 quarts?

I'm still not sure I'd risk the poison ivy for it, though.


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## frogmammy (Dec 8, 2004)

Better learn the difference between jelly and jam, too.

Mon


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## SeaGoat (Aug 17, 2012)

I just made this but cut the recipe in half.
That was about an hour ago and it hasn't set. 
Is that normal for honeysuckle jam/jelly (I don't know the difference)

I've never made jams and jellies before but wanted to jump on this while honeysuckle was still in bloom. 

Id like to make a lot for gifts (we have a ton of honeysuckle). Can tout save the steep or does it need to be used immediately?


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## doingitmyself (Jul 30, 2013)

Sometimes it takes jellies a full day or two to set, just don't mess with it until at least 48 hours. If it still didn't set up you can rebatch it boil and add a powdered pectin, heat till thicker. Are you sure your pectin was not expired? Pectin has a shelf life and its not real negotiable.


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## SeaGoat (Aug 17, 2012)

It set up and I even made another batch. 
It was just real hot in my house and I think it was the slowing the process


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## redhead89 (Jun 3, 2014)

I haven't had honeysuckle in ever so long. Brings back fond memories of my sister and I at the grandparents sipping honeysuckle and laughing with dad and papaw.


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## RedDirt Cowgirl (Sep 21, 2010)

Ever try white grape juice for flower & herb jellies? It doesn't seem to add it's own flavor like apple juice does. I add some lemon juice for the liquid pectin to do its thing, adding sugar will harden it up at bit. Stash the jars in complete dark or cover them with foil to keep the color, it fades really fast.

And you have to freeze smaller batches of steep until you reach critical mass - it'll go pookey in the fridge. It's great to use your small jelly jars and get a step ahead when it's time to cook up.


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## melfay1 (Jun 4, 2014)

This is almost the same recipe as for the dandelion jelly recipe.


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## SeaGoat (Aug 17, 2012)

I made this and found it lasted alright for a few months but now is a liquid?


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