Some warnings about harvesting.
First, be aware of pesticides. If an area looks too manicured use your best judgment to determine if the property has been sprayed with pesticide or insect repellant, since you really don't want to eat that (even after having washed it). The same holds true for any time you pick any wild edibles or herbs.
Secondly, bees. Bees love honeysuckle and if you're gathering you'll likely see some. Please do your best not to hurt or disturb them. They shouldn't sting you if you're careful (avoid wearing perfumes or floral scents when harvesting). Without bees we wouldn't have lovely full crops of honeysuckle and honey.
Poison ivy is another thing to be very careful of. Honeysuckle and poison ivy seem to love co-habitation, so always pay attention when you're harvesting honeysuckle. Remember, three leaves bad! Be wary of shiny looking leaves with reddish and russet colors growing amidst the honeysuckle. Always wash with brown soap (or comet) on your hands and arms after picking. Better to be safe than sorry.
Ticks. Always check for them after being in tall grass.
Spiders like to make their webs in the honeysuckle so be careful of those as well.
If a property has a lot of honeysuckle growing free and no one seems to be using it, but the land is posted you should knock on the owner's door and ask to use some of their honeysuckle. It's a good way to meet new people (I always offer to bring a little something I've made with whatever I take). Everyone loves free treats and if you're lucky you'll meet someone nice who will offer you repeated use of their bush in return for small portions of goodies.
First, be aware of pesticides. If an area looks too manicured use your best judgment to determine if the property has been sprayed with pesticide or insect repellant, since you really don't want to eat that (even after having washed it). The same holds true for any time you pick any wild edibles or herbs.
Secondly, bees. Bees love honeysuckle and if you're gathering you'll likely see some. Please do your best not to hurt or disturb them. They shouldn't sting you if you're careful (avoid wearing perfumes or floral scents when harvesting). Without bees we wouldn't have lovely full crops of honeysuckle and honey.
Poison ivy is another thing to be very careful of. Honeysuckle and poison ivy seem to love co-habitation, so always pay attention when you're harvesting honeysuckle. Remember, three leaves bad! Be wary of shiny looking leaves with reddish and russet colors growing amidst the honeysuckle. Always wash with brown soap (or comet) on your hands and arms after picking. Better to be safe than sorry.
Ticks. Always check for them after being in tall grass.
Spiders like to make their webs in the honeysuckle so be careful of those as well.
If a property has a lot of honeysuckle growing free and no one seems to be using it, but the land is posted you should knock on the owner's door and ask to use some of their honeysuckle. It's a good way to meet new people (I always offer to bring a little something I've made with whatever I take). Everyone loves free treats and if you're lucky you'll meet someone nice who will offer you repeated use of their bush in return for small portions of goodies.
In the North East Honeysuckle starts in the late spring when it gets warm but not too hot, then will grow intermittently through the fall depending on the weather. It doesn't like when conditions get too hot or too cold so your best bets are late spring and early fall. (The greatest thing to do is make a large batch of ice cream so you can enjoy a little bit of summer any time you want.)
Use only the open flowers, not the closed buds (they wont give as much flavor, it's best to use them later once they've bloomed and then you can get several of the best tasting batches). Also avoid the wilted dark orange flowers with too much brown on them as these are past their prime. A little brown wont hurt though. Remove any stems and leaves. I like to leave the tiny green ends on the honeysuckle when I can. It's okay if they break but I like to try and keep the nectar inside the flower when I pick it to give the fullest flavor to the creams.
[Feel free to enjoy my recipes, but please don't repost on other sites (such as Allrecipes) or take without credit.]
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