The cheerful yellow blossoms of a forsythia bush are one of the first of spring, but not everyone knows that these flowers can be used to make a delicious syrup that tastes like honeysuckle mixed with jasmine!
Learn how to make this forsythia syrup with just three ingredients.
Forsythia, an often overlooked shrub
Forsythia bushes are one of the first signs of spring. You probably don’t notice them any other time of the year, but forsythia show up with aplomb each spring. Forsythia flowers are easy to forage, and have many uses. You can find out more by reading my post all about foraging forsythia.
Foraging Forsythia, An Edible Spring Flower
Step by step directions for making forsythia syrup
Step 1: Gather the forsythia blossoms. I like picking them directly into a measuring cup because it takes out the guess work of whether I have enough or not. This forsythia syrup recipe uses 2 cups of flowers.
Step 2: Put the blossoms into a quart jar, or other heat proof container that can be sealed tightly. Pour 2 cups of boiling water over the flowers and seal.
Step 3: Allow the forsythia flowers to steep for 24 hours.
Step 4: Pour the steeped forsythia tea through a fine wire mesh sieve to remove all the flowers, pressing well to get all the liquid out.
Step 5: Combine the forsythia tea with 2 cups of sugar. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer 5 minutes. Let cool completely and then transfer to a container with a tight-fitting lid.
How to use forsythia syrup
- My personal favorite way to enjoy forsythia syrup is to add it to iced tea! The floral honeysuckle and jasmine flavors of this syrup lend perfectly to tea.
- Add it to cocktails. Try it one of these drinks made with floral simple syrups.
- Brush it over vanilla cake. It’s a long known bakers trick to keep cakes moist and add more flavor. Just prick the cake all over and drizzle some syrup over it.
- Use it as a dressing to make a simple fruit salad.
- Drizzle over plain yogurt or oatmeal to liven up your breakfast.
- Give it as a homemade gift to friends and family.
Forsythia Syrup
Forsythia syrup tastes like a mixture of honeysuckle and jasmine. It's delightfully easy to make with fresh foraged forsythia blooms and only takes 3 ingredients.
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh forsythia blossoms
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups granulated sugar
Instructions
Add the forsythia blossoms to a quart jar. Pour two cups of boiling water over the blossoms and seal with a tight-fitting lid. Allow to sit overnight.
Pour the forsythia tea mixture over a fine wire mesh strainer to remove the blossoms, pressing to get all the liquid out. Take the forsythia flower tea and add it to a saucepan. Add 2 cups granulated sugar. Over medium heat, bring this to a boil and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
When the syrup has cooled, pour it into an airtight container to store.
Notes
Store unused syrup in the fridge.
