Arkansas is in FULL BLOOM with these sweet succulent blossoms rite now! A friend of mine wasn't feeling so great so she shared with me how she makes home made honeysuckle tea by seeping these lovely blossoms. I was so inspired ~ Thanks Tara! <3
Honeysuckle Essential Oil is one of the more expensive on the market. Honeysuckles are edible, yet highly medicinal with uplifting a sweet and calming scent. Honeysuckle is used for MANY ailments & diseases. It is known for the detoxing properties of the blood and liver. Also great for treating sore throats, fever, skin & scalp care. {can also be used for gargle or oil pulling}. Honeysuckle oil has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. I can't wait to use my batch for a warm oil treatment to stop my dryness and brittleness of my hair. Sine I've been on a journey with my boys to go as chemical free as possible, I want to get back out and collect more soon before they're gone.
*Warning - take care that when you pick your blossoms, you don't collect from areas that may be have been sprayed with pesticides. {and spray yourself down with tic repellent!}
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| The Coffman Trio Starting their early morning foraging with mom - the smell was heavenly! :) |
We started our morning hike very early. Taking several empty ice cream buckets {the ones with handles always come in handy for us!} and baskets in tow...we enjoyed the divine smells, birds chirping and fresh mountain air. We gathered enough to make SEVERAL honeysuckle concoctions :)
After getting home, we separated the green leaves, and wilted blossoms from the rest of the batch.
You then measure out 1 cup firmly packed honeysuckle blossoms in a glass cup. Don't worry if some of the blossoms get bruised during this process.
I used my 'lucky' straw for the next step. Seal the bag the whole way across leaving a small opening for the strall. Suck out as much air as you can then pull the straw out quickly and finish the seal.
Kingston saw me with the rolling pin and immediately wanted to jump in! Just give it a few rolls back and forth. You don't want to kill the blossoms...with a firm hand you want to bruise them and get them to begin to break.
Pour the contents into a wide-mouth glass jar.
Warm your oil of choice {I'm partial to grapeseed, though it's more expensive}...but you can use any neutral cooking oil, such as olive oil too. Bring your oil in saucepan to about 150 degrees.
When you pour the warmed oil over the blossoms in the jar, you will want to use a clean utensil to make sure there is no trapped bubbles.
Allow to cool, then seal tightly. Place in a cool dark place for 6-8 weeks. A pantry, root cell or closet is ideal.
Then strain the solids using a coffee filter or fine cheese cloth. Pour the remaining oil in small dark bottles with a good seal. {The dark bottles keep out light, which can turn oils rancid}. This can now be stored in a cool dark place for about 6 months.
Tip - You may discard the leftover blossoms in your compost pile.
I hope you enjoyed my tutorial! Have you ever made Honeysuckle Oil Infusion? If so, what do you use yours for? I've heard some ladies use it for face mask, body whips/butter...even deodorant! All my Best,
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