Honeysuckle Sorbet
This recipe is published by The Messy Baker "with the generous permission of its creator, Bill Smith of Crook's Corner Cafe and Bar". It appears in his book Seasoned in the South.
Servings: 10 -12
Ingredients
- 4 cups honeysuckle flowers , leaves and stems discarded, gently, but tightly packed (Lonicera japonica is the edible kind)
- 5 1/3 cups cool water
- 1 1/3 cup water
- 2 cups sugar
- a few drop freshly squeezed lemon juice
- a speck cinnamon
Instructions
- Place blossoms in a ziplock bag and cover completely with the 5 1/3 cups of cold water; seal, ensuring all petals are immersed in water and leave overnight
- Combine 1 1/3 cup water with 2 cups sugar; boil in small saucepan until sugar is dissolved and the syrup thickens (3 to 5 minutes at a low rolling boil)
- Add lemon juice to prevent sugar syrup from crystallizing; cool syrup completely
- Strain honeysuckle nectar water, gently pressing the blossoms to expel all liquid
- Combine syrup with petal nectar water; add the merest scent of cinnamon and chill
- Churn in an ice cream maker, per manufacturer's instructions; cure for 2-4 hours in the freezer
- Keeps for up to two weeks
Notes
Please note that Lonicera japonica is the edible form of honeysuckle that grows commonly in North America. There are more than 180 species of honeysuckle worldwide. Most species in Europe are not edible.