Honeysuckle is blooming.  Right now.  As I type.  That means that it will only be blooming for a few more minutes.  Actually, I have no idea how long their bloom time is, but usually by the time I get around to harvesting the little yellow and white flowers, they have turned brown.  Not this year!  I’m all over it.

I really wanted to make honeysuckle jelly but grew impatient to use my harvest.  So I made a really quick and easy simple syrup to soak them in, and when I felt the flavor was right, strained them out of the syrup.  I was messing around on Pinterest this morning and stumbled upon a series of camping shortcuts and found tin can bread.  I don’t know why but when I thought of my honeysuckle syrup I thought of those loaves of bread.  I decided to make a sort of muffin/pound cake and pour the syrup over them.  I figured that if they soaked in their cans all night, they would be amazingly ooey gooey by morning and ready to load into our van for the farmers market.

Batter:

3 c. all-purpose flour ( I used King Arthur which tends to absorb moisture a little more than others.  Don’t know why.  Liquid amounts may need to be adjusted)

1 c. sugar

1 T baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 eggs

3 T melted butter

2 1/2 c. water.  I would have used milk or almond milk but realized too late that I was out.  Whoops.

Parchment paper

Oil

Honeysuckle Syrup:

2 c. honeysuckle blossoms

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 c. water

Method:

Combine all of the syrup ingredients in a small saucepan.

Bring just to a simmer.  I didn’t want to overheat the flowers and kill their beneficial properties.

Chill 6 hours.  I suppose you could let them steep in the syrup longer, but I liked the flavor at around 6.  Strain.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Drizzle a little oil in the bottom of 3, 28oz. aluminum cans (Should call these aluminum loaves, I guess.)  Line them with parchment paper.

I don’t know if this step was necessary or not, but if any of them sell at the farmers market I didn’t want people having to spoon bread from a can.

Sift together the dry ingredients to make the batter.

Beat together the wet to combine well.

Add the wet to the dry and fold gently to incorporate.

Spoon the batter into the three cans.

Bake in the center of the oven for 50 minutes to an hour.

Chill completely.  Pour the syrup over each loaf.  Allow to soak in overnight.