Pine Needle Tea, dissapointed
- Thread starter Dynamite Dan
- Start date
bambodoggy
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
try spruce or douglas fir i put in about 4 or 5 tips of 3in long ,leave um in for 5 or 10 mins and a bit of sugar.
I only drink Spruce needle tea and I like a bit of sugar in it too. Pine needle tree is not something I'd drink out of choice but if there are no spruces about then it has to do.
The young bright green tips that are about at this time of year are perfect on the spruces and there's no need to chop, just pick them and boil up in water until they go light yellow, add a spoonful of sugar or honey and bob's your uncle
Cheers,
Bam.
A few tips, I ahve been experimenting with pine needle tea, and found out how to get a lovely, strong cup.
use the new shoots that grow in spring ideally, although the dark green older stuff works aswell, but you'll need more and need to extend the cooking time.
take a big handful, and chop up really fine, or even better, add them to a bit of cold water and blend for a minute, to make some 'mulch'.
put that in a pan and add some water, bring up to just below the boil (I heard boiling can destroy some vitamin c content), then put on simmer for about 10 minutes, or until it 'looks' ready. by that I mean it should have turned a cloudy green colour.
Then either pour into a mug, using some more pine needles to filter out the bits, or if you are at home, put it in a caffetiere and plunge.
you should now have a quite strong smelling and tasting pine needle tea. add a bit of honey to taste. (or birch sap or whatever...)
use the new shoots that grow in spring ideally, although the dark green older stuff works aswell, but you'll need more and need to extend the cooking time.
take a big handful, and chop up really fine, or even better, add them to a bit of cold water and blend for a minute, to make some 'mulch'.
put that in a pan and add some water, bring up to just below the boil (I heard boiling can destroy some vitamin c content), then put on simmer for about 10 minutes, or until it 'looks' ready. by that I mean it should have turned a cloudy green colour.
Then either pour into a mug, using some more pine needles to filter out the bits, or if you are at home, put it in a caffetiere and plunge.
you should now have a quite strong smelling and tasting pine needle tea. add a bit of honey to taste. (or birch sap or whatever...)
D
Deleted dude 7861
Guest
For food to taste good in the woods, you have to be cold, wet and hungry or any combination of the three, especially things like pine or rosehip tea.
Never tried Pine Needle tea but just about any tea I have ever tried that wasn't proper tea has either tasted like Nowt, or sometimes its tasted like Diet Nowt
xylaria
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Some northern hemisphere species tastes like vic's vapour rub, not like I have ever drunk vic's. I can't think of any pines or spruces that out right toxic. Yew could confused with pine, that mistake is likly to be fatal.
I have no-idea on aussie pines, be very thorough about checking the ID and toxicology out, your flora is very freaky.
I made pine needle tea last year, didn't taste too good... Anyways, before I went to it I looked all over the place for info on it just so I wouldn't poison myself and I read somewhere that you shouldn't use blue spruce because it's toxic... Not sure if that's true or not but that's what I read.
I've tried pine needle tea. Last year I went out and collected samples from several different types of tree. One tasted like disinfectant, most just tasted like weak pine flavoured water. However one tasted very nice, similar to shop bought herbal tea, unfortunately I have no idea what kind it was.
Thing to remember is that even if you know which kind is best for tea, not all of that kind will taste the same. It's like apples, some are nice some are sour - pine needles or anything else from the wild will be the same. For some reason when we see Mears or anyone else go out and say 'mm this is nice' we automatically assume everything of it's ilk will be too. Every plant has it's own characteristics, as much as each species does. They will change depending on time of day, year etc. Go out and take some from same trees and different trees, experiment a little. Don't be put off.
Thing to remember is that even if you know which kind is best for tea, not all of that kind will taste the same. It's like apples, some are nice some are sour - pine needles or anything else from the wild will be the same. For some reason when we see Mears or anyone else go out and say 'mm this is nice' we automatically assume everything of it's ilk will be too. Every plant has it's own characteristics, as much as each species does. They will change depending on time of day, year etc. Go out and take some from same trees and different trees, experiment a little. Don't be put off.
Similar to the one I learned on my course.
Spruces Singles
Pines in Pairs
Larch in Lumps
I havent got round to trying the tea yet, we have a pine tree out our back garden, so may try it sometime.
Spruces Singles
Pines in Pairs
Larch in Lumps
I havent got round to trying the tea yet, we have a pine tree out our back garden, so may try it sometime.
Care to expand that to an idea of quantities per cup FR
I have both growing in the garden, but not yet thought of brewing a tea with them.
ATB
Ogri the trog
if you're at home, peel an apple and lob that in a pan of water with the chopped up pine needles
tastes like....well, nothing else really, its just lovely
tastes like....well, nothing else really, its just lovely
i've come to the conclusion pine needles are like marmite
love it or hate it, you have an opinion
love it or hate it, you have an opinion
Dan, IMHO its a crap drink, stick to tea, coffee, oxo/marmite or hot chocolate mate.
Regarding vit C, your body only stores a certain amount, extra to needs is not stored. You can go vit C free for several weeks or more to no ill effect if your normal diet includes a good vit C intake.
Regarding vit C, your body only stores a certain amount, extra to needs is not stored. You can go vit C free for several weeks or more to no ill effect if your normal diet includes a good vit C intake.
nice old thread
if it was any good there would be Pine needle tea plantarions and packets of the stuff in Tescos
Ray didnt seem that impressed at the tea stuff he got this week in his new series
is Yew actually poisinous
i know the stones in the berries are if you chew em
ATB
Duncan
if it was any good there would be Pine needle tea plantarions and packets of the stuff in Tescos
Ray didnt seem that impressed at the tea stuff he got this week in his new series
is Yew actually poisinous
i know the stones in the berries are if you chew em
ATB
Duncan
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