Pine Needle Tea...

ozzy1977

Full Member
Jan 10, 2006
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Scots pine is very nice, I have tried Norway spruce but found it a bit incipid and Grand Fir was plain nasty
 

Nice65

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Apr 16, 2009
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Scots pine is very nice, I have tried Norway spruce but found it a bit incipid and Grand Fir was plain nasty

Be a bit careful with anything that isn't pine, such as spruce and fir. As mentioned, yew is very poisonous, so is hemlock.
 

The Big Lebowski

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Aug 11, 2010
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Scots pine can be ID'd from a long way away's and the needles are unmistakable. Double prong, 3-6 inches.

AXySwlW.jpg


Try steeping some for 15 mins or so, and then some overnight, reheating. The latter is much more tea like.
 

Toddy

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Jan 21, 2005
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S. Lanarkshire
It's a, 'what are you used to', kind of tea :)
If you like milky, sweet, or tar like, tea, then pine needle tea will seem just wrong.
If you like a tea that tastes of tea, appreciate a white or blue tea, not tannin heavy, and can appreciate both the smell and the taste (faintly lemony, pine, not disinfectant) then you'll look forward to having it fresh :D

I get fed up of coffee, of tanniny tea, I like the herb ones I grow or will forage; pine's a very pleasant mugful of something hot and gently fragrant.

Pine in pairs...........the only toxic ones are Yew and Yellow Pine (Ponderosa pine, not native here). Lot of mince spouted about toxicity because folks hear that yellow pine is toxic and so all pines must be toxic :rolleyes:
They're not. They are rich in both Vitamin C, and are a blessing in our cold dark fruit poor northern winters, and Vitamin A. Good agin the scurvy :D
I think there's an Australian one that's toxic too, but I've never come across it.

Never seen a Scots Pine with 6inch long needles, The Big Lebowski, up to about 3 maybe....where did you find them so long ? they'd do for basketry at that length :)

cheers,
Toddy
 

The Big Lebowski

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Aug 11, 2010
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Sunny Wales!
There's some well established tree's on an old ruined estate by me. At a guess, 200-300 years.

The picture's not the best, but if you look at the top needles, they are bound 2' onto the hazel hoop with jute.
eeA53Fd.jpg
 

Toddy

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Jan 21, 2005
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S. Lanarkshire
Lovely wreath :D
I don't think that's Scot's Pine though; might well be wrong, but Scot's pine really doesn't have long needles, it's one of the descriptive characteristics.....that said, I went looking :) and there's a Mongolian sub species that has needles up to 12cms long, about 4.5 inches
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scots_Pine

Interested to figure out your tree :) If the needles are six inches long, then they are definitely fit for basketry :D

cheers,
Toddy
 

ozzy1977

Full Member
Jan 10, 2006
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Henley
A pine with 2 needles from the same cup sounds more like corsican pine to me. Scots would be 2-4'' corsican 4-6''
 

The Big Lebowski

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Aug 11, 2010
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Sunny Wales!
Next time I'm down there I will have a better look, the wreath was a made for a friend 3 years ago.

They also make a rather nice brew :)
 

The Big Lebowski

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Aug 11, 2010
2,320
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Sunny Wales!
I now have an excuse for something to do on Monday!

Maybe it is Corsican pine and I'm wrong. There's various 'collections' on the estate, and possibly one of the largest
Yew populations I've ever seen.
 

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