Pine needle tea

[Kiamyr]

Probably done to death here but I was wondering how exactly do you make it? I tried it earlier, but think I got the combos wrong - well something wrong as it didn't taste the greatest to be honest


Regards,

Kiamyr

 

[wolf]

pine needles steeped in hot water,cut up pine needles put in hot water,let steep for few mins,take another pine put it over cup,pour hot water on to it,the needles stay on the pine the water goes in the cup,natures tea strainer..you can use honey i suppose to sweeten it,otherwise pine tea is what it is....

 

[Kiamyr]

Ah okay, but how much of each?

 

[wolf]

thats tricky,but my advice is to try it at home with a glass cup,then you can see how green the water is becoming, then i guess its like tea,do you like it strong or weak ?

 

[oops56]

Now do you use the green ones or the brown ones on the ground also green or brown cone for filter. When i was kid we smoke the brown ones in a pipe it makes you p a lot.

 

[wolf]

green ones i wouldnt use the brown thier dead the actual pine needles you use as the strainer.

 

[oops56]

Now i am not a all out bushcrafter but i do day walk in the woods make a coffee and some noddles.Why do you have to use needles for a strainer why not your handkerchief or your shirt tail your hat [your sock last thing]

 

[Goose]

Now do you use the green ones or the brown ones on the ground also green or brown cone for filter. When i was kid we smoke the brown ones in a pipe it makes you p a lot.

It is pine needles(leaves) you use not pine cones!

 

[Razorstrop]

having drank this wonderful drink many times before....................................take your green needles, chop them very finely, add hot water , allow to brew then strain though any clean fabric you have with you ( a paper coffee filter is great).
Or go all natural and take a pine spring, twist it and break the needles and allow the tea to stew for a few mins ( up to five or so) then filter anyway you can and drink up.

IMHO its the best tea out there and its free.

Mr Strop

 

[martin]

Don't mix up Pine needles with Yew needles 'cos you'll end with a severe case of dead. You can eat the berries from the Yew but you must spit out the seeds (again toxic).

 

[Mad Mike]

Pine , Spruce , Fir ? any other conifer?

Any recommendations / favourites

I know not to use Yew

Any thing else to avoid

there is a blue spruce in my garden hmmm!

 

[Razorstrop]

Pine ,Spruce and Fir suit me just fine

Mr Strop

 

[Kiamyr]

How can you tell what a yew needle looks like?

 

[Razorstrop]

buy a tree identification book, such as Collins Mini Gem , Trees.
only costs £5 and fits in your rucksac, pocket or wherever. It has pictures and descriptions.

I wouldnt be fair for me to say it looks like this and that, if you misunderstand what I say, you could well end up rather poorly indeed.

Erring on the side of caution
Mr Strop

 

[Viking]

This is how we do it over here

Boil some water (about 1/2 Litre) add 2-3 fists of pine needles and let it boil for about 20 min. No need for chopping them up, thats for people on tv
You can add spruce or pine shots for more taste.

 

[JonnyP]

This is how we do it over here

Boil some water (about 1/2 Litre) add 2-3 fists of pine needles and let it boil for about 20 min. No need for chopping them up, thats for people on tv
You can add spruce or pine shots for more taste.

But surely, if you chopped them up, you would only have to boil them for 10 mins, saving you time and fuel.............Jon

 

[8thsinner]

This is how we do it over here

Boil some water (about 1/2 Litre) add 2-3 fists of pine needles and let it boil for about 20 min. No need for chopping them up, thats for people on tv
You can add spruce or pine shots for more taste.

I would like to point out some info from the herbal side of things.

An infusion otherwise known as tea should be made with at most table spoons of material with standard fresh supplies, teaspoon for dried. In half pint of water

Leaves and petals and other soft things should be added to boiling water and allowed to steep for around 4-6 minutes.

Stems and woodier parts should be steeped for around 8 minutes

Roots and very hard materials should be steeped for around 12 minutes

This means when making mixtures eg dandelion root and nettle leaves you should mix them at different times.

On a lot of things we would have such as pine tea it is probably fine I don't think overdosing on vit C is really possible but on other things be advised, actually boiling things for that long make the chemical constituants a lot stronger, and may become very harmfull.

Comfrey for example is fine and makes a fantastic healing herb on almost anything wrong physically, but if you took a hand full of fresh comfrey and boiled it for twenty minutes you would do some serious damage to your liver which may lead to liver disease.

Comfrey on the same note has to be limited in time also, no more than 8 weeks at a teaspoon thrice daily.....



Oh and one more thing, saying theres no need to chop them up is rubbish IMO
Without breaking the fibres open which is considerably tougher on pine needles you will not actually get a benefit from them, all your doing is tasting the broken fibre walls.

Do this little test, make three bowls worth of the same soup.
In the first bowl throw in a full clove of garlic
In the second bowl throw in a chopped clove of garlic
In the third bowl throw in a crushed clove of garlic

Then come back and tell me there is no difference.

 

[Ahjno]

Now ... where's my Christmas tree
Serious though, sounds great - especially with some honey. Cheers for sharing (and asking!!).

(Tony, could we have some Chef & Christmas smilies please? )

 

[Viking]

But surely, if you chopped them up, you would only have to boil them for 10 mins, saving you time and fuel.............Jon

Bu I am in no rush and there is plenty of fire wood

 

[Razorstrop]

Sorry Viking, weather you think its rubbish or not, it works very well for me.

Mr Strop