Well they're edible. It's spruce not pine. They're not very tasty honestly. I tried to make spruce beer one time. It was beyond disgusting. It was kind of like drinking sweetened turpentine.
I've made a couple good beers with spruce tips but always use them in addition to hops and not the only flavor. They're a nice compliment to old school C-hops.
We make a Spruce Lager at my brewery every year with foraged spruce tips. The key is to ur way LESS than you think you need. We always have the option of adding more in a tea or in a muslin bag, but we have never needed too. After it ages for a bit it comes out tastes more on the citrusy side than the pine side although the pine flavor is still very present.
YES!
But they are way better for drinking then for eating. Pick half to 3/4 a bottle full of the tips, mince them, add honey and fill with vodka. It's ready after about 2 month after it's turned completely brown.
Spruce tips. Make this syrup, it’s heavenly mixed with lemon juice, vodka, mint, and sparkling water.
[Alan Bergo’s Spruce Tip Syrup](https://foragerchef.com/classic-spruce-tip-syrup/)
I remember from a botany class that all parts of a pine tree are edible but they don't taste very good and have very little nutritional value because they have so much indigestible starch.
There are a actual pines (such as ponderosa pine) with a degree of toxicity. There are trees with "pine" in their common name which are toxic (such as Norfolk Island pine), and there are plants that sometimes get lumped in with pines which are toxic (such as yew). So advice like "all pines are edible", especially to someone who clearly can't differentiate between true pines and other conifers, is dangerous.
Even if it's correct for most true pines (genus Pinus).
Steep the spruce tips in hot water for 30-60 minutes (you can go longer there is no right answer here) or so then strain and dissolve sugar into the water which you steeped the spruce tips at a 1:1 sugar to water ratio
Looks like blue spruce which in my experience is the most delicious of all! I usually cook them up in butter and garlic and serve as a side, they get so deliciously crispy when sautéed, and the flavour is just so peppery and lemony. They went so nicely with a lemon cream sauce linguine I made.
We make a syrup from spruce tips that you can use in mixed drinks. It's supposed to be good for breathing issues. Be sure to spread out your gathering evenly across the whole tree or multiple trees and not all in one place so the tree can still thrive!
Those are spruce tips, I enjoy eating them as a little nibble, I've also infused Gin with spruce tips and it turned out pretty good.
I will definitely try infusing it with my fav alcohol of choice!
Well they're edible. It's spruce not pine. They're not very tasty honestly. I tried to make spruce beer one time. It was beyond disgusting. It was kind of like drinking sweetened turpentine.
Huh. Maybe I’m unique but I love to munch down on spruce tips! I like sour candy and I liken them to it.
Me too, I love them and look forward to them every year!
I've made a couple good beers with spruce tips but always use them in addition to hops and not the only flavor. They're a nice compliment to old school C-hops.
Thanks! It seems decently citrusy enuf for me
We make a Spruce Lager at my brewery every year with foraged spruce tips. The key is to ur way LESS than you think you need. We always have the option of adding more in a tea or in a muslin bag, but we have never needed too. After it ages for a bit it comes out tastes more on the citrusy side than the pine side although the pine flavor is still very present.
YES! But they are way better for drinking then for eating. Pick half to 3/4 a bottle full of the tips, mince them, add honey and fill with vodka. It's ready after about 2 month after it's turned completely brown.
Spruce tips. Make this syrup, it’s heavenly mixed with lemon juice, vodka, mint, and sparkling water. [Alan Bergo’s Spruce Tip Syrup](https://foragerchef.com/classic-spruce-tip-syrup/)
You can infuse sugar with them too! It's delicious.
[Pickle them](https://foragerchef.com/sprucefir-tip-pickles/)
Public service announcement. All pines are conifers. Not all conifers are pines.
Spruce tips are actually really tasty in my opinion. Kinda sour and citrusy! Worth a try. But do it soon, as they wint stay new and fresh forever.
I remember from a botany class that all parts of a pine tree are edible but they don't taste very good and have very little nutritional value because they have so much indigestible starch.
There are a actual pines (such as ponderosa pine) with a degree of toxicity. There are trees with "pine" in their common name which are toxic (such as Norfolk Island pine), and there are plants that sometimes get lumped in with pines which are toxic (such as yew). So advice like "all pines are edible", especially to someone who clearly can't differentiate between true pines and other conifers, is dangerous. Even if it's correct for most true pines (genus Pinus).
Spruce tips are loaded with nutritional value like vitamin c and a.
Right, but also, this isn't a pine.
You tasted something before knowing if it's edible? You know that's how a lot of people have died, right? Never do that
I use them to make a spruce tip simple syrup which is quite tasty for cocktails
Recipe?
Steep the spruce tips in hot water for 30-60 minutes (you can go longer there is no right answer here) or so then strain and dissolve sugar into the water which you steeped the spruce tips at a 1:1 sugar to water ratio
Looks like blue spruce which in my experience is the most delicious of all! I usually cook them up in butter and garlic and serve as a side, they get so deliciously crispy when sautéed, and the flavour is just so peppery and lemony. They went so nicely with a lemon cream sauce linguine I made.
Check out justinthetrees on YouTube he has a whole eating trees series and spruce has come up a few times.
issa spruce babes
We make a syrup from spruce tips that you can use in mixed drinks. It's supposed to be good for breathing issues. Be sure to spread out your gathering evenly across the whole tree or multiple trees and not all in one place so the tree can still thrive!
Yes they are, but only a little at a time. Any more and your GI track will hate you and let you know about it.
Not pine. I'd like to know who taught half of this world that all conifers are pines