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Thread: pine needle tea

  1. #1
    Senior Member wareagle69's Avatar
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    Default pine needle tea

    so i always wonder when reading a book or a thread on the net where it talks about pine needle tea being a tasty refreshing bush tea, i'll agree with healthy but tasty, hmm been drinking balsam tea past couple of days, tastes like a christmas tree to me, love the smell just not the taste worse with honey in it, like coffee i am sure it is an aquired taste, but i like blueberry or sweetgale better, was planing on some dried sweet fern tonight but am out of cheesecloth and coffee filters so that will have to wait until tommorrow, oh yeah what i was wondering was, how many authors that write about this stuff actually have partaken in said beverages
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    Senior Member hunter63's Avatar
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    I would imagine that there is a difference between "having to drink it" and "wanting to drink it"
    All they are trying to tell you that it won't kill you, (at least right away).
    Used to wonder about all that stuff myself, you know the Euell Gibbons "wild foods".

    I think Bear Grylls as well as Les both made that drink some on one of their "adventures"
    Keep up the good work, so we will all know what to try.
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    reclinite automaton canid's Avatar
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    no, some people actually like it. not me, too much, but i can live with it.

    beats gum/eucalyptus, as wild teas go, but i prefer blackberry, chickory, spearmint, nettle, etc.

    to each, indeed their own.
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    Voice in the Wilderness preachtheWORD's Avatar
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    I've had pine needle tea ... and it tastes like pine needles. If you've ever managed to get pine rosin in your mouth, that's pretty much what the tea is like.
    If you add some fresh birch twigs it becomes MUCH more palatable. I used black birch - I don't if other birches have that natural minty flavor.

    Bottom line - pine needle tea is better than drinking plain hot water, but it sure isn't anything to sing about by itself.
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    Senior Member Old GI's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by preachtheWORD View Post
    I've had pine needle tea ... and it tastes like pine needles. If you've ever managed to get pine rosin in your mouth, that's pretty much what the tea is like.
    If you add some fresh birch twigs it becomes MUCH more palatable. I used black birch - I don't if other birches have that natural minty flavor.

    Bottom line - pine needle tea is better than drinking plain hot water, but it sure isn't anything to sing about by itself.
    Wish I had known that in 1978 when I had to drink a lot of it.
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    Senior Member Tootsiepop254's Avatar
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    Sounds nasty to me. This is actually healthy?
    Cheer up, the worst is yet to come.

  7. #7
    reclinite automaton canid's Avatar
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    in some areas, during winter months, this is one of the only source of chlorophy and plant vitamins traditionally available. it's chock full of those [and pine resin].

    if you don't go overboard with it, it's not bad, it's just not particularly my... cup of tea.

    i have big folger's canisters full of slow dried garden greens, like mustard. it's another good [and lightweight] way of keeping greens in the winter, though i don't exactly need to store them around here.
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    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    You guys are a bunch of sissies. I happen to like tea from white pine (Pinus strobus). It really has a "clean" taste. I don't know how to describe it other than that. If you try spruce of some of the other pines then I do agree with the pine taste but white pine is different.

    I generally don't break or cut the needles up but just drop them in hot, not boiling, water for 5 minutes. Then take them out. I think it's pretty refreshing.
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    reclinite automaton canid's Avatar
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    i said i like it alight, just not a lot.
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    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    Oooooh. Huh?
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    Senior Member Old GI's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rick View Post
    You guys are a bunch of sissies. I happen to like tea from white pine (Pinus strobus). It really has a "clean" taste. I don't know how to describe it other than that. If you try spruce of some of the other pines then I do agree with the pine taste but white pine is different.

    I generally don't break or cut the needles up but just drop them in hot, not boiling, water for 5 minutes. Then take them out. I think it's pretty refreshing.
    Well, that explains it.
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    Senior Member Tootsiepop254's Avatar
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    Now I need to find a white pine and try this...
    Cheer up, the worst is yet to come.

  13. #13
    reclinite automaton canid's Avatar
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    any pine. you can do the same with fir aswell, and probably many others.
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    Senior Member Tootsiepop254's Avatar
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    How is it made? Just add the needles to boiling water?
    Cheer up, the worst is yet to come.

  15. #15
    Lumpy chair made me do it oly's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tootsiepop254 View Post
    Sounds nasty to me. This is actually healthy?
    Hasn't anyone told you that if it tastes good, it is bad for you? and if it tastes bad them its good for you?
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  16. #16
    Senior Member Tootsiepop254's Avatar
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    Nope. That's why I'm so round.
    Cheer up, the worst is yet to come.

  17. #17
    Super Moderator crashdive123's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tootsiepop254 View Post
    How is it made? Just add the needles to boiling water?
    Opinions vary. Probably best to find out what works for you. I have chopped the needles a bit and steeped them for about 10 minutes. Not something I want to drink a gallon of, but a good source of vitamins. I have also put them in boiling water unchopped. The taste was lighter. Letting it cool and drinking as a cold drink - not too bad at all. All a matter of personal taste.
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  18. #18
    Lumpy chair made me do it oly's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tootsiepop254 View Post
    Nope. That's why I'm so round.
    Glacier lily is sweet in the spring time, but you must positively identify the plant first
    Last edited by oly; 10-24-2009 at 09:22 PM.
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  19. #19
    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    Any time you make a light tea (such as pine) it's best to use water that is less than boiling. About 185F. And only let it steep about 4-5 minutes. Otherwise, the tea will turn bitter because you are leaching too much out of the "leaf". A very dark tea can be steeped in boiling water.

    Where's Winnie? I'll bet she can tell us how to make tea!

    As for finding White Pine, you can't mistake it. The needles are in bundles of 5. It's easy peasy. I like blue spruce pretty well, too. It has a much stronger flavor but the danged needles are as sharp as stick pins. Not worth that much trouble.

    EDIT: Oops. I had to edit the temp.
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  20. #20
    Super Moderator crashdive123's Avatar
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    She's probably still in France. I'll bet wine tasting has been added to her repertoire.
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