Who knew? I was trying to figure out how to duplicate a recipe from a Toronto restaurant that smokes mussels over pine needles. Are they edible? Absolutely! A whole world opened up and we have two pine groves. I found this amazing blog that opened my eyes:

The Powerful Properties of Pine Trees (and other Extraordinary Evergreens)

March 2, 2012admin 14 Comments

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The Powerful Properties of Pine Trees (and other Extraordinary Evergreens)

– by Heather Gardener

If you go down to the woods today you’re
in for a big surprise; for every where a pine tree’s there, a needle
nibbler gathers her fare…feasting and foraging in the forest!

A revolution is taking place in response to our ever burgening economic crisis. This revolution will not be televised, sanitised or franchised… its a downsized Wild Revolution!

People are swopping the supermarkets for
the forest, and realising that the contents of their teapot or blender
need not come from a plastic package of dubious origin and unknown
length of storage, but from natures cornicopia. Most of us are by now
familar with the possibility, if not the practice, of picking greens from our backyard or park to add to our diet.

Did you realise that trees also come bearing gifts of nutritious bounty? Most trees have edible parts such as leaves, bark, blossom and fruit; but even in the depths of winter, it is still possible to gather nutritious nibbles in the forest from the Evergreen family.

Edible Evergreens

Most Evergreen trees are edible, but for safety and simplicity, stick to the Pine, Fir and Spruce family.

It was discovered back in the days of
scurvy that these trees are extremely high in Vitamin C, as well as
vitamin A, quercetin, flavonoids, anthocyanins and volitile oils that
are beneficial for respiratory conditions,coughs, colds and flus as well
as being anti inflamatory.

Pine Power

The pine has been revered and used all
over the world. It was used as a traditional remedy by the Native
American Indians, and there is a Taoist practice of surviving only on
pine needles to gain supernatural powers that has its roots in the pine
tree’s symbolism of integrity and honour. The Scandinavians used pine
branches in saunas, and many cultures stuffed mattresses with pine
needles to repel lice, fleas, and other insects. In fact, pine-needle
mattresses are still used today in the Swiss Alps, as a remedy for
rheumatism.

According to Ben Charles Harris’s book ‘Eat the Weeds’, a cup of pine needle tea may supply five times as much vitamin C as in a lemon.

Studies in both China and Russia have also found it to be Anti-Fungal,
Anti-Bacterial & Anti-Viral, AntiOxidant & Anti-Aging, Helpful
for Weight, Cholesterol & High blood pressure, Relieves Sore, Aching
Muscles, Stimulating to the Liver, Astringent for the Bladder, Relaxing
to the Mind and Stress Relieving, AND Helpful in Restoring Overall
Balance to The Body! (Wow! Now wasn’t that a mouthful!)

Identification

Pine trees usually have quite long needles, sometimes up to 8 inches.

Spruce and fir have much shorter needles, with the fir being more sparse.

A tree identification book and some rambles in your area will reveal what varieties you have for your tasty Pine Potion adventures.

Caution

Start out slowly to avoid any ill effects. These trees contain concentrated chemical compounds!

Do NOT consume evergreen tree parts if pregnant or breastfeeding.

Pine Needle Tea

• ½ cup of pine needles
  (or other needles from fir or spruce trees)

Crush the needles slighly & add to a
pot of boiling water (3-4 cups). Simmer for 15-20 mins, or simply steep
the needles in not yet boiling water.

You can add a spoon of honey or other
liquid sweetener (maple syrup, agave, etc), as well as herbs such as
rosemary or green tea, to this wonderfully aromatic brew.

Left over tea can be added to a bath, poured over the stones in a sauna, or used as a rinse for the hair to combat dandruff!

According to Wikipedia, Vitamin C may
not be desroyed by high temperatures but will instead leach into the
water; if this is the case, we will not be loosing the Vitamin C by
drinking this infusion.

Sergei Boutenko’s Douglas Fir Green Smoothie Recipe

• 10 Tips of Douglas Fir
  (gather the fresh young tips in spring)
• 2 cups of spinach or your favourite green
• 2 bananas
• 2 cups of water

Simply blend and Enjoy!

Swap recipes around with different young
green tips of either Spruce or Pine. Use some foraged Wild Edibles
instead of Spinach, and add in some berries to boost the Vitamin C
content for Winter Wellness. For example, add in freshly foraged
rosehips!

The fresh green spring tips are also
great to add to salads. You can also run a few needles through your
juicer to add extra oompf to your juices.

Alternatively, take 10-15 fresh pine needles and chew them thoroughly. Swallow the juice, but spit what is left of the needles!

Pine Needle Vinegar or Oil

• 500ml Glass Jar
• 500ml of either Cyder Vinegar or Organic Cold Pressed Oil
• Several handfuls of Pine Needles

Make
sure the jar is very clean and dry. Slightly crush the pine needles
with a rolling pin and pack them into the jar. Pour on as much vinegar
or oil to fill and cover the jar. Allow to infuse for up to 6 weeks.
Strain and use or if you wanted a stronger infusion, or pack in more
fresh crushed needles. For a more balsamic tasting vinegar, add a
tablespoon of coconut sugar.

Both are wonderful aditions to salad
dressings. The vinegar is also great to take in a cup of warm lemon and
honey to ward of colds and flus, while the oil is great to massage tired
aching limbs.

Pine is also reputed to relieve skin
conditions, such as psoriasis. You can use the oil or make an ointment
to rub on irritated skin or fungal infections.

Spruce Butter

Melt a pound of coconut oil gently over a bain marie, then add ¼ cup of young fresh spruce tips.

Allow to infuse for a couple of hours or overnight. Melt the oil again and strain out the needles.

Use as a flavoursome butter or to add an interesting twist to your recipes. Good as a tonic for the hair and skin as well!

Pine Needle Sugar or Honey

Place crushed pine needles into a jar of honey or coconut sugar and leave for several weeks or months.

Use in teas, desserts or other creative concoctions. For variety, add peices of lemon or orange peel to flavour.

Sergei’s Pine Needle Toothbrush

Pine resin is great for removing sugars from the teeth.

Simply chew up some pine needles until it makes a ball and scrub your teeth with it!

Pine Bouquet Garnish

Make a little bunch out of
sprigs of pine, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves and tie together with a
little hemp or organic cotton string.

Drop it into the pot if you’re making a
stew, soup or grain based cooked dish and allow the flavours to permeate
the dish before removing.

Pine Cones & Needles Potpourri

Bring the outdoors in with the refreshing fragrance of pine.

• 6 cups dried pine needles (not brown)
• 2 cups small pine cones
• 2 cup dried orange peel
• 1 cup dried rosehips
• 1 cup dried rose & marigold petals
• 1 cup broken cinnamon sticks
• 4 tablespoons of orris root (optional)
• 15 to 20 drops of oil of pine (more or less as desired)

In a bowl, place the oil on the orris
root if using. Orris root is traditionally used to fix scent. Otherwise,
sprinkle the oil on the pine cones, and gently mix all the ingredients
together.

To use, place into open containers throughout the house. Add more essential oil as needed.

Keep out of reach from children and animals.

Preserving your Needles

To freeze, just snip the needles into smaller pieces and place in a zip lock bag in the freezer until ready to use.

You can also dehydrate them, or dry out over a stove or in an airing cupboard.

When dry, you can store in a jar, or
more interestingly you can process them to a powder in your blender and
use to add an aromatic flavour to various recipes.

Wild Pine Pollen

Wild pine pollen is reputed to be very high in natural testosterone. It can be gathered in the spring when the buds are blooming!

Cover the tip of a branch with a plastic bag and shake the branch vigourously to collect the pollen in the bag.