Pine Trees: Can you believe the Hype?

Anyone who knows me, knows that there are certain truths to who I am and how I live: 1. My background/history comes from family members on a Native American reservation, and to this day I have many habits that stem from that. 2. I believe that God put all the plants on this earth for a reason. And if we just listen to the land, it will tell us what we need to know. And how we need to use it. Saying that, anyone that knows me knows that I hate pine trees. I absolutely think they are a nuisance on most days. I live on about 25 acres of land in Georgia that just seem to get swallowed up by those thin, tall trees that sway everywhere, cascading the pollen over everything like a blanket of germs and allergies. They seem to drop little sprigs of trees in everything: gardens, flower beds, driveways. . .

I just can’t seem to get away from the pine trees. Over the past couple of years, though, I have started to change the narrative on those trees in my life. Once a constant complaint of mess and mayhem, now I see the beauty in all that they have to offer. So, I am here to confess that, yes, the hype is real. First, the environmental advantages: Did you know that pine trees can remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere? They stop soil erosion, and let’s not get started on the value for all the animals that call them home. Additionally, unlike many evergreen trees, the pine tree is deer resistant and does not have many significant pest or disease problems. Sounds good so far, right? Pine trees have been used for things as far back as anyone can research. When cavemen discovered fire, pine resin of pine cones were key to keeping the fires lit throughout the night. As the resin combined with moisture on the cones, fires would burn for hours longer providing the warmth and heat needed to survive. Moving into the time period of Native Americans, pine trees found their importance in more symbolic and spiritual ways. Specifically, the tribes found pines to symbolize peace, and they would burn the bark to ward off evil spirits and protect from negative energies. The Pine tree represented immortality in the Far East due to its long life span and its peculiar sap. What about pine trees and my love of crafts? Everyone has seen all the crafts that you can make with pine cones. The wood has good elasticity which makes it a good construction material for houses, furniture, etc. Pine trees are used commercially to make paper. The needles can be made into baskets, pots, and trays. Pick some pine needles and let them soak in boiling water on your stove and it will add a crisp pine smell all over the house. Perfect for Christmas.

But my true love for pine trees comes from the food and medicinal side. So much to offer but be warned: there are about twenty pine species that are considered toxic, so if you decide to forage off pine trees yourself, make sure you have identified exactly what you are picking and that it is safe. So, let’s start with the medicinal aspects of this tree. So many great things to talk about! First, let’s dive into the use of pine needles. My two favorite ways to use the pine needles medicinally is either pine needle tea, or pine needle tincture. Needles can be foraged most of the year, but are freshest and tastiest when collected in the spring months when the new tips are just appearing and are bright green and flexible, as these are when they are highest in vitamin C. These can be either used straight away to make pine needle tea or dried out and used at a later date during the winter months when respiratory tract infections are more common. Simply chop up the needles, bring some water to the boil, then add in your needles and simmer on a lower heat for about 5 minutes, before drinking what can only be described as a ‘taste of Christmas’. Pine needle tincture is made by steeping pine needles in alcohol for about a month to extract their beneficial compounds. If you prefer to avoid alcohol, you can use vinegar or glycerin, though they will extract slightly different compounds. The early Americans and Indians used pine needle tea throughout the winter to maintain strength, and taught settlers how to use pine to prevent winter scurvy. Pine needles also contain shikimic acid, which is actually an ingredient that when processed helps reduce the flu virus from reproducing. In fact, shikimic acid is actually used in the drug Tamiflu. Other benefits: 1. Pine needle tea is rich in vitamin C (5 times the concentration of vitamin C found in lemons) and can bring relief to conditions such as heart disease, varicose veins, skin complaints and fatigue. It has been used throughout history to help fight off scurvy. 2. Vitamin C is also an immune system booster which means that pine needle tea can help to fight illness and infections. 3. Pine needle tea also contains high levels of Vitamin A, which is good for your eyesight, improves hair and skin regeneration and improves red blood cell production. 4. It can be used as an expectorant (helps loosen mucus so you can cough it up more easily) and to help relieve chest congestion; it is also good for sore throats. 5. It brings you clarity and mental clearness. 6. It can help with depression, obesity (it speeds up one’s metabolism), allergies and high blood pressure. It can balance blood sugars. 7. The tea is effective in maintaining a healthy heart. 8. It is well known as an anti-inflammatory treatment. 9. The pine needle tea can aid endurance during strenuous exercise. 10. It is said to improve Erectile Dysfunction (Blood Flow) 11. Pine needles contain antioxidants. These reduce free radicals, which are harmful to humans and can cause disease. These antioxidants assist in protecting the skin from any damage. They offer protection from harmful UVB rays and may reduce hyperpigmentation and improve skin barrier function. 12. Pine needle tea is particularly recommended to treat diseases resulting from nerve malfunction, neuralgic disorders and rheumatism.

13. Taoist priests drank pine needle tea as they believed it made them live longer. There is researched evidence that pine needle tea can help to slow the ageing process. Externally, pine needles are added into lotions, salves or bath salts for skin care. Because pine is astringent, it reduces pore size and fine wrinkles. And pine is a powerful antioxidant which means that it may help to prevent premature aging and may even help to reverse skin damage. Adding pine needles to homemade bath salts can help relieve headaches, soothe nerves, relieve muscle pain and treat skin irritation. A pine needle hair rinse can be used to treat dandruff and eczema while adding shine to your hair. The softer inner bark can be used as a poultice or, when taken internally, can effectively treat constipation, burns, and sores. You can add it to a bath, along with young pine tree shoots, to soothe arthritic pain and for skin problems. Research shows that bathing in pine can lower blood pressure, reduce blood glucose levels, reduce stress hormones in the blood, increase feelings of relaxation and well-being, support digestion, improve sleep, reduce cancer cells, and improve immune function without triggering pre-existing autoimmune disease. The bark contains tannins that science has since shown to support healthy cell function. A powder made from the outer bark of pine trees is even sold as a modern dietary supplement, which the manufacturer claims “may support healthier cardiovascular and circulatory function.” In traditional Chinese medicine, pine resin is used for burns, wounds and skin problems. Pitch from pine, fir, and spruce has been used to create drawing salves for the removal of splinters, and the treatment of stings, bites, inflammation, joint pain, and infections. The pitch is a resin exuded from the tree in response to injury. You may notice if you prune a pine tree, when you go back weeks later, there will be abundant pitch exuded from the tree in response to the wound. Pine pitch was traditionally harvested by making large wounds in the tree bark. Pitch is used to manufacture turpentine, pine tar, and essential oils. Pine essential oil, which is closely related to Eucalyptus oil in terms of the health benefits, is beneficial to inhale if you are suffering with respiratory infections as it can help ease respiratory congestion, reduce coughing and ease breathing. For sinusitis symptoms, pine oil inhalation not only helps relieve congestion but also eases headaches, which can worsen due to the congestion. 4-5 drops of pine oil can be put in a bowl of almost boiling water and then inhaled deeply for several minutes. Alternatively, you can add pine oil to a bath and inhale it whilst submerged in its woody aromas. This has an added mental health benefit too as pine oil has shown to uplift mood and also be helpful in many skin symptoms such as eczema, acne and athlete’s foot.

Pine Needle Cough Syrup Take one tablespoon (15ml) every two hours as needed to ease a cough, relieve chest congestion, or to soothe a dry and scratchy throat. This syrup is safe for children ages 2 and older, but be sure to give the little ones a smaller dose. Pine Needle syrup should not be given to children under the age of one due to the raw honey.

Ingredients 1 1/4 cup water 1 cup fresh pine needles 1/2 cup raw honey

Instructions 1. Bring the water to a boil then pour it over the pine needles in a pint mason jar. For a stronger pine needle flavor you can boil the pine needles in the water for a few minutes before taking off the heat. (Just be aware that this does diminish some of the vitamin C content). 2. Let the infusion steep until the water has cooled to room temperature, then strain out the pine needles and stir in the honey. 3. Store the syrup in a covered jar in the refrigerator and it will keep for 2-4 weeks. If you’d like to increase the shelf life of this syrup, freeze it in baggies or ice cube trays and then thaw as needed before use.

Amazing things, these pine trees. And yet, there is more. My all-time favorite part: the food. All (or almost all) of the pine tree is edible. I know, right?!! So, let’s get to talking about food! The edible portions of the pine tree are, among others:

• Pine nuts or pignoli are the seeds. Together with parmesan cheese and basil, they form the base of pesto. Or roast them for use in salads and toppings for roasted vegetable dishes.

• Pine pollen can be used to replace flour in most recipes, provided you don’t replace more than 1/4 of the total amount.

• The inner bark is edible in its raw form and can also be ground into a substitute flour that can thicken soups and stews. It contains about 1/4 of the calories as wheat flour and is perfect to make bark bread. The outer bark, although a little more bitter, can also be ground into flour to help bread and crackers keep.

• The needles are edible, and they’ll add a citrusy, sometimes spicy flavor to cocktails, baked goods, savory dishes, and more.
  

I have found different ways to cook young pine tree shoots, and when you add them to vegetables at the end of cooking or toss some in mixed salads, their taste will surprise you. Previously, young stems were very much appreciated in cooking by the Iroquois American Indians. They snacked and ate them raw. This dietary habit was also familiar to the American Indians of British Columbia who would also chew on raw shoots from other pine tree species. Others prefer to steam those young pine shoots and serve them after just a few minutes’ worth of steaming. Dipped in salad dressing or mustard, it’s delicious!

Still not convinced? Some recipes to try:

Douglas Fir Infused Eggnog ● 4 cups whole milk ● 4 eggs yolks and whites separated ● 1/3 cup Douglas fir needles cleaned and chopped ● 1/3 cup organic sugar ● 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon ● 1/4 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg ● OPTIONAL: rum or bourbon to preference Instructions 1. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, bring milk and fir needles to a low simmer. DO not boil. Simmer over low heat for 20-30 minutes. 2. Meanwhile combine egg yolks, sugar, and the spices. Whisk until light yellow and thick. 3. Pour milk/needle infusion through a fine mesh sieve; discard needles. SLOWLY whisk hot milk infusion into the yolk/sugar mixture. 4. Return mixture to a small saucepan, by first pouring it through a fine-mesh sieve. Over low heat, return to a simmer and cook until mixture thickens slightly and begins to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and chill completely.

5. Before serving whip egg whites to stick peaks. Gently fold whites into the eggnog. Add alcohol at this time if desired according to your personal tastes. Ladle into a glass and serve. Consume within 2 hours.

Pine Needle Shortbread Cookies 14 Tbsp (2 sticks minus 2 Tbsp) unsalted butter softened 3/4 cup sugar 1 egg yolk 2 Tbsp orange juice 1 Tbsp orange zest 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour 1/2 cup arrowroot powder or cornstarch 1/4 cup pine needles 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground cloves pinch salt 1. Finely mince the pine needles. It may be easiest to pulse them a few times in a food processor or blender. 2. Cream together the butter and sugar, then add the egg yolk, orange juice and orange zest, and stir to combine. Then add the flour, arrowroot, minced pine needles, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. 3. Gently stir everything together until the dough barely holds together. It will seem a bit floury, but that’s ok. Take the dough out of the bowl and use your hands to form it into a flat disk. 4. Wrap it up in parchment paper and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until firm. You can store the dough for several days in the fridge, or for several weeks in the freezer if need be. 5. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 300°F. 6. Roll out the dough onto a floured board to about 1/4 inch thick, and use cookie cutters to cut into desired shapes. You can alternatively shape the dough into a log before refrigerating it, and then slice the cookies into rounds. 7. Put the cut cookies onto a parchment (or silicone mat) lined cookie sheet about an inch or so apart. If you want to get fancy and have a pretty garnish on your cookies, gently press a redwood (or other conifer) tip into the top of the cookie. 8. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until just beginning to turn golden brown on the edges. The centers will still be just barely soft. These were done right at 25 minutes, so keep a close watch on them after that. Remove from the oven and let them cool for a bit on the cookie sheet before transferring to a cooling rack.

Pine Needle Jelly

● 1 C white pine needles fresh or dried ● 4 C water ● 1/4 C lemon juice or juice of 2 lemons ● 5.5 C granulated sugar ● 1 box Sure-Jell pectin

Prepare the jars and canner: 1. Place your jars, lids and rings in the oven and preheat the oven at 210 degrees F until you are ready to use the jars. This is important as you should place room temperature jars into boiling water. 2. Fill the bottom of the water bath canner with water and place on the stovetop.

Prepare the jelly: 1. In your saucepan, add the water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in the pine needles. 2. Allow the needles to steep, in the water, for 20-25 minutes. 3. Strain the needles and compost/toss. Keep the strained water and add your lemon juice and pectin and stir well to combine. 4. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat stirring frequently. Add sugar and continue to stir to combine. Once the jelly returns to a boil, allow it to boil for 2-4 minutes stirring frequently.

Test the jelly: Testing the jelly: put a cereal spoon in a cup of ice water; take a spoon of the jelly and allow it to come to room temp on the spoon. If it results in a consistency that you are happy with, then the jelly is ready to be canned. If not, stir in a tsp or more of pectin and bring to a boil for an additional minute or two.

Process the jelly: Place jars in your water bath canner on an elevated rack. Lower the rack into the canner with the hot water. Add water around the jars so that the water covers the jars by at least 1" (jars should not be touching). Cover the canner with the lid. Process the jars in your water bath canner for 10 minutes - the time starts when the water starts to boil.

After processing the jelly: 1. After the jars have processed, carefully remove them from the water bath canner and allow them to stand upright on a towel as they cool. Let the jars sit, undisturbed for up to 24 hours. As they cool, the jars will seal (and you will hear a "ping") - avoid pushing the lid down on the center of the jar until the jars are completely cooled. The jelly may take up to 24 hours to set. 2. Once the jars are cooled, check the seal by pushing the middle of the lid with your finger - it should not bounce back. If it does, the jars are not sealed and will need to be reprocessed. If you don't want to reprocess, you can refrigerate those jars and use them first. 3. Once the jars are cooled, check the seal by pushing the middle of the lid with your finger - it should not bounce back. If it does, the jars are not sealed and will need to be reprocessed. If you don't want to reprocess, you can refrigerate those jars and use them first. 4. Label your jars and store in a cool pantry for up to 12 months. Once opened, refrigerated jars may be used within 3 weeks. Pine Needle Soda – make natural soda with pine needles

● 2 cup pine needles ● 2½ cup water (use bottled or filtered water) ● 4 tbsp sugar

INSTRUCTIONS 1. Collect pine needles from pine trees. Remove woody ends from the pine needles. Put pine needles in a large bowl, immerse them with cold water, wash and drain for 3 times. 2. Spread washed pine needles on a wire rack, let dry on your countertop for about 1 hour. 3. Place pine needles and sugar to a flip top glass bottle. 4. Fill the bottle with filtered or bottled water. 5. Close the lid and give the bottle a good shake, so that the sugar is distributed evenly. 6. In cold weather, you can put the bottle by a window so that the water is under the sunlight. In hot weather, keep the bottle in a bright room but avoid direct sunlight. 7. 3 days later, fill a cup with ice cubes and a few slices of lemon. Open the bottle and pour the pine needle soda over the ice cubes. Stir and enjoy.

Mugolio: Pine Cone Syrup ● 2 cups pine cones (soft enough to be cut with a knife) ● 2 cups (16 oz) organic brown sugar or other brown sugar, just not white which is dry and makes a clear syrup. Most people recommend Turbinado, which is a slightly more dry sugar than commercial brown sugars, but it has an excellent flavor.

Instructions Maceration 1. Rinse the cones in warm water to remove any foreign particles if needed. I don't usually wash them. Inspect your cones for any that have holes or insects and discard. 2. Combine the sugar and pine cones and pack into a quart jar, then allow to macerate (age) for 30 days. Put the jars in a sunny place where they will get warm during the day, which will help ward off mold. 3. During the first few weeks of maceration, open the jar occasionally to release carbon dioxide as the mixture will ferment vigorously. Shake it occasionally to help it on it's journey. 4. As the cones release their water, the volume of the contents in the jar will decrease. If you have more cones and sugar, you can add it to fill up the jar.

Finishing and storing 1. After the maceration is complete, scrape the sugar slush and pine cones into a pot, bring to a brisk simmer and heat through to melt the sugar, then strain and bottle. Discard the cooked cones and thank them for their service. 2. All you need to do is bring the temperature up and melt the sugar, if you reduce the syrup too much it will crystalize after it cools. For the amounts listed it should take about 5-10 minutes. 3. The syrup is stable at room temperature since the fermentation lowers the pH, but will keep the best flavor in the fridge. It can also be water bath processed.

Other suggestions:

For an entrée or hearty side, indulge in some sautéed mushrooms with pine tips and chives, or a tantalizing pilaf with lemony spruce tips and pine nuts. Take some basil and garlic and make a wonderful pesto. Make a viniagrette marinade to put over vegetables. If you have some spruce tips left over, just pickle them!

Good luck!