Add snipped white pine needles to boiling water. Photo Courtesy: Bruce Ingram
When I asked my wife Elaine to prepare some white pine tea, she gave me a rather strange look. And after she did brew some, my spouse requested that I take the first sip. Her hesitance aside, white pine tea has well, a piney smell, and a slight citrus taste and is actually quite good for us because of its high Vitamin C content.
This tea is very easy to make. Just gather a few dozen fresh, green needles from a white pine, an evergreen that is extremely common in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Do not use needles from other evergreens, as they may be toxic. Then snip the needles into tiny bits and add them to a cup of boiling water. Cover and steep for five minutes or so, then cool (covered) for ten minutes, strain, then strain again to remove all needles, and pour into a mug. White pine tea can be drank either hot or cold. Enjoy your burst of Vitamin C!
Bruce and Elaine Ingram will profile a different wild edible every month. For more information on their book Living the Locavore Lifestyle, contact them at bruceingramoutdoors@gmail.com
