Pine Needle Tea
This is an easy foraging recipe for the nourishing and vitamin C-packed pine needle tea.
Servings: 2 people
Calories: 14kcal
Ingredients
- ½ cup (~3 needle clusters) Eastern White Pine needles See Recipe Notes
- 3 cups water
- 2 slices lemon, optional
- 1 teaspoon sugar or honey, optional (use more or less to taste)
Herbal Tea Variations (Choose 1, or use smaller amounts of each):
- 2-3 springs fresh thyme
- 2-3 springs fresh mint
Instructions
- Remove pine needles from the woody stems. Trim off any brown needles. Rinse needles with cold water. Set needles aside to dry.
- Bring tea water to a boil. Pour into a teapot, saucepan, or a French Press.
- Add needles to the water. Add any additional ingredients (except lemon). Cover pot. Steep about 15 minutes.
- Strain out the needles by pouring tea into glasses through a mesh sieve.
- Serve hot, with lemon if desired. For iced tea: make a larger batch of tea, let the tea cool slightly, and then store in a pitcher or glass jar in the fridge. Use within 2-3 days.
Video
Notes
Pine Species: Be sure to positively identify the type of pine before using the needles. Refer to post information and links for more identification information. Eastern White Pine needles grow in clusters of 5
AVOID using the following types of pine:
- Ponderosa Pine: May be harmful, especially to pregnant women
- Yew Trees (Pine Look-a-likes): Poisonous
- Any type of pine tree that you have not positively identified
Nutrition information does not include the pine needles, since they are not consumed, and information for the nutrients from the pine was not available in a nutrition database.
Nutrition
Serving: 8oz | Calories: 14kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 18mg | Potassium: 31mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 49IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg