When I was in grade school my friend Ginger and I used to harvest wild edibles and make pine needle tea. This tea smelled like our old pine tea but its much more subtle in flavor. I suppose we had straight fresh needles and these are dried so you lose the turpentine and sap tastes which is a very good thing. I found it surprisingly floral with a light pine mist (reminds me of midway up a piney mountain on a hot summer day). I will definitely be getting more of this but I also have 7 different types of pines right outside my door and it got me to wondering what it would taste like if I harvested some of their needles (torrey pine? black pine? ) I’ve only had white pine before. Of course I’m not a master blender so it wont’ get the floral part.
Flavors: Floral, Pine
Preparation
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The pine in this tea is actually processed like an oolong. It’s partially oxidized and lightly roasted :)
I highly recommend wildcrafting from your trees! The difference in taste is interesting to note between species, and also a few days after rain. :)
I am not sure I want to wait for rain (with luck that should be nov or dec but last year there was none) I do have some lovely young torrey pines and I think I will have to try their needles out. I realized the stone pine is too tall for me to get fresh needles (there are “oxidized” ones under the tree but not the sort of oxidation one would wish). I know the Norfolk (which is not a true pine) is poisonous. I’ll have to check the torrey before I try it!
The pine in this tea is actually processed like an oolong. It’s partially oxidized and lightly roasted :)
I highly recommend wildcrafting from your trees! The difference in taste is interesting to note between species, and also a few days after rain. :)
I am not sure I want to wait for rain (with luck that should be nov or dec but last year there was none) I do have some lovely young torrey pines and I think I will have to try their needles out. I realized the stone pine is too tall for me to get fresh needles (there are “oxidized” ones under the tree but not the sort of oxidation one would wish). I know the Norfolk (which is not a true pine) is poisonous. I’ll have to check the torrey before I try it!