Pine Needle Tea
Free vitamin C and warmth anywhere conifers grow.
- calories
- 20
- weight
- 0.2 oz
- cal / oz
- 100
- protein
- 0 g
- serves
- 1, scales
- prep
- 2 min
- cook
- 5 min
- total time
- 7 min
- water
- 250 ml boiled
- cost
- $
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Drink
- Canister stove
- Alcohol / Esbit
- Liquid fuel
- Campfire coals
- Backpacking
- Car camping
- Day hike
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
- Dairy free
- Gluten free
- Nut free
- One pot
- Grab and go
- Shelf stable
- Dump and stir
Ingredients
| Fresh pine needles | small handful | from young branches, any temperate pine species |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar | 1 tsp |
Method
- Gather a small handful of fresh pine needles from a young branch near camp.
- Place needles in a cup or mug.
- Pour 250 ml of just-boiled water over them.
- Let steep for five minutes.
- Stir in the sugar.
- Drink while hot.
Pine needle tea costs nothing to make anywhere evergreens grow. Young needles from any temperate pine taste bright and sharp—nothing like the grim survival-manual story of boiling tree bark.
Five minutes of steeping is your practical minimum for real flavor and benefit. Sugar turns it from a medicinal obligation into something you will actually want to drink, but the real advantage is that you gathered it at camp, not carried it.
Packing
No packing needed if you gather fresh at camp. To carry pine needles from home, dry them in a paper bag first, then store in a small ziplock—they will keep all season.
Variations
- Steep for ten minutes instead of five to extract more medicinal qualities.
- A pinch of cinnamon or a dried cranberry can steep alongside the needles.
https://urbansurvivalsite.com/how-to-eat-a-pine-tree