How to Make Pine Needle Tea

Introduction

This is a simple herbal recipe from the 19th century that is said to remedy many common illnesses. The needles of the white pine are very high in Vitamin C (more than 6 lemons!) and also contain Vitamin A.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You'll Need

• 1/2 cup fresh green white pine needles, finely chopped
• 1.5 pints water
• small pot for boiling
• honey or some other sweetner (optional)

Steps

1

Step One

Click to enlarge

Select your pine needles by picking the newest green ones from the tree. These would be the ones nearest the end of each branch, and slightly lighter green than the rest of the needles.

2

Step Two

Finely chop them until you have about 1/2 cup.

3

Step Three

Add your needles to the boiling water and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the volume of water has reduced by about 1/3.

4

Step Four

Allow it to steep for anywhere from 20 minutes to overnight, depending on how strong you like your tea. The result will be a reddish colored tea with a mild taste. Store in the refrigerator.