Pine Needle Tea

Pine Needle Tea is a refreshing foraged drink that boosts the immune system and warms the soul during the darkest of winter days.

I don’t want to let my inner hippie shine too brightly right now, but I am a firm believer that Pachamama (Mother Earth) provides you with exactly what you need at the time you need it most.

Case in point: it’s the middle of winter. You’re tired, drained, and feel a possible case of the sniffles coming on.

Looking for something to treat your ailment, you glance out the doorway of your thatched hut (I forgot to mention that you live in a thatched hut).

The landscape is seemingly barren, save for a few green entities.

Pine trees.

Yes, the common conifer tree can be use to make a brew loaded with immune-boosting vitamins.

Once again Mother Earth saves the day. Isn’t she a wonderful lady?

Pine Needle Tea Benefits

Several benefits of pine needle tea include:

• Rich in Vitamin C: a cup of pine needle tea contains more than 4 times the amount of Vitamin C found in a glass of orange juice.
• High levels of Vitamin A: pine needles are a great source of Vitamin A, which is good for eyesight and immunity.
• Expectorant properties: the tea can be used to ease chest congestion and alleviate sore throats.
• Antioxidants: pine needles are also a great source of antioxidants, which protect your cells from free radicals.
• Refreshing taste: not surprisingly, the tea has a delightful, piney taste.

Pine Needle Tea FAQ

How to Identify Pine Trees

Half the fun of making pine needle tea is venturing outdoors to find some pine needles.

Spotting pine trees is particularly a piece of cake in the winter months—just look for something tall and green.

During this particular winter expedition, I came across a grove of Loblolly pines.

The Loblolly is identified by its height (90-110 feet when fully mature), scaly bark, and 3 to 6 inch cones that are tipped with spines. It is an extremely common tree here in the Southeast.

Fun fact: the Loblolly pine is the most common tree in the U.S. behind the red maple.

A key identifying characteristic of pine trees is that the needles form in clusters, as opposed to single needles sprouting directly out of the branch.

Another really cool identification trick is that the number of needles in the cluster to help identify the particular kind of pine tree.

In this case, the Loblolly has three needles per node.

In contrast, the Eastern White Pine–another common pine tree in this area–has five needles per cluster.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Don’t make tea out of anything that you can’t 100% identify. Some types of evergreens like Cypress and Yew trees are toxic. Also, don’t drink pine needle tea if you are pregnant or nursing.

How to Make Pine Needle Tea

Start by rinsing the pine needles, and removing any woody ends from them.

Then, chop the pine needles into roughly 1/2 inch pieces. I’ve found that kitchen shears work great for this.

Add about 2 heaping tablespoons of chopped needles to a cup or mug and pour in 8 ounces of boiling water.

Cover the mug with a lid or plate and allow the needles to steep for 10-15 minutes. They will turn brownish and start sinking to the bottom of the mug.

As an optional step, you can strain the needles after steeping.

Add squeeze of lemon and some honey to the tea if you desire. Enjoy!

More Tasty Foraged Recipes:

• Sautéed Chicken of the Woods
• Skillet Pork Chops with Chanterelles and Figs
• Rock Tripe

This post was originally published on February 19, 2018 and last updated September 20, 2020.

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