Foraging Wild Spruce Tips - GATHER & GROW (2024)

FAQs

Foraging Wild Spruce Tips - GATHER & GROW? ›

In early spring, spruce trees produce feathery new growth covered in brown, papery sheaths. If you pull off one of the sheathes, you'll see young needles, just beginning to expand. Young spruce tips can be harvested from the time they emerge until they begin to stiffen.

In early spring, spruce trees produce feathery new growth covered in brown, papery sheaths. If you pull off one of the sheathes, you'll see young needles, just beginning to expand. Young spruce tips can be harvested from the time they emerge until they begin to stiffen.

When identifying spruce trees for foraging, simply look for the bright green tips emerging from branches in high-spring. Then of course, look at the needle formation and color to confirm your identification. Harvesting spruce tips is very simple: pluck them off with your finger tips!

The tips of all pine trees are edible, but be sure not to confuse them with the poisonous yew tree. I tend to go for Norway spruce or Sitka spruce just because it's plentiful here.

Spruce tips can be eaten raw or blended in dishes in which you would like to increase the acidity and brightness, such as sauces or marinades for chicken, pork, tofu or white beans. You can use spruce tips in tea or a tincture, steep them in vinegar or syrup or blend them in salt or seasoning mixes.

Well, spruce tips are high in Vitamin C, chlorophyll, and carotenoids; rich in minerals such as potassium and magnesium; and they also taste great.

Harvesting fir tips is really easier than you can even imagine. All you have to do is lightly pull from the tip of the tip (hope that makes sense!), and they should come off easily. Be sure to bring a small basket of container to put the tips you've collected in.

This is an easy tip to remember: on pine trees, needles are attached and attached to the branches in clusters; on spruce trees, needles are attached individually. A longleaf pine – which you can tell is a pine because its needles are attached in bundles.

Oils, salves, creams, steams, baths and poultices can all be used to benefit the skin. Due to their antimicrobial and antiseptic properties, Spruce tips can help treat cuts, abrasions, eczema, boils, and acne. Medicinally, spruce tips can be used as a therapy to help ease lung congestion.

I store spruce tips in a plastic bag with a damp paper towel to help hold in moisture. If you'll be keeping the tips for a month or longer, make sure to keep an eye on them as they can mold. They can also be frozen, and used for my ice cream and syrup recipe below at the bottom of this post.

Are any spruce tips poisonous? ›

All parts of the tree are non-toxic. Medicinal and nutritional qualities of the spruce include help with the respiratory system; active vitamin C, which fights against colds and infections; Spruce needles contain large amounts of shikimic acid, which is a flu-fighting compound and helps fight respiratory ailments.

Lay reserved spruce tips in a single layer on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, or in a food dehydrator. Heat in dehydrator or in low oven with the door open until completely dry. Store in a cool, dark cupboard or pantry.

Spruce tips have a range of flavors depending on their stage of maturity: herbal, fruity, citrus, resinous. They play well with both sweet and savory dishes. All spruce varieties (from the pine or Pinaceae family) are edible.

Spruce: The hard amber nuggets from the spruce tree are closely tied to U.S. history. Native Americans of the Northeast originally chewed them, taking pieces on long hauls when fishing, hunting, or exploring. It moistened their mouths, cleaned their teeth, and likely had other medicinal qualities.

You will need equal parts clean, dry tips to maple syrup (or other medium.) Place the tips in a sterilized glass jar, then pour in the syrup. Make sure that it completely covers the needles. Run a clean, sterile, non-metal utensil through the mixture to dislodge any air bubbles.

It's best to plan to harvest in the spring. “The best time I've found to get spruce buds,” Harris says, “is in mid- to late spring, when the new growth is just emerging from the tree tips.” Even within that timeframe, it's worth thinking about just what flavor you hope to get from the spruce.

Picking Spruce Tips

In the spring, when the new growth starts to come out, is a great time to get food from the spruce tree. The new growth is easy to identify because it is brighter in color and the needles are soft.