Spruce Tip Syrup

I was given a bottle of Spruce Tip Syrup, about 3 OZ. Do I have something for my pancakes or something for my medicine cabinet?

 

it is most likely one of many ingredients for making spruce beer, a colonial favorite.

 

Thanks, randyt you got me thinking. I found this link, and others. It would appear it is indeed a food additive. I didn't find spruce beer though.
https://foragerchef.com/caramelized-spruce-tip-syrup/

 

here ya go

https://www.alloutdoor.com/2019/06/12/make-spruce-beer-colonial-rations/

 

THE MEDICINE CABINET!!!
Spruce tips are high in vitamin C and contain an oil that is antimicrobial, antibacterial and immune-stimulating and can be used as a salve for skin rashes, cold sores, skin rashes, dry skin, bug bites and as a rub for chest congestion, joint aches, headaches, and arthritis.

 

Thanks Justin.

 

Does anyone know if you can also make this syrup using pine, as opposed to Spruce? I would love to give this a go, but I don't think Spruce is a common tree here in Aus, unless you buy one from the nursery. We have a lot of pine trees in the forests however.

 

not to say it's not doable but I cannot recall pine pitch being used for food. It is usually used for pitch glue. I have often wondered about pine nuts for food. Pine nuts have been used for food but I have not tried to harvest them

 

Thanks for the info. I haven't been able to find anything on the net thus far. I was hoping, being a similar species, that it would have similar properties and be able to make the syrup.

 

Arthritis almost always has an autoimmune component, therefore anything that stimulates the immune system can -- and usually does -- make arthritis symptoms and damage worse.

I must take drugs to suppress my immune system, else I could go totally crippled and/or have severe internal organ damage. If the immune system is working OK, then leave it alone. One does need vitamin C to prevent scurvy. Vit C is water soluble; take a bunch of Vit. C and you will simply urinate it out.

I could be convinced that some coniferous pitch could be used on some skin malady, however I'm not drinking it.

Rose hips are great for delivering vit. C..

 

balsam fir pitch is awesome on burns. When I was a youngster I would chew spruce pitch and beeswax as a "chewing
gum" it mellowed out after a spell.

 

Wow. Interesting. I too suffer chronic arthritis. Your post has certainly given (excuse the pun) food for thought.

 

Good morning Old Geezer,

Most appreciative.

Now I understand about my arthritic situation.

My symptoms are just routine misery ...... The damage info; now I understand.

Merci with a southern accent.

 

I know next to nothing about spruce but do know a good bit about pine tree sap . As a kid we kept a gallon jug of pine sap derived turpentine . I have seen some impressive cuts that were simply douced with turpentine , wraped with an old rag douced in turpentine and that was about the beginning and end of the first aid and any other aid for that matter . The best turpentine comes from the long leaf pine species . It is noted for its rich and potent pine sap . This species only grows in the south east United States and has become rare to find even there . This particular tree is also the only pine tree the old timers considered worthy of its aged and dead remains to be considered what we called lighter . Lighter had that special resign to burn hot and easily . I haven't tried the store bought variety of lighter " stores might give it a different name " but I doubt what they try to pass as lighter would cut it by the S.E. old timers . I have a chunk of real lighter laying by my wood cook stove that I haven't brought myself to cut up with my axe and using as it is simply to precious to burn frivolously . ----As for as eating pine cone seeds , yes they are eatable but the seeds are so small you would starve to death trying to harvest enough seeds to survive on .

 

Thanks for such an interesting post. I had never heard of turpentine derived from pine sap. Do you have a pic you can post of the pine needles/cones? Wondering if it's the same type we have here - we have some pines that are Australian that have small nutlets in the cones, or if it's a species that was originally from America.

 

I don't have a picture of the long leaf pine or the computer knowledge on how to post it . I can give a description . The needles are about 10 to 12 inches long " thus comes the name long leaf pine " . The cones it produces is larger than any other pine tree " that I am aware of ". The trunk tends to grow taller , straighter and less lower limbs than other pine species " which makes it a more valuable tree than other pines . It is a slower growing species of pine . I don't know if it is still done but back in the day the bark would be cut and a catch container placed under the cut to collect sap . The sap would normally be placed in 55 gal drums and taken to the processing plant and sold .

 

Thanks for the additional info. I'll google and see if I can find it to compare.

 

some pine nuts may be small but pinon pine is decent size at least the Apache and such thought so. I noticed on happy people, a year in the taiga. The folks on the show used a big wooden hammer to thump a pine tree shake down the cones. Not sure what pine they are but they harvested the cones for the seeds.

I noticed at the museum of the Appalachia there is a flat rock with a peace sign pecked into it. A peace sign with a couple extra angles. Anyhoo they would take a metal bucket of fat pine chunks and turn the bucket upside down over the peace sign. Seal everything up with clay other than a little trough coming out of it. A fire was built on top and thee pine tar would run down the little trough into a container.

 

Wow, so interesting. Thanks. I wouldn't mind trying that, just to see what happens. Not that I'll get the opportunity for a while, given the constant fire bans here until March/April. Still, I'll try and remember to give it a go when I can.

Thanks again.