Get Festive And Eat Some Pine Needles

While evergreens are used in many ornamental forms during the holiday season — in fireside garlands, front-door wreaths, and decked-out trees — their pine needles can be turned from decoration into dinner. Instead of kicking your Christmas tree to the curb this year, salvage the pine needles to impart floral, earthy notes to many dishes.

The use of pine needles is akin to the use of herbs, serving as a flavor enhancer or aromatic. In the past, chefs have incorporated them into a range of dishes, from ice cream and cake to cocktails and pickles. The taste of pine needles may vary depending on the type of tree, but in general, they lend nuances of citrus, sweetness, and woodiness — an overall freshness that can't be imitated by other herbs.

Pine isn't the only type of evergreen that is safe for humans — spruce and fir are also fair game. But because needles from evergreen trees are an ingredient that would probably be sourced by the individual consumer — not purchased in grocery stores — so it's important to know which evergreen trees produce edible needles. Yew tress are poisonous to humans. Pesticides — with which many evergreens are treated — are another danger to avoid. Once you have foraged safe pine needles to consume, they are at your disposal to add a wintry, woodsy flavor.

The quickest way to use pine needles in cooking is to steep them in hot water for tea. You can also create a pine oil by heating a neutral oil to around 160 degrees Fahrenheit, pour the oil into a blender or food processor with pine needles, and mix the two until a bright green emulsion is formed. Pine oil can be used as a pine extract, flavoring an array of dishes with a sweet, woody flavor.

To make a pine-infused sugar, slightly blend pine needles until fragrant. Add in granulated sugar, and blend the sugar into the needles. Remove the mixture from the blender, let it dry, and blitz it again until the pine sugar turns to a desired consistency. Finish by sifting the sugar through a sieve. The pine-flavored sugar can sweeten any recipe that has sugar in it while adding earthy, floral undertones. Use this sugar to yield a pine simple syrup that can moisten baked goods or sweeten cocktails. A pine flavor in cocktails fares especially well with pine-y gins. Garnish these cocktails or other dishes directly with pine needles to add an aesthetic appeal and an added aroma.

Because of the holiday season's connection to pine and other evergreen trees, pine needles' flavor adds a festive flair. When considering where to use them, think of other seasonal flavors that would pair well with woodsy pine needles, like cranberry and peppermint.