If you've got a chance to gather the edible new-growth tips of spruce trees near you, you can make up a batch of unique spruce tip syrup. It's bright and citrusy - a forager's delight. Make a lusciously intense raw syrup or a lightly herbal cooked syrup. Either way, you can enjoy a sweet taste of the forest for months to come. (Skip to recipe.)
Spring comes late to our northern climate. We've just had another small snowstorm and our temperatures have dipped to freezing again for the last couple nights. Half of our garden is planted and we're crossing our fingers that the seeds won't rot in the cold wet soil, but will wait patiently for those warm rays of the sun to tease them surely out of the ground in the next little while. A few daffodils have valiantly braved the fickle spring weather and the trees are budding and unfurling their leaves in defiance anyway.
Going for drives in the countryside I've noticed one sure sign of the inevitable (albeit slow) advent of spring - the glowing new growth adorning the tips of the spruce branches, decking them out like defiant spring Christmas trees.
In our yard, spruce tips are always a few weeks later than in the rest of the area, but I know they're coming. The last few years I've been turning those citrusy/pine-scented spruce tips into a fantastic syrup that's gloriously fragrant and redolent of a walk deep in a spring forest. It's a fresh and wonderfully delicious way to elevate pancakes, waffles, french toast, ice creams and desserts. It's also a fun way to add a unique flavour twist to some of your favourite co*cktails.
Spruce Tip Picking Rules
Spruce tips are one of the first and easiest things to forage in the spring. Just twist off the tight new buds that appear at the ends of the branches of spruce trees. They'll often still be protected in a brown, slightly sticky cap (which you'll discard). You can even use spruce tips when they've already feathered out but are still soft (1 to 2 inches long). Picking the spruce tips will encourage the tree to grow more tips and bush out along the branches.
- Make sure you have permission to pick from the trees.
- Pick in areas not near a roadside, so the spruce tips are free of dust and exhaust fumes.
- Don't pick all the spruce tips from a tree - spread out your picking over several trees.
- Never pick the topmost tip of the main trunk of a tree - it will prevent the tree from growing nicely straight up and cause it to bush out near the top.
Spruce tips don't need much preparation; just pull of the papery brown husks and discard any that look like they've been chewed by insects. They usually don't even need a rinse, as the papery husks keep them clean and protected. Store them (unrinsed) in a sealed bag or container in the fridge. They will last for up to 2 weeks.
Recipes for Using Spruce Tips
Use spruce tips just like you would a fresh herb. They're great chopped up and tossed with salads, stirred into soups or casseroles, mixed into baking, or sprinkled on top of cooked dishes. Try them in some of these recipes, too:
- Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Spruce Tips and Orange Glaze
- Buttery Sautéed Mushrooms with Spruce Tips and Chives
- Potatoes with Spruce Tips and Cream
- Roasted Asparagus with Garlic and Spruce Tips
- Spring Green Salad with Spruce Tips
- Citrus Spruce Tip Salad
- Rhubarb and Spruce Tip Galette
- Pickled Spruce Tips
- Spruce Tip Liqueur
- Spruce Tip co*cktails
Cooked vs. Steeped Spruce Tip Syrup
Which one is better?
We love them both, and they both have their pros and cons.
Cooked spruce tip syrup is lighter in colour (honey coloured), thicker texture, lighter, more delicate flavour with more citrus notes along with the spruce – tangy and delicious. This version is quicker to make and produces a larger volume of syrup. It can be sealed and water-bath processed (canned) so that it can be stored at room temperature for a much longer time (several years). It only needs to be refrigerated once the jar is opened.
Steeped raw spruce tip syrup is much darker, thinner texture (more like maple syrup), complex and caramelly with a stronger, more intense spruce flavour. It takes 14 or more days to steep, but since it’s not cooked you’ll get the benefits of the vitamin C. I've even used it as a natural remedy for sore throats and coughs. It needs to be refrigerated but will keep for a long time.
Both will keep, refrigerated, for up to 12 months. If they crystallize, reheat gently to re-melt the sugar crystals.
How To Make Spruce Tip Syrup?
For the cooked syrup, you simply cook together the spruce tips with sugar and water. Let them steep overnight, then strain, and cook the syrup a bit more until it reduces to the thickness you want.
For the raw spruce tip syrup, it's even simpler. Just pack layers of spruce tips and brown sugar into a jar.
Set the jar into a sunny window and leave it there for 2 weeks, turning the jar once a day (alternating between upright one day and tipped upside-down the next day). After 2 weeks, you'll have a dark, intense syrup.
Strain out the spruce tips, and voilà - a jar of delicious syrup.
And for a bonus treat, you can candy the tips from either of these syrups for a delightful munching snack, or to toss into salads, or to decorate cakes or desserts in a rustic way.
If you've never picked a spruce tip before, this might be your year!
Enjoy the results of your Foraging!
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Kitchen Frau Notes: Remove the papery husks from your spruce tips and store the tips, unwashed, in a sealed bag or container in the fridge. They will last up to 2 weeks, and can be used just like fresh herbs. Chop them and add them to salads and sauces, and to use as a garnish for spring dishes.
Quick Cooked Spruce Tip Syrup (Light, Golden, and Citrus/Spruce Flavoured)
- 2 cups spruce tips, lightly packed (200gms)
- 2 cups (400gms) sugar (preferably natural organic cane sugar)
- 2 cups (480ml) water
Combine the spruce tips, sugar, and water in a saucepan. Bring to boil, and let boil 5 minutes. Remove the saucepan from heat, cover it, and steep the tips in the syrup overnight. The next day, strain out the spruce tips (you can candy them, see below, or discard them) and return the syrup to the saucepan. Boil the syrup, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes until it is reduced and just a bit thinner than you want it. It will thicken up quite a bit as it cools. Makes about ~1¾ cups syrup.
Cooked syrup can be processed for longer storage: Pour the hot syrup into hot, cleaned and sterilized jars until ½ inch (1cm) from the top. Wipe the rims. Seal to finger-tight with a clean, hot lid. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes for half-pints or pints. Remove and let cool, then store in a cool dark place for up to 2 to 3 years.
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Sun-Steeped Raw Spruce Tip Syrup (Dark, Intense, and Caramel/Spruce Flavoured)
- about 2 cups spruce tips, lightly packed (200gms)
- about 2 cups brown sugar, lightly packed (400gms)
Put a ½ inch layer of spruce tips into the bottom of a clean wide-mouthed pint jar. Add a ½ inch layer of brown sugar and pack it down firmly. Continue layering and packing until the jar is filled to the top. Seal the jar and leave it in a sunny window for 2 weeks. The sugar and spruce tips will combine and form a syrup gradually. Tip the jar daily to distribute the syrup as it forms. As it settles, you can add more layers of spruce tips and sugar to fill up the jar (leave for 4 or 5 more days after adding additional layers). When all the sugar has completely dissolved, strain out the spruce tips (you can candy them, see below, or discard them), and pour the syrup into jar. Makes ~1¼ cups syrup. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 year.
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Candied Spruce Tips
Save the drained spruce tips from making either of the syrups and spread them out in a single layer on a parchment paper lined baking sheet or in a dehydrator. Dehydrated them, or dry them in the oven at its lowest setting (150°F/65°C or lower, if possible) for 6 to 8 hours until dry and crispy (mine took 7 hours). These are great for munching on, tossing into salads, or for decorating desserts.
Guten Appetit!
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