How to Make Pine Needle Tea

Pine needle tea was made by early settlers and explorers.

You can make a healthy, invigorating tea anywhere, it seems -- even in the middle of a pine forest. Native Americans, the early settlers and explorers made pine needle tea, which is rich in vitamins A and C. It's especially good for those suffering from colds and flu, and its vitamin C content makes it as good a cure for scurvy as citrus fruits. If you have access to fresh, bright-green pine needles, you too can enjoy this unusual tea.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Saucepan
• Measuring cup
• 3 Cups water
• Chopping board
• Knife
• 1/2-Cup fresh pine needles
• Wooden spoon
• Lemon juice from 1 lemon (optional)
• Sugar or other sweetener (optional)

1. Pick fresh, bright pine needles. Photos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images

   Pick at least 1 cup of fresh, green pine needles; the freshest ones will be bright in color, and give the best taste to your tea. Rinse them in fresh water to clean off any surface dirt. Chop the pine needles into small pieces.

2. Measure 3 cups of water into a saucepan. BananaStock/BananaStock/Getty Images

   Measure 3 cups of water in a large measuring cup. Pour the water into a saucepan. Place the saucepan on the stove and bring the water to a boil.

3. Chop the needles into small pieces. Comstock Images/Comstock/Getty Images

   Place the pine needles on a chopping board. Chop the needles into small pieces. Remove any faded or imperfect needles.

4. Add the pine needles to the saucepan of boiled water. Zedcor Wholly Owned/PhotoObjects.net/Getty Images

   Add the chopped pine needles to the water as soon as it comes to a boil. Stir the needles into the water with a wooden spoon. Bring the water to a simmer; let the mixture simmer for 20 minutes.

5. You can add fresh lemon juice to the tea. Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images

   Steep the tea mixture for an additional 20 minutes. Add the juice squeezed from one lemon to the tea if you like. You may let the tea steep overnight; it will be a deep reddish color and taste stronger if you do.

6. Honey is a good sweetener for this tea. Hemera Technologies/PhotoObjects.net/Getty Images

   Strain the pine needles out of the tea. Pour into cups and sweeten with a teaspoon of sugar, honey or maple syrup, if desired.

Tips & Warnings

• Pregnant women should never drink pine needle tea; it may cause spontaneous abortion.

• Don't overboil the tea; doing so will lessen its amount of vitamin C.

References

• Dave's Garden: The Amazing All-Purpose Pine Needle Tea
• "The Hobo Handbook: A Field Guide to Living by Your Own Rules"; Josh Mack; 2011
• Tea Zone: How to Make a Pine Needle Herbal Tea