How to Prepare Pine Bark
When they hear the words "edible pine bark," most people think of the yummy holiday treat made from crackers, brown sugar and chocolate. Survivalists, however, will tell you that originally when someone talked about edible pine bark, they were truly talking about eating the bark of a pine tree. The inner bark of the pine tree, called the cambium, has been used as a nutritious food by indigenous people in the Americas as well as other parts of the world. Learning to harvest and prepare pine bark will ensure that you never worry about starving while surrounded by pine trees.
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Instructions
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Locate a white pine tree. You can recognize a white pine by its tall, slender shape and its evergreen pine needles that are attached to the branches in bundles of five. The outside bark is rough and a brownish-gray color.
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Use your knife to cut a small strip of bark from the trunk of the tree. Start the strip by cutting a deep straight line 2 inches across the trunk. You need to use some force to cut through all the layers of the bark, down to the hard wood of the inner trunk. Then use the edge of the knife to peel the bark away. The edible part of the bark will be the part closest to the inside of the trunk.
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Cut the cambium (or inner bark) away from the rough outer bark of the strip you've cut from the tree. The cambium will be a light beige or yellowish color. Cut the cambium into small pieces.
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Heat the pot over a fire or on the stove. Melt 2 tbsp. of butter (or enough to cover the bottom of the pan) and then add the small pieces of pine bark to the pan. Fry the pine bark, using the cooking tongs to flip, until both sides are lightly browned. The bark is now ready to eat.
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Tips & Warnings
Frying is just one way to prepare edible pine bark. You can also boil it until tender or cut it into very small pieces and grind it to make pine flour. The flour can be used as is or mixed with other flours to create breads and other baked goods.
The bark of the pine tree protects it from disease; a tree stripped of too much of its bark will die. Be kind to the environment and look for recently fallen trees or larger branches to strip. If you must strip bark from living trees, strip only a few inches from several trees rather than a large strip from one tree.
Be careful and use proper safety precautions when using the knife to cut the bark.
