A little spring foraging. Spruce tips from an old hedgerow have become six jars of pickle (use anywhere you would capers, or on a cheese board) a jar and bottle of spruce syrup for cocktails and baking, spruce salt for garnishing and flavour, spruce sugar (the same but for sweet dishes) and a massive tray being dried for medicinal tea and baths, as spruce is good for sore throats and chest congestion (and also the baths are supposed to be good for easing some peoples issues at "that time of the month"). They’re also supposed to be good for fatigue, nervousness and the circulation in general, and even have some mild antibacterial properties! Super high in vitamin c, the native peoples here used to eat these to prevent scurvy, and also because they’re tasty, with a sort of rosemary-citrus-floral hops thing going on. They’re also one of the earliest wild foods to appear in the spring.
I live in the area that’s the world’s biggest producer of Christmas trees. I should have realized that these would be easy to find!
Note: Pine and spruce tip are fine to eat across many types but don’t get them mixed with yew, which is highly toxic!
