Homemade Pine Syrup

Time: 3 hours.

Good cooks never waste anything, even Christmas trees! Make pine-flavored syrup directly from the needles of your tree. Spruce or Douglas fir needles work well, but be sure the water the tree was steeped in is free of chemicals. Combine the crushed needles with a hot mixture of water and corn syrup and let steep for several hours. Strain the resulting syrup and use it in cocktails, desserts, or as an ice cream topping.

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Recipe:

Rinse 1 cup of needles and then puree them in a food processor. Combine 0.5 cups and 2 tablespoons of water, 2 tablespoons of corn syrup, and a pinch of salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, then simmer for 1 minute without stirring. Remove from heat, add the needles, and let steep for 2-3 hours. Strain the syrup and refrigerate. It can be stored for up to a month. This syrup makes delicious cocktails!