Teas From Trees
Feb 29, 2024 ● By Caty Poole
The mid-late winter
days provide a great opportunity to venture out and harvest the benefits nature
offers us. A tea—defined as the simple act of steeping ingredients in boiled
water—keeps us hydrated and is one of the easiest ways to absorb plant vitamins.
So, find a favorite chair, grab a good book and start steeping!
We can take a chapter from our
indigenous ancestors and utilize the needles, bark and roots of trees this time
of year. These are a great source of vitamins and helped native populations prevent
scurvy and other deficiencies over the winter months. Use an app such as
PlanNet or the book Bark by Michael Wojtech to help you correctly
identify what you’re harvesting. Teas are best made with hot (not boiling)
water to preserve more of the vitamins and minerals.
Pine Needle tea can be
made by harvesting the 4 inch flexible needles of white pine trees, appearing
in clusters of four to five on the branch. These evergreens are rich in
vitamins A and C, and flavonoids. White pine is also known to possess
anti-inflammatory properties and support upper respiratory health. Find needles
that are pliable and bright green. Roughly chop 2 tablespoons of fresh needles
per 8-ounce cup and steep for 10 minutes. Feel free to add a cinnamon stick for
added flavor.
Douglas Fir tea can be
made using the fresh green tips of the branches. Fir needles are short, flat,
slightly rounded at the tip, and the same color on front and back. New growth
will be bright green. If no fresh growth is available, take care to separate
the needles from the branch to avoid bitterness in your brew. Like white pine,
Douglas fir is thought to have as much as four times the vitamin C of an
orange. Let a fistful of fresh chopped tips or needles steep 5-10 minutes
before straining.
Blue Spruce is
identified by its signature blue hue and spiky needles. Brew 1-2 teaspoons
roughly chopped needles similar to pine and fir tea. In addition to vitamins A,
C and E, spruce can soothe a sore throat and is a good source of magnesium and
potassium. With a flavor profile similar to rosemary, its needles can also be
used to flavor meat.
Brewing Black Birch or Yellow Birch tea is slightly
different. Not an evergreen, it is easier to tell if the right tree has been
harvested by the root beer-like smell given off when its twigs are snapped.
Birch contains vitamin C and flavonoids as well as salicylate, the same active
ingredient in aspirin. It also acts as a diuretic to support the urinary tract.
If the tree has leafed out, remove the leaves before breaking or cutting the
branch into small sections. Fill a pint-sized mason jar with cut twigs and
cover with hot water. Allow this brew to steep several hours or overnight;
enjoy it at room temperature or reheat slightly.
The Black Cherry—and its close relative, Choke Cherry—tree
is where our flavoring for cough syrup originated. Best harvested before the
tree buds, find a branch and remove the tough outer bark to reveal the inner,
green moist bark, which smells like almonds. Shave off the inner bark using a
vegetable peeler and lay it out to dry. Grind the dried bark and steep 1
teaspoon to every 8 ounces of water for about 10 minutes. Note that cherry bark
has a shelf life so if it doesn’t smell like almonds, discard it. Cherry can
sometimes be confused with Buckthorn, which you want to avoid. Cherry
fruit grows in a cluster, where buckthorn does not. Buckthorn also has telltale
thorns during the growing season. It is best to identify black or choke cherry
while in full bloom and mark it for later use.
The leaves and the root of the Sassafras tree, which is
identified by its signature palm and thumb leaf combination, can both be used.
In season, young leaves can be used fresh or dried; they can be added to soups
and dishes as a thickening agent. The roots smell like birch or root beer, as
it was the original root beer ingredient. Harvest young roots from a sapling,
scrub thoroughly and chop into 1-2-inch segments. Add ~½ cup of roots to 4 cups
water and boil for 10 minutes. Brew will turn reddish brown. Strain off and
sweeten to taste with honey or maple syrup.
Late winter in New
England is also associated with Maple sugaring, a practice that
indigenous peoples were doing long before European settlers arrived on the
continent. What is less clear is whether or not native people drank the sap,
known as maple water, straight out of the tree.
Based on a 2019
study conducted by the Cleveland Clinic, the benefits of drinking maple water
are numerous. Primarily, it is loaded with electrolytes, those necessary
minerals that give us that “umph” to get through the day. They also help the
body regulate itself, maintain balance between inner and outer cell walls, and
can be relied upon to diagnose certain ailments. The water also contains
antioxidants (such as manganese) and polyphenols, which have been linked to
reducing incidents of cancer. Finally, the plant protein in maple water can
help regulate blood sugar.
Maple water is
about 98 percent water and about 2 percent sugar. It is generally lower in
calories than its equivalent in coconut water, another great hydration source.
While sugar maples are the most desired, the Norway maple in our yards can
serve as a source; all we need is a spile and a receptacle. It’s not a bad idea
to pasteurize the maple water by boiling it quickly to remove pathogens; it
stores in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
Always be sure to correctly identify any trees for home use. And
those who are pregnant or nursing should consult a medical professional before
consuming wild teas.
Caty Poole left big pharma 12 years ago for a life in organic farming.
She integrates her passion for healthy eating and a healthy planet into her
classes on regenerative growing, herbal medicine and cooking instruction.
Individual classes and workshops can be found at CatysCreations.com and
@catys_creations_ct on social media.
