Traditional spruce tip syrup tastes like maple syrup crossed with a pine tree. It's one of the easiest, most versatile spruce tip recipes I know.
Update
Originally I made this the old way by combining tips and sugar. I've never had a problem, but with the difference in ambient temperature in different places, some people had issues with mold.
I adjusted the recipe so that you process the tips with the sugar in a food processor first, and that's taken care of the issue, although it won't be reflected in the images here.
Original Post
I've been writing this website for years, and although I have a spruce tip syrup that tastes like spruce, it's not the most powerful one you can make--it's a hybrid, a shortcut.
That older recipe of mine was back from when I had bartenders breathing down my neck about running out of spruce tip syrup for the bar, and, in 24 hours, it's a pretty good approximation of the real thing, and handy in a pinch. But it's still an approximation.
This is the real deal, the old fashioned, time honored traditional syrup that most people, especially those who have family from Eastern Europe will recognize. There's two ingredients, well three actually: spruce tips, sugar, and time.
Like I mentioned with my shortcut spruce syrup, you can get some good flavor from the tips overnight using my other recipe. But, the slow, steady maceration of the sugar and spruce tips, and the concentration of aromatic compounds that gets trapped in the jar (along with wild yeast--be sure to burp the jars occasionally) is really potent, in a delicious way.
There's icing on the cake too, in that there's zero tannins. Zip. Zilch. Zero.
If you've ever tasted a pine cone, or eaten something like the Georgian preserve varenye, you'll know eating pine cones can be a resinous, mouth drying experience. (More on general cooking with spruce tips here).
Oh, and the shelf life. The infusion with the sugar alone is strong enough that it will even hold at room temperature for months, without that much of a noticeable decrease in aroma.
I prefer to refrigerate it to keep it bright and zippy, but I'd be lying if I said I hadn't forgotten about a jar here and there, then opened them up to be pleasantly surprised after a few months.
The recipe itself, if it can even be called that, is easy enough that a child can make it (and it's a great thing for kids to make to teach them about edible parts of conifers, along with supplying a dose of vitamin C to prevent scurvy).
You take equal parts spruce tips and sugar--no weight measurements, no finicky scales, and mix them together, put them in a jar, let them sit in the sun for a couple months, then heat, strain, and voila--syrup that tastes like the soul of a spruce tree.
No white sugar
It might surprise you (as it did me) but the type of sugar is really important here.
Originally I almost wrote this method off as a technique, since I'd put jars and jars up of spruce tips and sugar at the restaurant, only to be left with a syrup that was just ok.
Over the years I've watched more than one chef make the exact same mistake. We assume that white sugar would be better, maybe cleaner somehow, but it isn't. The secret is all about harnessing aromas, specifically giving aromas a place to go. Aromas like spruce are very water soluble.
The magic happens when the natural moisture from the spruce tips seeps into the sugar, making a watery slurry which can absorb aromas better than a thick mat of sugar.
Brown or organic sugar are what you want here for two reasons: 1, the color of the finished syrup is more attractive. 2. Brown sugar contains more moisture than white, and more moisture, means a more aromatic syrup. Makes sense, right?
How I use it
No rocket science here. This is a sweet syrup, perfect in place of maple syrup on pancakes or anywhere you'd use maple.
It’s also good with other things with it's sharp piney aroma. Here's a few examples of how I'd it.
- With cheese. Soft cheese, especially goat cheese, loves the piney kick of spruce syrup, maple on the other hand, might be a little bland.
- Drizzled on crepes filled with berries and cream cheese (an old brunch dish I used to run worth revisiting).
- With thick yogurt. I often eat a bowl of granola and thick greek yogurt for breakfast, and drizzling on some spruce syrup, along with a handful of berries makes for a great meal.
- As a glaze for meats. Think ham, etc. A tablespoon per 1.5 lbs or so meat like fatty ground pork can make a nice breakfast sausage too.
- Lining flan molds. Sometimes I'll add a drizzle of honey to the molds of a panna cotta or flan instead of caramel, and spruce syrup works just as good, it will turn into a natural sauce when the custard is unmolded.
- Beverage sweetener. Think lemonade, drinks, etc.
- Tossed with unsweetened, fresh fruit instead of sugar. Sometimes for dessert I might want just some fresh raspberries tossed with sugar and a dollop of whipped cream. Fresh berries tossed with spruce syrup will eventually give up some of their own juice and make a sort of natural sauce.
Not a 1:1 sugar substitute
Spruce tip syrup is some sweet stuff, and over the years I've seen a couple friends of mine make some very, very sweet desserts (by mistake) using it.
While it might be tempting to say, flavor some ice cream with it, it can be difficult to get it right. Don't use it as a 1:1 substitute for sugar as it's more sweet. Mostly, think drizzle.
Vacuum sealed syrup
A jar with sugar and spruce tips is the old way, and it's a good one, but for those of you who have vacuum sealers, know that you can do the same thing sealed in a bag.
The benefit of this method is that there's no glass and pressure to worry about as the mixture ferments, the drawback being that it can be a little more awkward to pour from, and some people eschew plastic.
The mixture below was a version with a number of different local herbs, including young pine cones, which are pretty popular in some groups. Before you go making your own franken-syrup though, I'd urge you to make the simple spruce syrup outlined in this post.
I've made a lot of variations on conifer syrups, and other things, and the jist is anyone can take a bunch of random things, mix them in a jar and call it forest syrup, but, that doesn't mean the end product will be something you like.
Personally I like to keep the syrups pure, so I can taste the base ingredient. My advice is to keep it simple at first--less is more. There's a reason the experimental syrup below doesn't have a recipe to try that I like, yet.
Using Pine Tips
Yes, you can use the young, tender tips of pine trees too, it works out just fine, but has a slightly different, and often more resinous flavor (I've only used red pine).
You can also use pine cones, but they contain more water in their green stage, which makes the syrup ferment, making it a slightly different product. Pine cone syrup generally tastes much stronger than spruce syrup too. See more about using pine cones specifically in my post on Pine Cone Mugolio Syrup.
Using alternate sweeteners (honey, maple)
After I put up the original recipe here there's been a number of comments inquiring about using different sweeteners like honey and maple syrup. After testing a few batches I can tell you that, absolutely, it works, and it's fantastic.
The ratios are slightly different, and the finished syrup will be a bit looser (especially maple as it contains more water than honey) so you may want to reduce it a bit longer than the traditional syrup.
The flavor of alternate sweeteners is very good though, and it's a good alternative to using conventional sugar if you're trying to not consume too much of it, as many of us are.
Fermented Spruce Tip Syrup
The big difference between Spruce Tip Syrup and Mugolio (pine cone syrup) is that green pine cones contain more water than spruce tips, which allow the mixture to lacto-ferment and develop different flavors.
Fermented spruce syrup is good, but is slightly different than the most traditional version I know of I'm sharing here.
To make your syrup ferment, add ½ cup (4 oz) water to the basic proportions below, or just enough water so that the spruce tips are just barely covered with liquid from the get-go. Anywhere from ⅓ to ½ cup of water will do the trick.
Making Large Batches
I occasionally make very large batches of syrup, 2 or 3 gallons at a time. Here's a few tips on doing that if it's something you're interested in, especially as this is such a fun (also cheap) and interesting thing to give as gifts. The tips below are intended for those people making 1 gallon batches and up at a time.
Dealing with foam
When you cook large quantities of syrup, it will begin to froth and foam at the top and will double in size quickly. Here's how to deal with that.
- After you bring the syrup mixture to a simmer and strain, put it back in the pot and bring it to a simmer again, then turn off the heat.
- Next, let it rest for a minute or two so the syrup can settle and return to it's original volume. If you don't do this, you run the risk of having jars that are half full after settling.
- Next, fill the jars nearly to the brim with piping hot syrup, leaving about ⅛ inch headspace.
- Working quickly, screw on the lids tight and turn the jars upside down, then allow to cool.
- You don't have to water bath-process this as it's basically the same sugar concentration as maple syrup, just make sure your jars are very clean. The jars will seal naturally but should be refrigerated after opening.
My syrup has mold
Spruce syrup is more temperamental than pine cone syrup, likely from the difference in ambient temperature people in different locations may have. Spruce tips don't contain as much water as pine cones either, which means the syrup won't ferment, which lowers the pH. Keep in mind a little white mold is harmless, and the finishing step of cooking also kills bacteria. That being said, if you leave white mold and don't remove it, it can harm the flavor.
If you see any mold on the top of your mixture, here's what you can do.
- Pick the mold off and discard, then blot the inside of the jar and the top of the tips with a cloth wet with white vinegar.
- Adding water will make the syrup ferment, lowering the pH and making it inhospitable to bacteria. Refer to my directions for fermented syrup above.
- Vacuum sealing the mixture before aging. Refer to my notes above.
Classic Spruce Tip Syrup
Equipment
- Mason jars
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups (8oz) Spruce tips
- 2 cups (16 oz) Brown or organic sugar
Instructions
- Combine the spruce tips and sugar and pack the mixture into a quart jar.
- Alternately, pulse the spruce tips and sugar in a food processor which will help ward off mold and speed up the fermentation.
- Leave the jar out, putting it in a place where the sun will warm it each day. I've left them outside without issues. The warmth of the sun will help prevent mold.
- You'll notice the volume of ingredients decrease as the spruce tips release their liquid. If you have more spruce tips and sugar, feel free to add mores in the same raitos-this will lower the amount of air in the jar and defend against mold.
- Keep the jar like this for 1 month, or for an old school version, bury it in the ground and dig it up the next spring. Stir the jars occasionally, pressing the tips down to keep them under the syrup with a clean spoon.
To make the syrup
- After the initial maceration (aging with sugar) pour and scrape the spruce-sugar slush into a pot. Add two tablespoons of water for each quart jar of tips and sugar to help prevent crystallization.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer just long enough to dissolve the sugar, strain, then bottle and store. Discard the spent tips, and thank them for their service.
- If for some reason, your syrup is a bit thick after cooling (over-reducing can stiffen or crystalize in the fridge) warm it back up and carefully adjust the consistency by adding a touch of water.
Storing the finished syrup
- Store the finished syrup in the fridge. To preserve it long term (it's totally safe as it's basically all sugar) pour it boiling hot into a jar nearly to the brim, turn upside down and allow to seal, or process in a water bath in mason jars. If held at room temp after opening mold may form on the top, but it can always be re-boiled and refrigerated. This is a very stable product and will last like maple syrup in the fridge-near indefinitely.
Video
Notes
The syrup is shelf stable and safe as-is, but if you want to preserve it in jars at room temperature, boil it, then pour into jars, turn them upside down, and wait for them to seal. You can also just store it in the fridge. If you store it at room temperature, the flavor will slowly diminish over time. Spruce Honey or Maple Syrup If you want to make this with honey or maple syrup, use the below proportions and proceed as directed. The mixture will ferment as there is a higher water content, which is fine.
- 3 oz (90g) 1 generous cup spruce tips
- 1 lb (1.3 cups) honey or maple syrup
Tom
Hello,
you make a point in using brown sugar instead of white because of the water content and fermentation. Would it work the same if I use white sugar and just add a bit of water to the batch?
Alan Bergo
Yes you sure can. A little extra moisture can exacerbate fermentation and won’t have a dark color. Not necessarily bad but make sure to open the jar once in a while to let out CD.
Bryan Rakovec
Alan....one question. Just picked a bunch of of tips at my friends farm in southern OH. In the beginning the article you said to use equal parts of tips and brown sugar. By weight or volume? Shows Ingredients
2.5 cups (8oz) Spruce tips
2 cups (16 oz) Brown or organic sugar
By volume or weight? Or not that important? Can't wait to try! Thank you for the great recipes.
Alan Bergo
It is equal parts by volume, roughly. But better and more exact to use the weight proportions. 8 oz spruce tips, 16 oz brown sugar.
Bryan Rakovec
Started it May 5 and did spin it in the food processor. Been 11 days and the top layer is a bit brown. Mix at all or let it be. Thanks.
Alan Bergo
Hi Bryan, just follow the recipe, it's fine.
Melanie
Last summer I made 3 different batches of syrup: fir tips in brown sugar, spruce tips in brown sugar, and spruce tips in honey. The syrups made with brown sugar turned out perfect. The batch made with honey was perfect at the time, but I refrained from cooking it down to reduce it since I wanted to preserve the benefits of raw honey…as I intended to use it for cough/cold season. I opened it the other day & got a “pop” from the lid. I sampled it & it definitely had the zing of fermentation although still very sweet. My question is, since it clearly fermented on wild yeast..is it a wonderful fermented food I should celebrate, or one I should toss? My husband & I are seasoned fermented foodies and I think it tastes citrusy, zippy & interesting, he thinks “slightly off & funky”. Any experience with this?
Alan Bergo
There’s nothing wrong with it! Totally fine to use. If you don’t cook it the fermentation will continue and you might get some pressure opening the jar. Safe to use raw or cooked though, people have been preserving things with honey for a very long time. It just depends on what you like personally.
Pierre Blin
Hello. You mentioned your bartenders loved this stuff at your old restaurant. Is there a favourite cocktail or mocktail recipe you're willing to share?
Alan Bergo
I didn't drink for almost 10 years because of Lyme but I'd add it to vodka and soda.
Mike from WI
Gin Ricky....
Gin, lime juice, soda water, and syrup to taste... Simple, and makes a great refreshing summer (or anytime) drink! Also works well in a bourbon old fashioned.
Alan Bergo
Thanks Mike, I love gin.
Kathy Ray
I just made this. I used dark brown sugar and it is a beautiful dark colored syrup that tastes amazing! Everyone who’s tried it so far is loving it. My husband is a fan when he was a bit unsure at first but will try everything I make. We used to tease each other about the old commercial, “Ever eat a pine tree? Some parts are edible.” This recipe is proof. My granddaughters and son helped me pick the spruce tips on Father’s Day weekend. It was fun to forage and make. They have a bottle waiting for them. Worth making and will always use this recipe to make the syrup… Thank you for the recipe!
Alan Bergo
Thanks Kathy, glad it worked for you.
Mark
I’m using jaggery this year (it’s the south asian version of Mexican panela). I had issues with crystallization before. With jaggery, it turned to syrup in just a few days. Still left it to macerate for the full month.
Alan Bergo
Hey thanks Mark that’s great to know.
April
Is it just ok to use Turbinado sugar?
Also to keep a higher vitamin c count after boiling and cooling is it ok to add more fir tips to infuse more vitamin c at a lower heat temperature?
Also was thinking if I can use my whipped cream canister with an infuser attachment and infuse some fir tip in the already boiled portion for a higher vitamin c count.
I would like to try it for cold viruses and see how it works.
Thank you 😊
Alan Bergo
Turbinado sugar is fine. I don't have experience using ingredients to preserve Vitamin C, low heat/cold infusion is where I would start though.
Lyn
Do you cover with a lid or a cloth for the first month.
I have made quite a few spruce tips products but never this, I just ran out in the yard and picked a bunch
Thanks
Alan Bergo
Hi Lynn. Just lid!
Christine
Such great information! I have a jar of spruce tips and young cones (one cup of each) with dark brown organic sugar that is about two weeks old. I crack open the jar as well as shake it up once a day but I notice sone greenish sediment around the top of the contents that resembles the pollen. Will this still be safe to consume after another couple weeks in the sun then bring to a boil for 5 minutes?
Alan Bergo
It'll be fine. Check on it once in a while, it's a fun project.
melody
I have a few jars left from last year that I’ve been keeping in the fridge.
Upon opening this morning, I realised that they all taste extremely bitter…
Do you have any idea of what could have happened?
Thanks!
Alan Bergo
Sounds like that's from your species of tree. What type did you use? Did it taste bitter when you first made them? I've never had it happen.
JoAnn
The recipes calls to sit the mixture for one month, but in the pre- discussion you write to sit in the sun for three months, based on a comment it sounds like one is the correct number, but can you confirm please? Thank you. I'm looking forward to trying this!
Alan Bergo
You can do either. One month is the minimum.
Louise Rushton
Hi! I make a spruce tip tea, but havent made the infusion with sugar...yet 🙂 Have you used Maple Sugar? Im wondering about that sugar for flavor.
Alan Bergo
Maple sugar will be fine.
Jody
This is great. Thank you for sharing, Alan. I have two questions: 1) Do you wash the tips before mixing with sugar? If so, do you have to dry them after and before mixing with sugar? 2) How does fir tips compare to flavour? I have more fir tips in my area, so I was going to use them to make the syrup. Thank you.
Alan Bergo
Hi Jody! Spruce tips are generally very clean and don't need washing, you just want to remove the brown papery husk-just like fiddleheads. If you wash them it can remove some natural yeast, but it's fine to wash them if you want. Fir and spruce are pretty comparable in flavor so they should work fine.
Carson Acosta
Will the different brown sugars (light, dark, medium) have an impact on the product? Which do you use?
Alan Bergo
Not really, I've used all of them with negligeable differences in flavor.
Silas Ostap
Brown sugar is white sugar with the molasses added back to it. The grade of light, golden, or dark refers to how much molasses was re-added. White sugar is raw sugar processed to remove the molasses and other minerals. I hope that helps in your choosing.
Bri
You mention an updated recipe where you process the tips with the sugar in a food processor first. But that step is not included in the recipe at the bottom. Can you explain that step and where it fits into the recipe? Thanks, so excited to make this!
Alan Bergo
Thanks Bri. I added a step. Just buzz the tips and sugar in a food processor before putting in the jar.
Carson
Hello, my spruce tips have an amazing flavor but are very astringent/ a little bitter. Will these still work well?
Alan Bergo
Hey Carson, yes they should still work. The aroma is what the syrup will capture. I’ve never had any come out bitter. Which species of spruce are you using?
Carson Acosta
I think they're Norway spruce.
Alan Bergo
I’ve used them they work fine.
Kimi
How might I use spruce tips or spruce tip syrup in a red huckleberry pie? If I cook the syrup with the berries, will it retain it's "piney" taste? Other ideas? Thanks!
Alan Bergo
Hi Kimi, it will retain it's piney flavor, but doesn't overpower things. The tricky part with a pie is that it will add some additional liquid to it. You can use it in any recipe that calls for maple syrup though.
Kimi
Thank so much!
Megan
I am trying this for the first time and am a bit confused. You say at one point the natural yeasts will require you to burp the jars but then later say the spruce tips themselves will not ferment unless there is water added? I made one jar with blue spruce tips and brown sugar. I had washed the tips and allowed them to air dry for several hours, so it is possible some additional water had gotten in. I did not open it for a few days and the lid bubbled out a lot under the pressure build up. Is this fermenting or did I just grow a big batch of botulism? Thanks!
Alan Bergo
Megan, it's probably confusing because there's more than one way to make it. The mixture may not ferment and it's not a safety issue. If water is introduced it will ferment quickly, as you're noticing-both methods are fine. You cook the syrup at the end of fermentation, which kills botulism. I've never had a problem making it, and I've never heard of anyone having a problem. My advice is don't overthink it.
Christopher Miller
Easy, simple, and low effort. Great for cocktails and drinks and makes a fun present.
Regina Healy
At what stage is best to pick to tips? Are older ones OK or must it be new growth?
Alan Bergo
They absolutely must be new growth. Harvest in the spring when they're bright green and tender, as I show in the video.
Katrina
I made this recipe but I let it macerate for 4 months instead of 3. Sometimes the first two months it was kept in darkness and the last two on the counter... waiting for me to boil it. Well i just boiled it now and it doesn't smell nice. It smells very strong. To be fair I am 12 weeks pregnant and many things make me queasy. Is there any chance the mix has gone bad or is it just so strong because it mixed for longer? Please advise.
Alan Bergo
If you read the recipe, I say to let it sit for 30 days, or one month, so next time I'd read the recipe more carefully. If it smells strong, it can be due to alcohol created from the fermenting sugar. Cook it and give it a taste, it's probably fine. I would assume being pregnant would make you hyper sensitive to certain aromas.
Carmen
This recipe was easy to follow & I’m so happy with the outcome of the flavor! Now I wish I would’ve picked more tips. Am I able reuse the tips from the initial batch? I realize the flavor may not be as strong .. more worried about potential mold??
Alan Bergo
No don't reuse them, enjoy the syrup you made and look forward to doing it again next year. Reusing them would be a waste of sugar IMO.
Hannah
I am about to prepare my first spruce syrup. Before filling the bottles, should I sterilize them, or is cleaning them sufficient?
Alan Bergo
Put the piping hot syrup into jars you've cleaned just before preparing the syrup. I do mine in a dishwasher, which sterilizes them, but hand washing and drying is fine. This is a very stable product.
VALERIE
Thanks for this! If I make it using maple syrup do I still have to boil? Unclear if that step is just to dissolve the sugar or if it serves another purpose as well.
Alan Bergo
Hey Valerie, heating melts the sugar, but also stops the fermentation, without heating it's possible the jar could turn to alcohol over time.
Kristie
Hi Alan, I am going to try the maple syrup option (having had great success making spruce mugolio and spruce tip syrup with your brown sugar recipes). The only thing I have ever purposely fermented was sauerkraut and I'm unsure if I should treat the maple spruce tip syrup differently. Should I take any additional steps, or is there anything to watch for? I appreciate your time.
Alan Bergo
You should be fine. It ferments quickly so keep an eye on it for overflowing, etc.