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    Home » Wild Herbs and Spices

    Spruce Tip Ice Cream

    Published: Jun 11, 2014 Modified: Aug 12, 2024 Author: Alan Bergo

    Jump to Recipe

    My spruce tip ice cream recipe is one of my spring standby's, and a cornerstone in a canon of wild food recipes I've developed over the years I served in my restaurants. 

    Spruce tip ice cream recipe
    Spruce ice cream is one of my favorite things to make with spruce tips.

    Spruce tips are a great introductory flavor for people getting into foraging, but also for others that may be knowledgeable about plants and mushrooms, since thinking of spruce tips as an edible commodity is a relatively new thing.

    Besides being delicious, they're easy to spot, widely available, and difficult to over-harvest, just don't remove the apical (top) tip of small trees as it can stunt their growth.

    Edible Spruce Tips

    The most important thing to know is that each coniferous tree species will produce tips with different flavors. They will all have a similar resinous, piney taste, but some of them have an intense astringency that follows, you want to avoid this.

    The best flavored tip species that I have found in Minnesota is that of the blue spruce, white spruce, and Norway spruce.

    All of those have a nice citrus flavor, and only mild astringency. I haven't eaten all of the available spruce species in my area, but I do know that I don't care for balsam fir tips (not technically a spruce) although the cones can be useful to a degree after they're cooked in syrup.

    Foraged spruce tips
    Spruce tips. These are a little mature, but the blender will take care of that. You can also use frozen tips. 

    Hands down though, the greatest recipe I've ever made with spruce tips is this simple ice cream. Nothing really captures the aroma and flavor of your spruce tips like some good'ol ice cream. It's pleasant, mild, and ends up tasting a bit like melon rind.

    When you use nice tasting species, it's not astringent at all, not like eating a pine cone, or the Caucus mountain preserves called varenye (pine cones cooked in syrup) which can be too strong for many people.

    Foraged spruce tip ice cream recipe
    You'll need and ice cream maker for this, and if you don't have one it's worth the investment just for this recipe. I use this one, which has a compressor. 

    Tips for success

    After making my spruce ice cream for years now, it's like an old friend--tried and true. As happens on the internet with original ideas, there's been plenty of people who've tried to copy this recipe and claim it as their own, or just outright plagiarize it and not give me credit, which is when I call my trademark attorney.

    You don't want to play around with the proportions here—I've dialed them in well over the years. Contrary to what others might say, you cannot make a good spruce ice cream without pureeing the tips in the dairy, just chopping them and trying to make an infusion is amateurish, and will not give a flavor like the recipe here.

    You also want to make sure that the spruce is pureed cold, in order to keep the flavor and color bright. You also need to strain it to avoid it being overly tannic. Not straining the ice cream base is lazy, and can be overly tannic. 

    blue spruce ice cream
    One of the original images before I updated them for my book. 

    Can you use spruce syrup?

    A lot of people make spruce syrup, and I've seen a few recipes that use it in cooking, but I don't recommend starting out cooking with the syrup as it's difficult to control the sweetness, as it can take a good amount of syrup until you can taste the flavor.

    Rhubarb-hazelnut cake with spruce tip ice cream
    You can use the ice cream to garnish desserts, like this hazelnut cake with rhubarb.

    Pine cone syrup mugolio, or long-infused sun-syrup products made of spruce tips, pine cones, needles, and other aromatic products are good, but prohibitively expensive to cook with in the amounts needed in most dessert recipes, for what it's worth. The best thing you can do with those syrups most of the time, is to just drizzle them on things and keep it simple.

    If you like cooking with conifers, make sure to take a look at my original guide to spruce tips, too. 

    Spruce tip ice cream recipe
    Foraged spruce tip ice cream recipe
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    4.99 from 50 votes

    Spruce Tip Ice Cream

    Homemade ice cream is a spring flavor you didn't know you've been missing.
    Prep Time20 minutes mins
    Spinning Time45 minutes mins
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: Ice Cream, Spruce Ham, Spruce Tips
    Servings: 6
    Author: Alan Bergo

    Ingredients

    • 3 cups half and half or half heavy cream and half whole milk
    • ½ cup fresh spruce tips
    • 5 large egg yolks
    • ¾ cup sugar
    • ⅛ teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon lime juice

    Instructions

    • On low, heat the half and half, sugar, salt, and egg yolks in a small sauce pan, stirring occasionally until the mixture is hot and thickens slightly. Do not whisk it.
    • Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature, then transfer to a blender.
    • When the mixture is cool, chop the spruce tips well, then add to the blender and puree until smooth and light green in color, about 30 seconds.
    • When the mixture is pureed, pass it through a fine mesh strainer. Allow the custard to sit in the fridge overnight, which will give a better texture in the finished product. Before spinning, whisk in the lime juice.
    • Place the spruce custard in the bowl of an ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturers directions. Mine usually takes about 45 minutes.

    Notes

    For some of my ice cream recipes I substitute cornstarch for the eggs. Unfortunately this is not possible with spruce as pureeing causes the cornstarch to break, giving a grainy result. 

    More 

    Spruce Tips: Harvesting, Cooking and Recipes

    « Black Morels
    Milkweed Shoots »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Ryan Jacobs

      August 12, 2024 at 8:04 pm

      Hey thanks for this recipe, made it today and it tasted amazing. Only issue was it came out a little gritty, even after a ~1 minute Vitamix + fine mesh strainer. Ever had this issue? Might a superbag solve the problem, maybe 200-micron?

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        August 12, 2024 at 8:22 pm

        Hey Ryan, after you pureed the ice cream did it look like there was a layer of foam on the top?

        Reply
        • Ryan

          August 12, 2024 at 9:46 pm

          Yes there was some foam

          Reply
          • Alan Bergo

            August 13, 2024 at 10:28 am

            Ok, so what the issue could be is that it was over whisked or it wasn’t cooked long enough for the egg to thicken it. Stirring with a wooden spoon instead of a whisk helps me not over whisk the custard base, although you can do it either way.

            Reply
    2. Tim B

      July 01, 2024 at 10:58 am

      5 stars
      I had great success making this with balsam fir tips which are local to where I live in coastal British Columbia. This has inspired me on a journey of forager's ice creams. Rose Petal ice cream was also amazing where the rose essence was extracted by processing the petals with sugar before finishing the base with cream. I would like to try sweet grass ice cream next as it is plentiful right now in our yard.

      My question:
      Is there a rule of thumb for extracting the flavour from fresh foraged ingredients for ice cream? So far I have heard of (1) blended into the cooled base (2) processed with sugar and (3) steeped as a tea in the heated cream.

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        July 03, 2024 at 6:33 pm

        Hi Tim. There's not really rules of thumb here. Every ingredient is different, and some can be used in different ways. My friend, Chef Iliana Reagan cooks her spruce tips and a few other herbs in the base-I do not. It gives a very different flavor and mutes the color. It really just depends on what you're working with. Flowers can be cooked, generally, green ingredients I like to puree cool or infuse raw. Experimentation is half the fun, but it can be confusing too. Sorry if that sounds like a non-answer.

        Reply
    3. Bri

      June 11, 2024 at 1:04 am

      5 stars
      We’ve been making this recipe every spring for three years, and it’s so dang good. This year I’m freezing leftover spruce tips so we can make a batch later in summer as well.

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        June 11, 2024 at 10:52 am

        Hey thanks Bri, I just made a batch this week for an event. Served it in tea cups covered with locust flowers.

        Reply
    4. Helena

      June 10, 2024 at 2:47 pm

      5 stars
      Wonderful result! I used redwood tips, which we have in abundance here. The tips had dried out a little by the time I used them and after I blended/strained I wanted a stronger flavor, so I put the pulp back in overnight and strained again before churning. Really lovely way to start the summer 🙂

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        June 10, 2024 at 3:30 pm

        Hey Helena, glad it worked for you. All the tips have different flavors so letting them infuse a little longer can be a good way to pump up the flavor. You can always a little more, but you can't take it out!

        Reply
    5. ed

      May 01, 2024 at 8:37 pm

      5 stars
      tried this today with very young fir tips instead of the spruce! turned out excellent. the proportions are perfect - the flavor really comes through without being too strong.

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        May 02, 2024 at 8:51 am

        Hey thanks Ed. Probably my favorite spruce tip recipe.

        Reply
    6. Estella

      April 29, 2024 at 6:24 pm

      Just a question about half-and-half. Not sure our MF percentages are the same in Canada. What percentage MF is the half-and-half you use?

      Thanks!!

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        May 02, 2024 at 8:55 am

        I don't know. You can use whole milk mixed with heavy whipping cream as a substitute.

        Reply
      • Silversong

        May 20, 2024 at 5:23 am

        5 stars
        I've used what we Canadians call "Coffee Cream" (18% mf) in recipes that call for half and half without issue. Hope this helps 🙂

        Reply
        • Alan Bergo

          May 20, 2024 at 7:13 am

          Thanks

          Reply
    7. Tiffani

      January 29, 2024 at 9:50 am

      5 stars
      What can I substitute for the lime juice? Not big on limes.

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        January 29, 2024 at 9:56 am

        It's just a touch of lime, and it's the perfect accent to them. You could substitute lemon, or meyer lemon.

        Reply
    8. Suzanne

      January 09, 2024 at 1:46 pm

      5 stars
      This looks so good! What a unique flavor to try in the winter!

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        January 13, 2024 at 8:24 am

        It's a spring recipe but frozen tips can be used in the winter.

        Reply
    9. Tori

      June 24, 2023 at 12:42 am

      5 stars
      I've got quarts of S.T. syrup macerating and half pints of them pickling- thanks for the great recipes. For the ice cream, why do you use H&H vs. heavy or whipping cream? Thanks again!

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        June 24, 2023 at 7:22 am

        I've always used half and half, and it's what all of my pastry chefs used. It just works better.

        Reply
    10. Brooklyn

      June 13, 2023 at 9:51 am

      I have a lot of spruce trees in my backyard, and I’m so excited to try this and see how my family likes it!

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        June 13, 2023 at 5:01 pm

        I'm here if you have questions.

        Reply
        • Brooklyn

          June 13, 2023 at 6:18 pm

          5 stars
          I do have one, if i’m picking fresh, is there a specific cleaning method you recommend?

          Reply
          • Alan Bergo

            June 15, 2023 at 8:42 am

            They’re generally very clean. Just pick the brown husk off if present.

            Reply
        • Rachel

          June 05, 2024 at 4:40 am

          Hi, I'm in the UK, what is half and half? I've never done anything with spruce tips except tea so I'm looking forward to trying this!
          Thank you 😊

          Reply
          • Alan Bergo

            June 07, 2024 at 10:27 am

            It is half heavy cream and half milk.

            Reply
    11. Renée Johnson

      May 19, 2023 at 8:49 pm

      5 stars
      I'm really excited to try this! I ordered the ice cream maker you linked- does it have the capacity to make a double batch in one go?

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        May 19, 2023 at 8:57 pm

        Hi Renee. Good choice. This thing is a beast, but it’s so good it could work for a small restaurant.

        I just did two 1.5 x batches of this and my walnut ice cream this week. That’s about as much as I’d do.

        Reply
    12. Jason Poirier

      May 16, 2023 at 2:18 pm

      5 stars
      Alan,
      I'm a huge fan. I foraged some spruce tips today on my lunch break and will be making this recipe!

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        May 16, 2023 at 4:04 pm

        Thanks Jason.

        Reply
      • Jason Poirier

        May 20, 2023 at 6:01 pm

        5 stars
        Seriously one of the best ice creams I've ever had!! The next time I make it, I think I'm going to add dried wintergreen berries to it.

        Reply
        • Alan Bergo

          May 21, 2023 at 5:38 am

          Thanks Jason, glad it worked for you. I just made a batch a few days ago.

          Reply
          • Jason

            May 26, 2024 at 5:57 pm

            The spruce trees I harvested tips from last year are gone. Going to try hemlock tips this year as they are abundant near me. I'll let you know how it comes out.

            Reply
            • Alan Bergo

              May 26, 2024 at 6:05 pm

              Hey Jason. I have a friend who makes it with a blend of spruce, hemlock tips, and mint. It’s good. Keep me posted.

    13. Alex

      May 14, 2023 at 1:14 am

      Wow I'm so excited to try this recipe! I was out collecting salmonberry blossoms and I just noticed the sitka spruce tips were out and they are so much more flavorful and citrusy than I expected! Really a beautiful flavor!

      I'm hoping to use my duck eggs for this recipe. Do you have any experience making ice cream with duck eggs and would you recommend using fewer eggs?

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        May 14, 2023 at 4:02 pm

        Yes you'll want to use fewer eggs. 1 duck yolk is worth at least 2 eggs. That'll make a killer ice cream. If you have more duck eggs, I used to have my pastry chefs use them for classic pound cake: 1 pound each eggs, sugar, butter, flour. So good.

        Reply
    14. Karin

      June 29, 2022 at 3:38 pm

      5 stars
      The best spruce tip ice cream I ever have made! (and I have tried a few before)

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        June 30, 2022 at 3:54 pm

        Glad it worked for you Karin. Thanks.

        Reply
    15. Susan

      June 05, 2022 at 10:39 am

      This ice cream is my favourite way to freak out my friends ("made out of WHAT??!--OMGTHISISTHEBESTTHINGI'VEEVERTASTED!"). I just took out a small white spruce and harvested about 5 lbs of perfect tips (my brewer friends are salivating), so i'm firing up the ice cream factory. Can the custard be doubled safely? My go-to heavy-bottom pan is a bit big for a single batch, and i'm ultimately making 4 qts.

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        July 15, 2022 at 9:19 pm

        Yes you can double it.

        Reply
        • Janice

          June 06, 2023 at 11:59 pm

          5 stars
          Will this work with equal parts Douglas fir tips? Thanks!

          Reply
          • Alan Bergo

            June 07, 2023 at 9:11 am

            Probably. Remember that every species tastes different. I haven't made it, but you can definitely try.

            Reply
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