Mugolio, a dark, aromatic syrup imbued with the flavor of pine cones, is the poster child for the kind of crazy cool, Illuminati-esque foodstuff foragers have access to, all for the price of a hike, or even less, depending on how close you are to some pine trees.
The syrup came on my radar when my friend Dan Farmer gave me a little jar of some he made to try. I remember it being good, but I forgot about it until I opened the Salt Cellar, and started making my own from spruce tips, which is excellent, but not quite the same as pine cone syrup (for the record both are great).
Mugolio is now still a bit of a chef secret, and available through elite specialty distributors, but the price is staggeringly high, exorbitant even, when you consider you can make nearly the exact same thing at home, for less than it costs to make a cake.
A chef secret that takes months to make
The cost of mugolio is not found in ingredients, but is paid in time. How much time is certainly up for debate, and you’ll notice my recipe turns around a lot quicker than burying a jar of pine cones and sugar in the yard and digging it up the next year (an actual recipe from Romania). You’ll want to wait at least a month for a good pine syrup, although aging it longer can be fun.
Mugolio: more than just pine cones
Real quick, some reality. I use the word mugolio interchangeably for syrups made from numerous tree parts, if you look around you’ll see mugolio usually refers to a syrup made from the young cones of mugo pine (Pinus mugo), harvested at a specific time of year, under the strictest of conditions, blah, blah, blah.
I’ve made all kinds of similar sugar based products from all kinds of conifer parts, and it isn’t some difficult, arcane thing you can only do in the light of a full moon— just the opposite.
Making mugolio is easy, and there’s a very forgiving time window for harvesting cones, or other things products like cedar cones, wintergreen, juniper, or spruce tips. All of the aforementioned making excellent syrups in their own right.
There’s something special about the pine cone syrup though. Pine cones hold more water than any other thing I’ve used, and they also ferment during the maceration process, vigorously.
The day after you combine the pine cones and sugar, there will look as if there was a rush and release of water—what was once a solid packed jar of pine cones and sugar is not 75 % full and liquid.
Species of unripe pine cones I've used to make syrup
Variation in flavor between species
One of the most fascinating things about mugolio is that every species of tree you harvest unripe cones from will impart a noticeably different flavor unique to the finished product.
Once I started to notice the different flavors, I made a point out of trying to "mugolio" as many different species of unripe coniferous cone I can, and I found some fascinating things. Here's a quick breakdown of the differences between flavors I taste.
Pinus/Pines
Mugolio made from pinus cones have a resinous, assertive taste.
Picea/Spruces
Spruces lack the aggressive resinous flavor of pines and are the most subtle of all I've tasted. Instead of the resinous taste, spruce cones, just like spruce tips, have a citrusy note to them, and so will syrups made from their cones.
Thuja and likely others/Cedars
The only cedar I've made mugolio with is the green cones Thuja occidentalis, since they're easy to find in landscaping. It has a taste exactly like the aroma of fresh green cedar, a bit in between spruce and pine mugolios.
Abies/Firs
Of all the syrups here, and all the different flavors, the syrups I've made from balsam fir are the most delicious.
Firs have a resinous punch like pine mugolios, but it's slightly less aggressive, and most noticeably, comes with strong notes of warm spices like cloves, allspice, and cinnamon.
Unfortunately, mature balsam fir trees, at least around me, seem to only want to grow cones at the very top of the tree, which can make getting enough for a batch of syrup tricky.
Using other conifer products
Other tree products like spruce tips, pine tips and cedar cones I've worked with are more dry, and may not ferment during the maceration process, but they can still make a fine syrup.
The point is: you can make syrups like this out of all kinds of things, and everyone I’ve had has been good. If you have spruce trees near you, take a look at the basic spruce tip syrup too, which is nearly the same, sans the fermentation. Here's a few things I've used:
- Unripe eastern white cedar cones (Thuja occidentalis. This could can be an abortifacient in high doses)
- Juniper berries (Juniperis virginiana)
- Spruce tips (many species)
The best part is figuring out how to use it. Somethings take some experimentation, mugolio not so much.
You can literally put it on just about anything where maple syrup would be good, and you’ll be glad you did. The syrup has the essence of pine, but with none of the strong tannins you’d expect If you took a bite out of a pine cone—just pure piney goodness.
Harvest young pine cones in spring or early summer
Most importantly, you are looking for unripe pine cones in the spring and early summer, not the fall, not the winter. Opened cones are not to be used.
This is up for debate, but my favorite comes from green cones as they contain more water. Purists might say that you need to harvest pine cones when they're the size of a pinky nail, or some other arbitrary size.
I can tell you after making this for years now, that any of the pine cones pictured in the image above will make a fine syrup, but smaller cones will make a syrup with a much stronger flavor, strong enough that some people may not like it.
Another good rule of thumb I've found is that whatever cone you're picking will probably be sticky and exuding resinous, sticky liquid at a prime stage for making pine cone syrup.
Green cone=higher water content
Larger green cones hold more water in them which makes syrup making much easier, and also allows for some fermentation in the process, which adds fun flavors.
As long as the cones are meristematic and tender, and can be cut through with a knife, even if it's into pieces with long cones like white spruce or balsam fir, they will make a good mugolio. The only cones that won't work, are mature, tough, barky cones, like those you'd see on the ground.
Using very young pine cones
You can use young pine cones, but they're smaller and don't hold as much water as cones that are green, so they're not ideal here.
If you really want to try with very young pine cones, try chopping them up medium to make it so more cones can be fit in a jar, which means more water, meaning an easier syrup. You can also add a splash of water to help it on it's way.
Is it safe?
Yes, this is absolutely, positively safe, and there's no need to worry about botulism. I can't speak to the exact science of spruce tip and cedar cones syrups, (also safe) but pine cone syrup is especially safe as it ferments as it macerates, due to the higher water content of the cones if harvested at the green stage.
The extended fermentation lowers the pH, making it shelf stable. Remember that sugar is a preservative, and conifer products are all naturally acidic, which is a preservative in itself.
Consider using gloves
The most prime pine and spruce cones for making syrup will be plump, but still unripe. At this stage, most of them will be very sticky and oozing a sappy resinous substance that will quickly coat your hands and will stay for hours. Consider wearing gloves to avoid sticky hand syndrome.
Choosing the right sugar
Some recipes might call for white sugar, and while it will work and give you a flavored syrup, white sugar is more dry, and I find the clear color far less attractive than the caramel color that organic, unrefined turbinado-style sugar or even light brown sugar or a similar substitute will give.
I try to avoid using plain white sugar when I can, and I highly doubt that original mugolio recipes used such highly refined products when the first adventurous people crafted them.
Use a good sugar that you can feel good about eating, and drizzling over everything, because you'll want to drizzle it, on, well, everything. Here's a list of sugars that will work
Turbinado
Turbinado is slightly more dry than commercial brown sugars, but it has an excellent flavor.
Light, golden, or dark brown sugar
These are some of the most versatile and affordable, but I suggest using a high quality organic brand. The varying molasses content of the different colors of sugar is negligible in regards to the flavor of the finished syrup.
Maple sugar
Maple sugar is the most expensive you could use, and in my opinion is not the most ideal as it's prone to crystallization from my experience. It is delicious though. If you'd like to harness the flavor of maple with your pine cones, you can just toss pine cones into maple syrup at a ratio of 1 cup of pine cones to 1 lb (2 cups) of maple syrup.
Zirbenshnaps
This stuff is unique enough that it needs a special mention. Zirbenschnaps is a liquor made with pine cones.
I’m not an expert on distillation by any means, but I’ve been working with a distillery to make similar products, and one thing we’ve been toying around with is making a rendition of it by simply using it as the sweetener in a macerated liquor.
The traditional zirbenshnaps has a red tone to its color, which makes me think they’re using a syrup made from fresh pine cones cooked immediately—not aged.
I know there’s also birch schnaps, and that’s made with reduced birch syrup, so I think using mugolio would be fine. Currently I know zirbenshnaps is only sold at ultra high-end restaurants in my area.
Whatever you make with it, it’s one of the most fascinating and delicious condiments made from wild ingredients I know of.
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.
Skimming the foam
Similar to maple syrup, when you cook large quantities of the syrup, it will begin to froth and foam at the top and will double in size quickly.
Some cones seem to create more foam than others, especially Norway Spruce. When you notice foam during the cooking process, do your best to skim it off with a spoon and discard.
After you bring the syrup to a simmer and strain, put it back in the pot and bring it to a simmer again, 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.
Canning for long-term storage
Pour the piping hot syrup into large jars, or, for smaller ones, pour the syrup into a pitcher with a spout, and pour directly into canning jars (4 oz mason jars make a great gift). Fill the jars nearly to the brim, leaving about ⅛ inch headspace, then, working quickly, screw on the lids tight and turn the jars upside down.
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 clean. The jars will seal naturally but should be refrigerated after opening.
Here’s a few ideas for using it, and a few things yet on my list to try.
Ideas for using
- Drizzled on pancakes, crepes waffles and other things primed for syrup.
- Use it to flavor whipped cream
- Excellent drizzled over soft cheese like mascarpone, labneh, chevre, etc.
- Drizzled over fresh fruit
- Using in place of honey, I love drizzling it over bowls of warm buttered wild rice with nuts, fruit, and yogurt for breakfast.
- It’s good in desserts, added in small amounts like you would use honey. Dairy based desserts like ice cream, panna cotta and custards of all kinds can just be seasoned to taste with it.
- Try adding small drizzles to salads, or whisking into vinaigrettes.
- Mixing it with a splash of vinegar just to loosen it a bit makes a good brush on or glaze for hams, etc.
- One of my friends adds it to whiskey
Mugolio, or Pine Cone Syrup
Equipment
- 1 quart mason jar or similar
Ingredients
- 2 cups (8 oz) young red pine or other pine cones (soft enough to be cut with a knife) *
- 2 cups (16 oz) organic brown sugar or other brown sugar, just not white which is dry and makes a clear syrup
Instructions
Maceration
- Rinse the cones in warm water to remove any foreign particles. Inspect your cones for any that have holes or insects and discard.
- Combine the sugar and pine cones and pack into a quart jar, then allow to macerate (age) for 30 days. Put the jars in a sunny place where they will get warm during the day, which will help ward off mold.
- During the first few weeks of maceration, open the jar occasionally to release carbon dioxide as the mixture will ferment vigorously. Shake it occasionally to help it on it's journey.
- As the cones release their water, the volume of the contents in the jar will decrease. If you have more cones and sugar, you can add it to fill up the jar.
Finishing and storing
- After the maceration is complete, scrape the sugar slush and pine cones into a pot, bring to a brisk simmer and heat through to melt the sugar, then strain and bottle. Discard the cooked cones and thank them for their service.
- All you need to do is bring the temperature up and melt the sugar, if you reduce the syrup too much it will crystalize after it cools. For the amounts listed it should take about 5-10 minutes.
- The syrup is stable at room temperature since the fermentation lowers the pH, but will keep the best flavor in the fridge. It can also be water bath processed.
Maxime Gagnon
So interesting, I am always grateful of the work you do.
Have you ever tried to macerate the cones into maple syrup?
Alan Bergo
No, but you could. Just keep in mind the cones will add water, and maple syrup already has a higher eater content that typical mugolio. You could reduce it afterword. If you have extra maple, it would be worth trying with a few cups.
Bill schiller
I am macerating pine cones with maple sugar as we speak
Alan Bergo
Maple sugar is prone to crystalization but the flavor is excellent. Warm it up to relax it.
Amber
Thank u for sharing this is awesome another way to be self sustaining.. i saw this earlier on someone elses videos and then forgotten the name of then came across yours ...
Alan Bergo
Thanks Amber.
Rosemary Candler
If I can find young pine cones, I want to try this. ... I do have a red eastern cedar tree.. would the leaf tips work?
Alan Bergo
No don’t use the tips. Only the cones can be used. Cedar cones will work, just make sure they’re green.
Randi D
There must be some amount of water required in this process?? In the maceration stage or the cooking stage? Or do you really mean that the green pinecones will release all the water that is necessary for the recipe?
Alan Bergo
I mean that the green pine cones contain the only water in the recipe. That said, I've found that the age and variety of your cones will can a slightly different amount of water. If at least half of the jar doesn't liquify in a couple weeks you can add a splash, but only then.
Dana
Could you use homemade brown sugar? I make my own, 1cup pure cane sugar with 1 table spoon molasses. I make large batches at a time.
Alan Bergo
Hi, Dana. That will work just fine.
RJ
Thank you! I recently had a white pine fall near my home with thousands of tiny cones. Could the raw muraglio be used to start sourdough?
Alan Bergo
Hey RJ. So, since the syrup is cooked the yeast is destroyed. To make a starter just toss a couple pine cones, or a cut up one with your flour and water mixture for the starter.
Ian
I've just started a batch from Scotts pine and jaggery 🙂
Alan Bergo
I'm here if you have any questions.
Michael Fontenot
Hello this sounds yum but I’m down here in the south and there is only loblolly pine and I am afraid the loblolly pine will poison me are all pines ok to make pine cone syrup or not?
Alan Bergo
I can’t speak to if loblolly pine will work. You could send me some and I can run a batch and try it. I could trade you red pine cones from WI.
Angie
Is it possible to freeze the extra pine cones and still be able to make a good syrup out of it
Alan Bergo
Yes you can freeze them and they’ll work just fine.
Rubay
When are pine cones most likely to be small and harvestable for this project?
Alan Bergo
In Minnesota and Wisconsin where I live, they'll be available from May-June, and sometimes longer if you go a bit north. If you're from a different part of the country (or world) and the timeline is a lot different let me know and I'll do what I can to help guide people here.
Carmen
I am in California and desperate to find out what i can use. What do you suggest?
Alan Bergo
Any young growing meristematic portion of conifers can be used. All pinus species are edible. There's probably thousands of things that could be used, use your instincts and imagination. Refer to the comment I replied to from Sean just now too for other ideas. Cedar cones (not juniper) have worked very well for me, just make sure to harvest them green and unripe.
Joe
I plan to try this with spruce cones as well as red pine. Thanks!
James Rogers
Are loblolly pine cones ok to use? I am finding some conflicting info. Live in nc and they are abundant, Appreciate it!
Alan Bergo
I don't have them near me but I'm pretty sure people in the comment section have used them. Scan it and lmk what you find.
Rubay
I gathered a very small amount of dropped California coastal redwood cones almost 3 months ago and just bottled it today. It’s delicious but a bit tannic? Astringent? Like it leaves the tongue dry feeling. Is that typical? I think I simmered it a little too long because it thickened more than is ideal. We got a huge crop after a recent storm (mid October), so I’ll have another chance in about a month and a half to make adjustments!
April
I'm in the same boat. We had a fire recently, so the redwoods popped a lot of cones, but the water content was not as great as what the recipe is showing. Curious to know what Chef replies with!
Alan Bergo
The time to harvest the cones is in the spring when they're young and tender.
Rubay
Yes, they were young and tender, so they just have more than one growing season. We got another drop of fresh green ones a few months ago. Way too tannic, really, and the syrup solidified from boiling. Not enough water content to boil with redwood cones.
Sinclair
I appreciate this so much. I am experimenting with diff cones and tried coastal redwood and giant sequoia, but thus far into the maceration stage, the sequoia does NOT smell good. The coastal redwood smells okay, but the syrup has turned crimson color. Good to have a sense of the taste. I wonder if adding water or another pine species would help it taste better?
Ray
In the west there are a lot of white pines, whose bark has a fairly strong vanilla odor. I don't know if the cones have that same characteristic but if they do I think the syrup could be amazing.
Alan Bergo
That's a fun idea. Let me know how it works for you.
Lisa
White pines are declining due to disease in the west, so it would be best to leave their cones to produce more trees. Ponderosa here is very similar to red pine. We also have lodgepole, Douglas fir, and several true fir species that would likely produce good syrups.
Alan Bergo
I agree with the sentiment but the likelihood of anyone removing all the cones from a single tree is nearly impossible unless the tree is cut down. The largest concentration of the cones often appear near the apex of the tree and are unreachable without a ladder.
Craig Montgomery
What is the nutritional value of margolia syrup ?
Alan Bergo
I don't often comment on nutritional aspects of food, but in this case I know enough to at least say a little. Mugolio will be similar to other sugar syrups (which is listed in the nutritional faq on the recipe) but, it will also contain vitamin C. How much vitamin C I can't say.
Julia Quinn
Would love to try this but wrong time of the year fro most cones . But I did find some green cedar cones that are about 8cm long - still soft enough to cut with kitchen knife. Would you chop these up first to fit in the jar?
Alan Bergo
Yes, those should work fine. Cut them into 1/3rds or a similar size so they can neatly fill the jar.
Minali
Can you use Longleaf pine cones for this recipe?
Alan Bergo
Probably but I haven't.
Heather
Should I leave the cones while, or chop them in half?
Alan Bergo
You can do either. If your cones are larger, you may want to slice them, if they're small, there's no need. It will work fine either way, as long as the cones are soft enough to be cut with a knife.
Laura
Ok I am SO excited about this... the spruce tip syrup I made last year was absolutely divine! I notice you mention winter green in passing in the recipe prequel... I have access to wintergreen literally everywhere and adore it’s scent and flavour; would the same principles apply if I’m to make a syrup with it? Thanks as always for the awesome inspiring work you do!
Alan Bergo
Hey Laura. So the wintergreen is a bit different. Basically you make a thick syrup and infuse it with chopped wintergreen leaves, then strain them out. You can't heat it after the leaves have been added so it also doesn't last as long and needs to be refrigerated.
Charity
Thank you, Chef! Gathered our first batch of cones today, and happened upon this beautifully rendered recipe. <3
So excited to start this fascinating process!!
Happy cooking!!
Alan Bergo
Thanks Charity. I'm here if you have any questions.
Aingeal
My husband used the spruce tip syrup I made last year to start his bread yeast. He said the yeast loved it even more than regular white sugar.
Ellen
Love mugolio. A few years back, I made a SW version of Zirbenschnapps from the immature pinecones of Ponderosa pine. It also turned red, but there was no syrup step in the recipe, just a straight infusion followed by a little sweetening. This post reminds me to pull out the bottle and start experimenting.
Jacqui
Oh OH something I have never steeped in alcohol. I can't believe it. And you say it turns RED. Thank you Ellen.
You just pop the young cones in a jar of vodka or equivalent and wait???
Allen knows that I steep pretty much anything I can lay my hands on in vodka or grain alcohol. I have done spruce tips but not pine cones yet. Thanks for the idea.
Anjelah
Would it hurt to add more sugar after the volume goes down in a week or so? Or would that just make it less concentrated? I did not cut mine up before putting them in the jar so not a lot of sugar fit!
Alan Bergo
You must use the exact proportion of sugar to pine cones listed. If you couldn't, add the sugar you left out.
Aingeal
I like to make infused gin and my favourite so far is my spruce tip gin, with a vanilla bean pod (split and scraped) and lemon peel.
Alan Bergo
That sounds very good.
Mark Sprinkle
Yesterday I hit the jackpot on pine cones from a couple of different species, including larger ones I cut up, and a whole bunch of little ones about an inch long. They will fir in a quart jar fine, but is it a good idea to slice them anyway to speed things up, or is there a subtlety in leaving them whole? Also found enough super tiny ones to do the cider-pinecone preserves...
Alan Bergo
Hey Mark, so if the cones are very tiny, I would suggest chopping them roughly to medium-fine to make it so you can fit more cones in the jar, since that means more water proportionate to sugar, which means an easier syrup. Younger cones hold less water and aren't as ideal for the syrup as green ones. The image of the very small cones I had in here is throwing people off a bit, so I'm going to remove it since the tiny ones are better for the whole preserve. When you use green cones, the rush of water they give off is really remarkable. Let me know how it turns out for you.
Side note: some cones I always chop, even in the green stage since they're too large to fit in the jar (Pinus siberica).
Mirja
I started a batch last week with equal parts brown sugar and tiny cones. So far it seems like there's a clear syrup layer with cones and a sugar layer below. The layers are equal in size. I weighed down the cones to make contact with the sugar a few days ago but nothing has changed. Any suggestions?
Alan Bergo
You're just a little early. The tiny small cones will work, but they're not as ideal as when the cones have started to turn green, since the cones hold more water at that point in their growing cycle. Made with green cones overnight the jar will fill with a rush of water very quick. The small cones will still work, but you may have to add a splash of water to prevent it from crystalizing when you cook it. When the cones near you start to turn green try it again and you'll immediately understand what I'm talking about here. I'm going to make sure to get some extra process shots this year to help people along since this has become pretty popular, but it won't be for a few weeks since our cones are still quite small.
I'm also going to make a note of chopping up very small cones to make it so you can fit more of them in the jar, which means more water, which means an easier syrup. Props to Mark Sprinkle there for reminding me of that. So, you could also chop up some more young ones that will add more water to the jar, which will help. Don't worry about safety here, as sugar is a preservative and you will bring the finished syrup to a boil.
Mirja
Sweet, I'll chop up a few and add them. I'm on the north shore and the pine cones are just starting to pop up.
Alan Bergo
Yeah be patient too, it can take some time to draw out the water from the smaller cones.
Dave Hedlund
I just started 5 quart jars of syrup mix. One is 100% white spruce tips. One is 100% white spruce cones. The others are 3 to 1, 2 to 2, and 1 to 3 ratios of cones and tips. I’m looking forward to later summer to see how different they will taste. The cones may be a bit early as they are more purple than green, but the tree had to come down this weekend and I couldn’t resist picking all the tips and cones from the top 6 feet of tree. Thanks for the inspiration Alan!
Carri Lee Pages
How can we tell if the pine cones are the edible ones if we do not know what type of tree it is ?
Alan Bergo
I do not know a poisonous pine cone, or any conifer product sans Yew, which is not a tree.
Jbub
FYI: All parts of the Ponderosa pine are toxic.
Alan Bergo
Thanks Jbub. I don't have them near me.
Chelsea
I made mugolio recently with dark brown sugar and it’s fantastic!, but I’m having a technical issue.
How do I keep it from crystallizing? I had to reboil because I thought I didn’t boil long enough the first time, but I went to use it today, and found that it’s not syrupy anymore. The sugar is granular again.
Alan Bergo
Add some water, warm it, cool, check the consistency, repeat.
Linda
Just warm it up a bit and shake to help dissolve.
Dee
Excited to try this! does anyone know the instructions on water bathing it?
Caracal
It would be the same as for jam and other things I’m sure. Fill canning jars to 1/4 inch of the top, screw the rings on to finger-tightness (fully screwed on but not much past the point where you feel resistance). Then put in a pot of boiling water, raised from the bottom with a canning basket, so water can move under the jars, and with at least an inch of water above. Let boil for 10 minutes. Remove and set on a towel, and do not disturb it for 24 hours.
Alan Bergo
While you can water bath process mugolio and spruce tip syrups, it’s unnecessary, all you need to do is use clean jars, pour the boiling hot syrup into them, screw on the lid, and turn them upside down. The jars seal naturally, it’s how we process and store about 50 gallons of maple syrup in the farm I live at. Spruce tip syrup and mugolio I would suspect are even safer as they have a natural acidity from the conifer, and pine cone syrup also lacto-ferments as it ages, lowering the pH.
Lindsay Hovde
Hi Alan. I just came across your post! Exciting! I imagine the boiling kills the goodness from the fermentation? Do you have to boil it? Thanks
Alan Bergo
Lindsay. You must bring the syrup to a simmer to melt the sugar. If you want "benefits" from your ferments, eat some raw, like sauerkraut, curtido, etc.
Shilpa Aggarwal
Thank you for the recipe. Is water not required to be added in the pine cones and sugar maceration process?
Alan Bergo
No water. Just follow the recipe.
Andrew Hower
I'm a day in and the bottom of my jar has begun to liquefy (so cool)
Should I stir it at all? I have one of those gas vent things on the lid so I don't need to open it.
Thanks for putting all of this stuff online also. Makes for an interesting cooking experience!
Alan Bergo
Andrew, totally fine to stir it, it will help it on it's way. No risk of contamination or anything as it's nearly 100% sugar and you'll be boiling it to loosed it after the long maceration. You'll love the finished product.
Carmen
I don't think we have red pine in CA. Can you tell me what other pines you would use?
Alan Bergo
I've also used the cones of Pinus siberica, Thuja occidentalis, Abies balsamea, and Picea glauca. Any young coniferous part can be used, spruce tips too. Classic Spruce Tip Syrup
Sandra McHarg
I live in Australia, and the most common variety of pine tree around my area is Radiata Pine. They're fine?
Also, I think I've read somewhere that cypress cones are something to steer away from?
BTW, found your pine cone recipes while looking for info on Saffron Milk Caps and Slippery Jacks, which are in season here at the moment, growing around the Radiata Pines. Very much enjoying them. 🙂
Alan Bergo
Sandra, as far as I know all true pines should be edible. Yew is toxic, but it is also not a true pine. Articles that say pines are poisonous or toxic in some form I would suspect are conflating information specifically referring to ruminants, or people attempting to ingest needles or tea (cedar I know has been used) as an abortifacient. You are not ingesting the needles or any physical part of the plant here per se, only the natural liquid that combines with the sugar. The concentration of liquid from the cones is in such a small amount in the finished product, that I would (and have) served this to people indiscriminately. Maybe someone might have an issue if they drank a cup of syrup-I don't know. I also wouldn't recommend anyone drink that much sugar syrup for any purpose. Dosage is always important, for example, cinnamon and nutmeg are also toxic in "non-normal" doses.
Sandra McHarg
🙂 Thanks.
I noticed in one of your articles you mentioned problems with getting to young cones growing high in the trees. It seems we have a solution to this "down under". The cockatoos bite off young branches and drop them, leaving the cones intact 90% of the time.
Very destructive birds to have around any kind of fruiting tree, but they have their positive points too. 😉
Alexander Theofanis
Hi Sandra, I'm from Australia too and I was wondering how you went with the radiate cones? is it safe to use them because I'd love to try!
Thanks
sean
Excited to make this with the spruce tips and cones I am gathering. What about trying this with juniper (eastern red cedar in MN) berries later in the summer? I imagine it would create a gin-like taste. Could cedar branch tips be used as well?
Alan Bergo
Sean, you can probably make it with eastern red cedar, but I would try Thuja occidentalis cones first (Eastern white cedar). When improvising, remember that the water content of the ingredient you will be macerating is what helps to make the syrup. Green pine cones seem to gush water into the sugar overnigtht when gathered at larger stages. When water is introduced into the syrup, it will also probably ferment, sometimes quite vigorously, which can be good, but will add some different flavors, for better or worse. You can probably use branch tips, but I haven't tried it with that species, only T. occidentalis, which did work well when used in combination with the cones. Hope that helps.
Sinclair
I’m in the PNW and have been working with Doug Fir, Scots pine, and just found green mugo cones). I am now experimenting with the following green cone species and would love any feedback from experience of hearsay. I’m still in the maceration process:
- tiny baby mugo cones
- deodar cedar/Himalayan cedar (new cone growth: 1-2”). Aside: Are the needles on the tips okay or just the cone for this sp.?
- western red cedar
- Japanese cedar (smells incredible so far, but VERY LITTLE WATER CONTENT, so, not sure if I’ll need to compensate for this during the boiling process)
- sawara cypress (OR northern white cedar or port orford cedar —still working on IDs)
- coastal redwood
- giant sequoia
- eastern red cedar
In my area, I have also come across Monterey Pine and Japanese Black pine. Would love feedback on these, too. Thanks, everyone!
Alan Bergo
When I did it with Arizona cedar there was little water content, just add a couple splashes of water until it gets slushy and you'll be fine. Mine turned out excellent-one of the best cedar versions I've tasted.
Sinclair
That’s great to know because the Japanese cedar is continuing to smell so good and I definitely want to experience it.
Just to verify, when you say to add a splash of water, do you mean during maceration or when you boil?
Thanks so much, chef!
Alan Bergo
During the maceration.
Raquel Pallak
Hi. Are you using only female cones or will male pollen cones do as well? Thanks
Alan Bergo
Male cones won't work.
Angel
I just found this site, and it’s lovely.
Thank you for writing such a detailed account of this edible.
I just put some green cones from long leaf pine to macerate with jaggery. It will be interesting (or not, since jaggery is just sugar.)
Alan Bergo
Thanks Angel.
Sheila
i see so much on spruce tip syrup...can the young green cones be used as well
Alan Bergo
Sheila, that's exactly what I'm using here. If you're referring to the young green cones of spruce, they can absolutely be used as well.
Sheila
ty so much i have trees full of them and cant wait to try them
Alan Bergo
You'll love it. Have fun.
David
Hi, thank you for the fantastic, detailed write-up and recipe.
I've seen elsewhere (I believe it was Rene Redzepi of Noma fame) that once macerated and boiled, the pine cones themselves are edible; any advice regarding this?
I have read elsewhere though that they have some detrimental effects, or at the very least are incredibly bitter. I'm baby green pine cones found in UK
Alan Bergo
Hey David. So pine cones harvested for mugolio are larger than the recipe you're thinking of. Varenye is the Caucasian preserve of whole pine cones where the cones are actually eaten, they need to be the size of a pinky nail for that. At the green stage when they're larger they have a higher water content and are perfect for making mugolio. See my method of making pine cone varenye in this link.
Charlotte Jones
Thank you for this recipie. I've made mine with what I think are dwarf mountain pine cones. I feel nervous about mould. Will it be ok to open and stir every now and again? Its in a kilner jar but now its only half full.
Alan Bergo
Charlotte, I have never seen mold on any syrup I've made from any species of pine or spruce cones. This is more of an occasional issue with spruce tips if they aren't agitated regularly. Proceed with no fear.
Charlotte Jones
Thats good to know, I'll do my best to relax about mold.
Andrew Hower
I just discovered a patch of white mold on my batch (it's been going for 5 weeks now). I removed it and gave it a stir. Think it's still ok?
I also started a different batch with Virginia Pine so we'll see how that goes!
Dina
Hi Alan, thanks for sharing your expertise with us! I’ve had a few jars of mugolio resting in my kitchen since this spring, and was sad to find mold growing on the tops of the pine cones (harvested when young from red pine trees) in one of the jars. I assume I should discard that whole jar, right? Do you have any advice for how to avoid this in future batches? I did boil the jar and lid for ten minutes before using it, and agitated/burped it daily during the first few weeks.
Alan Bergo
You don't have to discard the jar, just pick the mold off. It's important to stir the mixture to coat the pine cones with the syrup as it sits, as the mixture ferments, the pH lowers and it will stabalize. You also cook the finished syrup, which is a kill step/sterilization.
joanne
Like Dina, I found mold growing on the air-exposed cones. I cleaned it up manually and ended up putting the jar in the instant pot for a couple house of pressure cooking, with the lid loose, of course. The taste is still fabulous!
Alan Bergo
With the shapes and sizes of cones being highly variable, as well as the ambient temperature of people's homes and where they store ferments, it's possible to see some mold, especially if you don't shake the jar or stir it regularly to coat the cones with the fermenting syrup. Do it a few times and you'll get the hang of it. Practice makes perfect.
Carrie
Very exciting! When making a lot, have you done it in a crock, Ie: with a lid, but not screwed shut? Would that work, or may invite guests.. ( ants)
Alan Bergo
Using a crock could potentially work if you keep it inside and figure out a way to seal it. But yes, I've done large batches and lazily left them outside, only to return and find them crawling with ants. For fun, I brought the mixture to a boil, strained out everything, and it was fine, but it's definitely not ideal and I don't recommend it. Food-grade polycarbonate cambros work very well, as in the types that restaurants use. I recently made 3 gallons in one and left it outside, as the lids are air-tight it kept all the pests out.
Ray Katayama
Thank you for your knowledge！
I tried making pine cone jam, syrup and medicinal liquor for the first time yesterday.
However, the pinecone i used is "Deodar cedar".
I didn't see the recipe on the internet made of such kind, so I felt anxiety about toxicity. While researching, I arrived at this site.
Excuse me for the sudden comment. I would appreciate it if you could let me know.
Alan Bergo
All true conifers are edible. Yew (Taxus baccata) is not, and looks quite different.
Ray Katayama
I really appreciate your kindness！！
I will continue to enjoy conifer.
Really you and the blog helped me.
Thank you！！
And I wish your happiness from my heart！！
Alan Bergo
Thanks Ray
Avanti
Hi Alan,
Does the taste get finer/more complex if I decide to age it for over two months? Or should I stop at 2?
Alan Bergo
Avanti, totally fine to stop at two months. 30 days is the minimum I recommend.
Avanti
Have you ever tried a batch that you took over 2 though?
D
How can I 100% avoid crystallization?
Alan Bergo
Don't overcook it. Heat it up enough until it comes to a simmer which will melt the sugar, then strain.
Coop
What do you think about using young hemlock tree cones for this? I know they aren't poisonous, but has anybody tried making syrup with them?
Alan Bergo
Coop, it has been done, and it works just fine. I haven't used them myself though.
Kate
This is an easy and fun recipe! Great to made with kids and watch the syrup macerate.
Alan Bergo
Thanks Kate, yes it's a great edible science project.
Sarah Bliss
I’ve been a fan for years. Thanks so much for sharing your vast knowledge and contagious passion!
You’ve written that all true conifers are edible. I just want to doublecheck that cedar berries will be safe. And if so, have you tried this with them? Tasty?
Alan Bergo
Thanks Sarah. Cedar cones (Thuja occidentalis) are fine and I've made it with them, the berries that resemble juniper should be ok too, as this doesn't absorb tannins and astringency-I haven't made it with them specifically though so it's just an educated hunch. Either way it would be safe.
Sarah Bliss
Thanks very much Alan. I'll proceed, and try to remember to post back here about my results after the long fermentation. Harvesting the berries today in light rain at meadow's edge surrounded by early blooming goldenrod and black raspberries just beginning to ripen, was a sweet sweet joy and pure meditation.
Chris
I have about 8 mugo dwarf pines all around my yard. I imagine these are safe to use and are the same as the mugo pines they use in Italy? Any idea?
Alan Bergo
Yes. Pinus mugo. Same tree as the Italians use. I’d be interested in tasting some of the syrup if you make a bunch. I could send you some really fun ones I’ve made. Lmk.
Kris
So I didn't see anything about doing this with local raw honey? I realize it would crystalize, But I'm used to melting down honey or even using in solid form. I also realize the honey would add another flavor, but I have some mild wildflower honey I suspect would be very yummy.
I'm trying to stay away from cane sugar.
Love the fact it's not just infused with pine but actually fermented.
Also, since this is lacto fermented, does it have all that amazing gut bacteria found in many fermented foods? This would be a really great way to get in more pre and pro biotics!
I'm thinking this could be more healthy than using raw honey!
Alan Bergo
You can do it with raw honey. I have a section on that in my post on spruce syrup. Since you heat the syrup after the maceration it will kill off bacteria, good and bad though.
dabney
I would think by now that you would be at a level of professionalism where you didn't need all these insanely annoying ads (what they really say is i'm cheap and greedy) It sucks, trying to read a serious article with visual bombs going off in your face and i've started to go elsewhere. Just sayin'.
Alan Bergo
Dabney, I hear you. I said I would never put ads on this site, so let me tell you why I did. I started this site while I was a broke line cook, living in my friends basement. At that time, with little traffic and a non-existent mailing list, it was pretty cheap to run. Even so, there were costs, mostly food and ingredients.
As time went on, the costs associated with the website grew proportionate to the readership. For 8 years I absorbed the costs, and didn't think twice about it. Everytime someone sent me a message that I had helped them learn something new, or helped trouble shoot an issue was payment enough. Little by little, the costs started to add up though. Here's a list of companies I have to pay every month to keep my feeds alive. Some are a few bucks a month, others are in the multiple hundreds. All of them to provide a service of sharing information that brings me exactly ZERO income.
Mailchimp
Linktree
Wordpress.com
Hosting company
Various plugin memberships
Lightroom and Adobe
Journalistic article memberships
Facebook
Instagram
These are only online memberships and similar, too. The foodcost for recipe development for the site alone (I'm about 20k in the hole from writing my book, which is separate) is about 6-800/month at this point. OH, and don't forget the gas it takes to travel to all kinds of locations I visit, and the thousands of dollars in legal fees I spent last year filming a show my videographer and I shared for free on here, as well as the thousands of dollars I sunk into FB to try and get it enough views to show the powers that be that wild food has a legitimate audience.
Fast forward to 2020. When covid hit, the views on this site increased dramatically, into the multiple millions. On one day, when 20,000 people visited a single post featured on a (semi) mainstream online news outlet, my hosting company saw it as a red flag, and pulled my entire site offline without warning. The host company held the site hostage essentially, and gave me two choices-return the site to a back-up that was 4 months old, losing months of work in the process, or pay a couple thousand dollars immediately and install a dedicated server to handle the increase in traffic. Having just lost all my speaking gigs and consulting income overnight, my options were grim. I could not afford to support the site out of my own pocket anymore.
One option was to simply say goodbye and remove the site from the net-not my favorite. Another would be to put all the information behind a paywall-also not my favorite. Or, I could start some sort of Patreon, and try to add on another online platform and the learning curve that goes with it. Lastly, I could install ads. The ads barely bring in enough to keep the site in the black, but they make it so I don't have to pay to give out free information anymore. Ask yourself, what would you do?
What the ads do, what they truly do, is make it so everything I have put into this site: all the money, research, thousands of images, and time can remain free to anyone, anywhere, keeping it free, just like the wild food I represent. To insinuate that I actually make money off of it is silly, but understandable, as, unless you run and maintain a site yourself, you would never know the sort of pennies an ad company brings in unless you're a site like the NY Times, etc.
If you haven't done anything similar to what I do yourself, or, more specifically, had to weigh the difficult ethical and financial decisions I've had to make, I won't be taking any criticism from you. For some people, free apparently isn't cheap enough, and I'm happy to see you go.
Alan
Eric
This is the single greatest thing I have ever read on the internet.
Alan Bergo
Thanks Eric, I appreciate that. Lots of work.
MiTmite9
Alan: Thank you for teaching me about mugolio. Found the link to your site via Reddit ---- on a discussion about Araucaria bidwillii. Someday I will have to try making pine cone syrup.
Alan Bergo
Thanks MiTmite
MiTmite9
Eric. i agree. Learned more than I bargained for ----- about cost of running a FREE info site. Elucidating.
Sinclair
Seriously appreciate this response. Easy peasy, folks!
Alan Bergo
Thanks
Toni
I don’t think I could possibly convey how excited I am to try this! My son and I found a perfect place to forage for some cones, with many different types of trees (many of them reachable by this little short lady) - so I am planning on trying a few different ones. One of the trees we have abundantly in my area is larch. I have read through this a number of times but haven’t caught a mention of those. Can I use larch cones for this?
And I wanted to thank you for this recipe and the Pine Cone Jam recipe. I have been wanting to sharpen my rudimentary tree identification skills, but couldn’t get sufficiently motivated to do so. I stumbled across these two recipes and BAM! - my passion was ignited. So thank you! I have spent much of my half century outdoors, but only started wild foraging recently with my adult son. This has become a wonderful hobby which I greatly enjoy - fueled in part by people like yourself who share your knowledge. You have my sincere gratitude.
Alan Bergo
Thanks Toni. As far as I know right now, the only cones people haven't cared for are sub alpine fir.
Frank Magner
Alan, success requires no explanation and failure permits no alibi. Keep doing what you’re doing and disregard the noise of those who have never walked in your shoes. You are doing great work so, go forth and do more great things!
Alan Bergo
Thanks Frank.
P1cklebaron
Alan, I just want to thank you for all that share to the masses online. I tried a similar recipe last year but I did it all wrong. Then I found you and your post, a huge leap ahead of the Instagram version I tried last year. Like you, it’s a passion of mine to find the old recipes, the odd ingredients and be self reliant enough to make something of it. Keyboard warriors like dabney don’t get it. They haven’t put the time in, they haven’t had the life experience to understand nothing comes for free. I’ve been in the hospitality industry for over 25yrs now and lived a kitchen confidential life while finding my way through it all, it’s people like yourself that give to other selflessly and feed the passion for the next generation of culinary wizards. Dabney is a blip on the scale of life here and gone but with no real effect other than to annoy. Please keep sharing for the rest of us loyal and newly inspired followers.
Alan Bergo
Hey thank you. Lots of work goes into what I do here.
Dorothy
Bu-bye. Ur rudness is uncalled for n show u have a bit of ugliness in ur soul.
Frank Magner
Oh, you must be one who thinks only one opinion (yours) matters. Don’t get your feelings hurt when someone else may disagree with what you think. Learn from that! It’s something called critical thinking. Get with the program!
Mirja
Just opened a jar of mugo that I've let age for 3.5 months. Amazing. Started with about 2 cups of very young red pine cones and 2ish cups of sugar. My yield is 8oz. Time to figure out what to use it for.
Alan Bergo
Glad it worked for you Mirja.
Sabine
I live in southern Australia and radiate pine is the pine that is prolific in the area- I’m wondering if i can use the flowering tips of this pine tree? And would the pine to sugar ration change?
Alan Bergo
Those will work. Cut the pine tips (again they must be young and tender) into pieces, then use the same weight of sugar as the original template/recipe. If, after 5 days the tips are not covered in liquid, add more sugar and a splash of water until they’re covered. Make sure to stir once in a while.
Sabibe
Thankyou Alan -I’m starting my journey tomorrow - cant wait to taste the syrup. Thankyou again.
Alan Bergo
Let me know how it turns out for you. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to shoot a message over.
Floris
Thank jou for the recipe in advance.. I livenin the Netherlands and used pinecones, green and 2 to 3 inch in size.. Tree is Pinus Sylvestris.. The lines are young and green.. But not soft AT ALL.. Does that matter or just takes more time? Thank you in advance
Alan Bergo
They need to be soft enough to cut. I have noticed some cones stay a little green when they are getting firm. I would set a reminder to get some in the spring.
floris
Thanks .. Will do.. Will try with heating and see what happens.. Maybe will end up with a syrop of sorts.. 🙂 just discarding them feels like wasting everything.. Thx again.. And will set an alarm..
Mike
First of all wanna say thank you Alan for the recipe and inspiration.
I'm using young green pine cones picked locally, coming up on the 1 month mark. I may have misjudged the proportions of ingredients and right now my macerated mixture looks like a 80/20 ratio of sugar to liquid.
Should I supplement the mixture with a bit more water, leave it alone, or compensate with more water during the final boiling step?
Alan Bergo
Leave it as-is. It's fine. A month ago would have been a little past-prime to harvest green pine cones, you really need to do it in the spring for them to have the most aroma. I would go ahead and bring it to a simmer, strain and taste it-the sugar will melt. If it firms up in the fridge warm it and add a bit of water to adjust the consistency.
Caterina
Hi Alan! So first of all thank you for the recipe and work! I live in Mexico and found some young black pine cones last week. I started yesterday and was wondering how often should I be opening the jars to release the CO2? This is the first time I try a recipe like this. I'm also keeping it inside a wine fridge which is at 15° Celsius, is that okay? Room temperature here is pretty warm!
Thank you so much!
Alan Bergo
Your temperature is fine. The co2 from the fermentation process will never be enough to break a jar, so don't worry about that. You should stir it once in a while though.
Avalon
If using lemon for flavor how much and when would you add it?
Alan Bergo
I don’t add lemon to this. If I was going to, I’d add it off the heat after I simmer it, as cooking citrus can add bitter notes and weaken its aroma.
Jeremy
This looks like so much fun to get into. I looked into this too late in the season. Would it work to make this with a sugar substitute like stevia or erythrol? Or would that mess up or be potentially unsafe for the process?
Alan Bergo
Thanks Jeremy, for safety especially, this should only be done with good quality, real sugar.
Jeremy
Okay sounds great thanks for the quick response!
Connor
I am in middle Tennessee and I cant find many trees for this. I have found some of the spruce trees with long green cones. The only issue is the green cones are maybe 30 feet in the air. Not sure how to harvest cones when they're all so high. Also what time of year are most cones going to be green?
Alan Bergo
The cones MUST be harvested in the spring or early summer, or it wont work.
Sinclair
I will say that this year in Seattle, our Doug Fir cones are still green and oozing sticky goodness, so I’ve picked them even this week (Aug 15) to make additional batches. Not sure if this is an unusual year, but they still seem young and even small on some trees in our parks. We are in the northernmost part of the state, so perhaps there is a geographical reason for these cones still being so fresh.
By the way, I really appreciate this comment section and how quickly Alan gets back to our questions. It makes this project so much more fun and I can’t wait to do more of the chef’s recipes! Thank you, everyone!
Alan Bergo
Glad it's been helpful for you.
Teri
If using juniper, I assume ripe berries/cones??
Alan Bergo
No I would use green, remember part of the process that is important here is for the coniferous object in question to have a high amount of natural water. Ripe cones will not.
Becca
Unfortunately I found this at the wrong time of year! Hopefully I can remember to look for cones next spring/summer!
But I was curious about contaminants- is there anything you do to clean the cones of dirt and debris and check for things like bird poo?
Alan Bergo
Yes, don't pick cones with bird poo on them. 🙂
Sinclair
I live in the city and feel compelled to try to “clean” off pollutants and less savory critters before I jar things up. I do a brief bath in a bowl of cool water with a splash of hydrogen peroxide. Let sit. Stir a few times, Then I rinse and they’re ready to jar. Not sure how good this is for the cones considering in its pure form H2O2 is a cell destroyer, but diluting it so much in water hopefully just helps get some of the ick off the cones before the long jarring process. Probably just helps ease my own neuroses more than anything else.
Alan Bergo
That'll work fine.
Elisa
I tried this out and it made a fantastic tasting syrup. Not sure where I went wrong though as the bottom half crystallized once bottled. Womp womp.
Alan Bergo
You cooked it too long. This can happen especially with small batches that will be more finicky, but, if I have people start out making large batches, they will have way more syrup than is practical for home use. Warm it up to loosen it and add a splash of water.
Maya
Double checking, are Ponderosa Pines safe for this? I know there are concerns with ingesting their needles.
Alan Bergo
I have only heard of one tree that made a syrup that wasn't that tasty (Sub-alpine fir). All of them should be safe though.
Jill
Anyone try this with a scots pine? How did it turn out? I'm excited to find out about this - I'd never heard of it before, and had always thought that some pine trees were poisonous. Thank you for sharing this information!!
Alan Bergo
Those should work. Every pinus I’ve had so far has been great. The only one that didn’t work as it was too dry was Arizona cypress.
Jill
Thank you again!!
Sinclair
Yes. I am doing it with Scots right now (still in week one of maceration). They’re excellent with a high water content, but they get VERY fizzy in the fermentation process so definitely burp daily at least in the beginning. My first whiff after opening during initial week almost knocked me out!
Tom Dull
Alan, I have been waiting for a few months now to try this recipe. I am a Christmas tree grower and we always pick off the fir cones and throw them on the ground to enhance the beauty of the tree. The cones are about an inch long right now and we will be picking them off before long. This year I will be throwing them into a 5 gallon bucket (or buckets) and making some syrup. If it turns out, I will bottle it and sell it in my retail store on the farm. We have acres of Canaan Fir and a few Korean Fir that are very prolific cone producers. Any specific advice for making extra large batches? Thank you for taking the time to answer all these posts! Yes, I read them all. For your readers who need a source of cones, have them contact their local Christmas tree farm. We love helpers to de-cone the fir trees.
Alan Bergo
The only advice I have is to use food-safe containers like Cambro brand. Scaling it is easy, just multiply. It's easy as all you do is use double the weight of cones in sugar.
Kassidee
I love this suggestion! Thank you.
Sam
Have you noticed a difference with Norway spruce cones when they are red like in your picture or when they're a little older and green? Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Alan Bergo
Just get them as young as possible. As long as you can cut them through with a knife they'll work. I will add that Norway spruce isn't as good as some of the others, the syrup is more tannic than red pine, etc. White spruce is better if you can find some.
Sam
Unfortunately its mostly Norway spruce near me but will have some firs in the future. Glad to see it works with red and green cones. Will try both to compare. Thanks again!
Adam Churvis
One of the best things I've tasted.
Evan
I discovered your website a few days ago; I love it! I have swaths of Lamb's Quarter around my yard and you've inspired me to start using it!
I'm curious how early you gather these cones. A park had some downed spruce(?) trees in some severe winds we had here in eastern South Dakota and I decided to investigate before the forestry guys could take it down. They were mostly pale with some red and quite squishy, not really looking much like what you have depicted.
I'm going to keep a close eye on these so I can get them going as early as I can, do you have any reference for how hard they should be? Otherwise I'll just wait until some pines look about the same as you have shown, then harvest some spruce cones going as well.
Alan Bergo
Hi Evan, you'll want to harvest the cones as shown in this article. Mushy cones sound like they've deteriorated to me. They should be young and green, and easily cut with a knife. Make sure to watch the video too.
Evan
I think I've figured it out now, with a little more effort on identification. I believe they were Norway Spruce, but I think the cones were far too young yet. They hadn't started to show any brown, scaly bits yet.
I have located some pine trees in my area instead, so I'll keep my eyes open for their development and perhaps look around for some non-Norway spruce near me.
Alan Bergo
Good deal. Just keep looking at trees and you'll get the hang of it. I will mention that Norway spruce syrup is ok, but it's more tannic than others. If you can find another species around (white spruce and Co. blue are very dependable) use them instead.
Krista
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and responding to comments. I have learned a lot throughout. We recently started Christmas tree farming and as part of raising Fraser Firs we need to remove cones in spring. So thought this would be a great way to use the large volume.
My question is it takes us several days to pick all the cones. Can I leave them in a container and then begin the processing part a few days after picking?
Alan Bergo
Yes that's fine. Pine cones are very sturdy. Keep them in the fridge or freeze them.
Rachele
could I add water? I am afraid it will become too thick or harden, or does that not happen?
Alan Bergo
The sugar draws out the natural water of the pine cones. No water is needed.
Felicia
I don't have any quart jars. Is it imperative to pack the jar full?
Alan Bergo
No. You can use another container, make sure it's non-reactive.
Lisa
Hi, thanks for the wonderful knowledge. I picked some young larch cones today, but I haven’t been able to find any information on whether they are edible or have any unwanted effects. Have you used latch cones?
Thanks!
Alan Bergo
I haven't but they should be fine.
Erin
Your website, knowledge and generosity are amazing! Thank you so much for this site.
I have a question about harvesting pine cones:
I happen to live near an old recovering cut block and it has small pine trees coming back, lodgepole pine, I believe. Some of them have only 1-3 cones on them. For other wild harvesting, I am aware of ethical practices and not taking too much from one place etc. Does the same apply to pine cones? Does it hurt the tree? I kind of figure, it simply means that the cone I take will obviously not reproduce into another new tree, but the remaining tree should be ok, provided its healthy enough to heal the scar where the green cone comes off.... thoughts or corrections greatly appreciated. The larger trees in the area have cones yo high up to reach.
Thanks very much!
Alan Bergo
Erin, yes your instinct is correct here. Ethical harvesting is important, but we have to take it on a case by case basis. There is no harm in harvesting cones from a tree. You'll never be able to harvest all the cones if you tried, since many are so high. Some trees specifically (balsam) often make most of their cones near the top of the tree. And yes, removing a cone just means there's no chance that the cone can grow a tree, which isn't really an issue as we don't need each tree to reproduce 100 times. Hope that helps.
Elisa
Love this recipe! Trying a larger batch this year. All the sugar has melted, leaving several pine cones no longer submerged. Do you advise removing those or adding more sugar to cover or maybe water? Thanks for the advice.
Alan Bergo
You can do either-adding a splash of water is probably my choice since you'll be cooking it afterward anyway, and you can adjust the consistency to your liking. As long as you stir it and the cones get coated with the fermenting syrup occasionally the lowering of the pH will keep them just fine and ward off mold, so you likely don't need to do anything, but if you'll be gone for a period of time you may want to top it off.
Elisa
I added a little water, removed a few cones I couldn’t get to stay under the liquid line, and have been stirring it everyday. Alas, I’m getting fuzzy, white mold.
Alan Bergo
Then it's time to bring it to a simmer and jar it up.
Elisa
Ok. The cones have only been “steeping” for two weeks. Do you think they would have imparted enough flavor or should I just cut my losses and scrap this year’s batch?
Thanks for your continued advice. I didn’t have any problems with last year’s batch so I’m a little stumped on how to proceed this time.
Vincent
Hey there, just found out about Mugolio today!! I ferment hot sauces, kefir, and mead on the regular and now adding this! So cool! Reading over your instructions I noticed you said to burp the jar a few times, I have a bunch of fermentation lids for my mason jars, will these work for the fermentation process of the pine cones or will it release too much carbon dioxide too fast for this process? Thank you!!
Alan Bergo
It should be fine to use your lids.
Sam
I'm making this with Douglas Fir cones! Very excited to see how it turns out, I'm in the first could of days but I've seen online that the time where it sits and draws out the water is different depending on the person. Are 2 months actually necessary?
I'm making 2 larger batches with brown sugar and one smaller batch with honey and I'm noticing differences immediately. The honey has pulled the water out of the cones but now I have a layer of cone water when I let it sit - when I heat this do I heat the whole thing (the more solid honey and the water) or do I pour off the water first?
Can cedar "berries" be used in this as well? They are edible and have a bit of a juniper berry taste, or so I've been told. I live in an area that is flush with Red Cedar trees and all the green cones are weighing down the branches right now.
Thanks for having this all up, I learned a lot - especially reading through the comments!
Sam
Please ignore my question about cedar, you've answered it a bunch of times 🙂
Alan Bergo
Sam, you heat the whole thing-everything that's in the jar. The flavor will be fine after 30 days.
Andrew
Hello, I'm trying this recipe for the first and am a little confused about the maceration time. It says 60 days but in the instructions you are boiling after 30 days. Which is it?
Alan Bergo
30 is fine. At first I went a little hardcore. There isn't a huge difference in the flavor between 30-60 days. Small differences and nuances like this can take years to tease out.
Andrew
Awesome, thank you!
Daniel
Hello! About how long do you simmer / boil for? I know when creating a simple syrup I usually have to boil for about 12-14 minutes - is that the goal here too, or is it just a brief couple minutes to melt the sugar?
Alan Bergo
Please watch the video. All you're doing is heating up the syrup to melt the sugar. If you over-reduce it the syrup will crystalize when it's cooled.
Karen Glass
Have you ever used a long needle pine? I’m going to experiment with the cones and I wanted to try the needles as well they are very long ( about 10 inches ), should I just cut them up, d’you think?
Alan Bergo
I haven't used them. If the cones are long, cut them into 1 inch segments and it should work fine.
Patrick
I started a batch of red pine mugolio (and a half-batch of spruce mugolio) around a month ago. In both cases, the green cones didn't release *nearly* enough liquid to dissolve the sugar in the jar, so I added water bit by bit until it all finally dissolved. However, this ended up being much more than "a splash" of water as you suggested--I didn't measure it at the time, but I would guess I added at least half a cup of fresh water. Is there any danger of botulism (or other spoilage) as a result of adding too much water and throwing off the proportions? I didn't see much evidence of fermentation, either....might that be a side-effect of having too much water?
I also noticed some fuzzy white mold growing on top, which I think was present for a couple of weeks. Is there any chance that this recipe could be truly "ruined" by mold that wasn't removed immediately? Or would the boiling process at the end kill any remnants?
Alan Bergo
Patrick, as you can see in the images in this post, the sugar will not completely dissolve-it never does. The final simmering and heating is what dissolves it. With cones harvested at different ages, and different species being variables here, there can be some variation. Your adding water could affect the fermentation. Sometimes my jars are nearly carbonated with pressure, sometimes not. Either way, the cones will ferment-spruce tips don't contain as much water, so they won't ferment unless you add some water.
If you get mold, pick it off and discard, or put the jar in a warm place and let the sun heat it which helps too. The final heating process kills bacteria and sterilizes the syrup.
Just today someone commented they forgot about a jar in the cupboard for over a year and had no mold. The variability that I deal with regarding people in different locations with different ambient temperatures and different cones of species and ages is vast, but there's nothing wrong with the recipe.
Cally
Alan, THANKS so much! A friend turned me onto your instructions and I'm happy to know they're all pines are safe. I will try Virginia Pine and my lovely Hemlock next spring. I'm also keen to try some with vodka and sugar..
Wanted to let you know that Zirben Schnapps isn't a distilled product. The locals in the Sölk River valley of Austria just add candied sugar called 'Brauner Kandies' (crystallized sugar -- what we used to call rock candy but made with brown sugar) to the pine cones of a particular tree (the name's in Wikipedia) and pour 'Korn' over it, which is alcohol made from grains. Some vodkas will do, or everclear, if you like that flavor, which generally persists a bit. In Austria everybody does it a little differently but I'm pretty sure it doesn't take much more than a month. An Austrian friend of ours gave us some frozen pine cones and what we made (decades ago) tasted great. I think the hardest thing about making Zirben is getting the pine cones, which typically grow near the top of the tree. It's the only pine product I've had to date (this will be remedied!), and it's REALLY tasty stuff! Beautiful color too.
Thanks again for all your sharing!
Alan Bergo
Thanks Cally, really helpful to have some info saying it's a maceration. Now if I can get some this year in time to try a batch.
Rebecca Campbell
I've been searching high and low for info on how to harvest a pine tree and not go too far. Any ideas how much is safe to take? I dont want to kill my pine. I just came across an old Appalachian version of pine syrup.
Alan Bergo
Rebecca, the cones will fall on their own and harvesting them would never kill the tree. It's like harvesting apples. I'd be interested in hearing about the Appalachian version too!
Jennifer
Non-crunchy Peanut butter works really well to get sap off skin.
Cat J
Wow, thank you so much for responding to these posts! It’s really helpful. I wanted to let you know I have just bought your book. I’m excited about trying out my first batch of mugolio on pancakes in the morning! I live in Southern US so we have tons of pine trees and I’ve started several batches with mostly loblolly and slash pine in half gallon canning jars. I have one batch in the works with green black walnuts. I used the green black walnuts for nocino a year ago and it’s really an interesting flavor. Will let you know how it turns out!
Alan Bergo
Thanks Cat.
Dave Edwards
Can monk fruit be used instead of sugar for mugolio? Would like to make some for a diabetic friend.
Alan Bergo
I haven't cooked with that, and I wouldn't try it.
Angie
Can you do this with Douglas for Kobe’s?
Alan Bergo
Your autocorrect is funny. Yes.
Angie
Processing today! Me and my Kobes are very excited 😆
Sinclair
Tell us how it goes! I have some Doug Kobes too!
Chris
What a wonderful website! I came across this while researching mugolio, but there's a wealth of wonderful things here.
I started several quarts of mugolio this weekend: white pine, white spruce, black spruce, and Norway spruce. It being the end of July, I'm wondering if I waited too long in the season. All of the cones were still green and closed (with the exception of the black spruce cones, which were deep purple) but I'm worried that they might not have sufficient water content. All of the jars are fermenting, and most have started creating liquid syrup, but a couple (the black spruce and Norway spruce) are dry.
I'm content to wait and see how things go, but might it make sense at some point to open the "dry" jars and either add a tablespoon or two of water, or remove, slice and replace the cones to make more of their water accessible?
As an aside, I put a slice of a large lemon on top of each batch before screwing on the lid; I thought the added acidity might discourage mold growth until the acidity climbs on its own. I now wish I would have only done that with some of the batches so I could compare, but I'll report back. They're all sitting in the sunshine in my backyard.
Thank you -- and thank you so much for all this great information!
Alan Bergo
No problem. Did you cut the Norway spruce cones into pieces first? If not that's obviously your issue there. I didn't have any issue with fermenting mine when I tried them. Just fyi too, white spruce cones are a little better than Norway spruce as they're less tannic. Not a big issue but it's noticeable.
Scott
Has anyone tried this with Spruce Pine Cones? Also, would you suggest they be closer, open, or does it matter?
Alan Bergo
Please read the article and look at the pictures. Spruce cones are pictured here. Whatever cones you use, they must always be young and tender.
Sonora
Hey, I have been looking for information on what to do about mold. My spruce mugulio syrup started to mold at 3 weeks, I took all the moldy pinecones out and cleaned the jar, pushed down the cones and only left the syrup on top. I come back a week later and MOLD grew on the syrup!!! Rather frustrated. Everyone says it's a breeze to make but I wanted to make it to the 2 month mark at least.....any advice? Anyone else have the same problem?
Alan Bergo
I've explained this ad nauseum. Please read the post carefully. As the cones fall down and the liquid releases, there will be air in the jar. Add more cones and sugar to decrease the volume of air, or transfer the slurry to a smaller container. Keeping it in the sun as I direct will help too. It is easy, don't get discouraged. After three weeks you'll get a good flavor so just go ahead and heat it to sterilize, strain and bottle.
Sonora
Thank you so much Alan for your time and patience answering my rookie questions!
I will keep trying and I packed it all into a gallon jar and set it in the sun. Lord willing it will keep femeting
Thanks again.
Trevor
So I started this recipe two months ago and it's finally done! It tastes amazing, but not at all what I expected. Rather than being pine-y, it's got a strong berry taste. Is it supposed to be like that? Or is my tree just weird? I'm fairly certain it's a black pine, but, who knows what other factors could be involved. Either way I'm not complaining, thanks for the recipe!
Alan Bergo
Glad it worked for you. I can't speak to the "berry flavor".
Angie
In the price of making my own mug olio. Very excited. Question I have is what to do with the pine cones after making the syrup?
Alan Bergo
They're discarded, after you thank them for their service.
Sarah
It is no longer recommended to put jars upside down after filling them. I owned a maple syrup farm and learned that, when canning in jars, let them cool as you would any other canned and processed food. Just leave it to cool on a board or cake cooler.
Adam
I'm diabetic. Can I use sugar alternatives like stevia or erythriol instead of regular sugar? Has anybody tried?
Alan Bergo
Not to my knowledge. This is a fun one to make, but if you're diabetic I would skip it.
Ray
Hey! Sorry if you’ve already answered this question, but how long does this keep if stored in the fridge? Thanks! Excited to try the batch I’m making!
Alan Bergo
Forever.
Lindsay
Hi Alan, Thanks so much for your inspiration and guidance. This is my second question. Haha. So I’ve made a big batch with lodgepole pine as that is the native pine in my area. It tastes fantastic!! But… it tastes very boozy. Have I let it ferment too long? It’s been two months. Can I still simmer and strain or is it an entirely different product now? Thank you! Wild plants are the best!
Alan Bergo
Hey Lindsay, in my experience, once the fermentation slows down after a couple weeks there really isn't enough water to allow this to become vinegar, and then alcohol. But, it could be possible if the cones contain a larger volume of water than I'm used to. The fun part is that every tree is different. I would go ahead and finish with the cooking step and see how it turns out. If, for some reason there is any alcohol (which I'm skeptical of) it would be removed through heating, fwiw.
Lindsay
Thanks Alan! I love the look on peoples faces when they taste it! Everyone is pretty fascinated with the flavour. Maybe it’s just the fermentation flavour that tastes “boozy”. I will continue and see how it goes. Thanks.
Adina
I am for the second year in a row using this recipe to make pine cone syrup. We are in North Central Florida, and I began to find green pine cones in July, and I was still finding them in mid August. I will have a huge batch this year. I see them still out on the bike path, but I am done gathering and am leaving them for the squirrels who probably dropped them there in the first place. Most of the cones I have collected I believe come from native Longleaf Pine, but I have picked up some much larger green cones too, and I'm not sure what variety of pine they come from. We do have a lot of pine species that grow here, and a Juniper that locals call Cedar. Thank you for this excellent recipe. Friends love our pine syrup.
Alan Bergo
Thanks Adina.
Sinclair
Hi, Chef. I’ve made it to the 30 day mark!! I’d like to jar and send some to relatives (in the mail) and give to neighbors. I’m wondering what you recommend for the best jar brand to use for this and how to best seal the jars to preserve those being sent in the mail. I know you’ve mentioned turning a canning jar upside down to seal. Is that sufficient if I plan to mail them or should I be doing more? I’d really like them to arrive air-tight/sealed. (NOTE: I am VERY inexperienced with fermentation and know little about canning, water baths, etc. I appreciate your time and advice—thank you.)
Kellie Johns
Why can't you use green pinecones gathered in the fall? I'm from Tennessee
Alan Bergo
If they're young and tender they will work. I'm in Wisconsin and I can't speak to where you are.
Bella
Sorry if someone asked but there were a lot of comments and I didn't see it. Have you tried adding any spices to this when you make it. It smells so good as is but I thought it would be nice to have some with some cinnamon or clove
Alan Bergo
Don't add any spices. The flavor of the pine cones is all you need and those are too strong. IMO they'd ruin it.
Wendy Darling
Hello Alan! I made a batch of black pine cone syrup and it turned out perfect! However, my thuja cones jar has a strong smell of cheese! What a fun experiment! next time I will stir my thuja better and see what happens! Thank you for all your amazing recipes and for sharing your love of foods!
Alan Bergo
Thuja can be more dry and you might need to add a little water.
Jesse Meyer
Hello Alan,
No question here, just wanted to register my appreciation. I came across your website the end of May this year. Perfect time to start harvesting some cones. Thank you for sharing all your expertise. I will never look at a pine cone the same again. Everywhere I go now, I look for suitable cones to harvest and make syrup from. (Colorado, Monhegan, Maine, Hudson Valley NY...) I've got several batches in the works now for Christmas gifts. I've also made smoked gravlax many times and plan on using a bit of this to try and add some pine-y notes during the curing. Also, very enlightening to learn about the mechanics of running your blog. I follow you on IG and will be buying your book to support your efforts. Thanks so much!
Alan Bergo
Thanks Jesse.
Nate
Hi Alan,
I am so excited to try making this, but unfortunately it's November, and I am impatient. Can you think of anything that I'd be able to scavenge this time of year to make mugolio with in Minnesota? I remember reading somewhere that jack pines can have green cones during the winter, but I could be misremembering. If your answer is "no" then I'll accept my fate and wait until spring, but I hope there is an exception out there 🙂
Alan Bergo
Hey Nate, my experience says anything you harvest right now isn't going to have the same effect as the pine cones don't have as much water as they do in the spring. It's worth waiting for. That being said, I haven't tried jack pine cones harvested in the winter, so I can't speak to them specifically, but I doubt they'd work. If you try let me know, otherwise get in touch next spring if you have any questions. A
Joy
I tried making this. We used Florida long leaf pine cones. Green. I could only get 3. Covered them with Sucanat. Waited Months. Just cooked it and it crystallized. It’s yummy candy but do you think I needed more pine cones? The sugar to pine cone ratio?! Was hoping for a syrup.
Alan Bergo
I can't speak to using sucanat, so I would assume your issue lies there. Brown sugar has more water than white, how it compares to sucanat I don't know. I would try the recipe as directed before experimenting with sweetener substitutes. Sorry I can't be more helpful there!
Amey
Question! I made a couple batches - spruce and cedar! The aroma and flavor is amazing, but alas - my batches both crystallized on the stove top. Think I could salvage it anyway? Maybe turn it into caramels? Dehydrate it? Thanks!
Alan Bergo
Add a splash of water and warm it up until it reaches a consistency of warm honey, it just cooked too long.
Anna
Have you ever tried to reuse the pinecones for something like the cider jam/varenye?
Alan Bergo
Well, possibly. For Varenye I use cones that are very small. For Mugolio, I typically use cones that are larger since they contain more water. Personally I woualdn't as the cones have given up a lot of their mojo already, but you could try, and it would work if you used small cones.
Kathy Stanford
Have you ever used Piloncillo sugar, in making this? I live in Mexico and am thinking of using it, when I try this. I had never heard of it before! Thanks for sharing this!
Alan Bergo
That should work fine. Any brown, unrefined sugar will give you the best color. You may have to add a splash of water to make it ferment.
Holly
What happens if you get a bit of mould on the top after about 6 months of waiting? Can you scrape it off and still eat it? It’s kind of a light tan coloured mould that’s little spots.
Alan Bergo
Hi Holly. Just like maple syrup, if the jar is left at room temperature it can mold. White mold is harmless but can affect the flavor over time, green and black mold mean it should not be eaten. It's fine to scrape the mold off, but since it has a foothold, it's likely to come back if you don't bring the syrup to a simmer (add a splash of water to prevent it from crystalizing) and pack into a fresh jar. Hope that helps.
Holly
Thank you 🙂
Patricia Montgomery
Hi, I just came across this article and have question. I live in NW Georgia (US) and the pines on our farm are all loblolly. Can these cone be used to make Mugolio syrup?
Alan Bergo
I haven’t used that species specifically, they should work. I make it out of every type of pine I can find just to test the flavors. Just make sure the cones are young and tender. Let me know if you have any questions during the process.
Jake
Hey we're gonna try this again this year after an unsuccessful attempt with some cones too late in the season (we think anyway). I noticed that the resinous male cones (small and pink-purple, right on the tip of the branches) are really aromatic and give off an amazing smell. I was interested if you've ever tried including other parts of the tree in the process and how that went, before we potentially make another dud batch.
Thank you so much for your recipes and knowledge, you're a real source of inspiration and guidance
Thanks!
Alan Bergo
Hey Jake, the male cones may look attractive, but their use is for pollen-not for syrup. They don't have the natural water baby pine cones have, and my experiments with them as an edible, pre-pollen, have not been palatable. The syrup is very easy to make, but yes, the cones have to be young enough. They can be harvested during a pretty wide window-they just need to be tender enough to cut with a knife. For mugolio I actually prefer the slightly larger cones when they begin to have a flush of green on them since they'll have more water which speeds things up. I hope this is helpful, and let me know if you have any questions during the process. See my post on Pine Pollen for more.
Michael
Brown sugar is white sugar with molasses added to it.
Alan Bergo
And the added liquid from the molasses helps ensure people have enough liquid in their jars to allow fermentation. It is a safeguard against user-error. After you make it once and understand the process you can branch out to different types of sugar-turbinado and natural types are fine. I'm have insurance for this site in case I get sued from, say, someone consuming improperly fermented food, but I'm not trying to go through that.
Judy Nguyen
HI Alan! I am so glad I came across your site. I am in the Santa Cruz, CA area. I found some green cones that look to be from a yellow pine (either Monterey or Ponderosa). I've been findinh a lot of conflicting info. I know the needles on these aren't great to use but are the pine cones for either of these trees OK for mugolio/cone syrup?
Alan Bergo
Hi Judy! Both of those should work fine! Let me know if you have any questions during the process if you give it a try.
Judy Nguyen
Thank you! I got a couple batches in the works now with some turbinado sugar. I'll let you know how it turns out at the end of May!
Birgit Mikulaschek
Wow, your description is very detailed.
Thanks! I'm looking forward to trying it out. You mentioned Zirbenschnaps, and as I am from Austria, where the product originates from I venture to explain it further. It's a liqueur. The cones of Pinus cembra are the ones being used (commonly known as Arolla pine, Swiss, or Swiss Stone pine) here is a picture from my page: https://www.facebook.com/GasthausAhorner/photos/pb.100054565804455.-2207520000./1283135962043732/?type=3
You cut them up, add sugar and korn (grain spirit, but I guess you can use any neutral spirit) to let it sit in a warm and sunny place for some weeks.
Alan Bergo
Hey that's great Birgit. Thanks for sharing.
Gabrielle Beland
I'm trying this this spring, so far so good!
I've been processing firewood and the occasional conifer for years now and the BEST tip i ever picked up is: rub your hands in butter thoroughly, as if it were soap, and the sap and resin comes right off 😀
Alan Bergo
I'm going to have to try that for sure. TU
Andy
Thank you. Love your work. I cannot wait to try this. I was reading your article and thinking that I wished there was a video and voila, there it was! Keep 'em coming.
Alan Bergo
Thanks Andy.
Michaell Fontenot
I want to make this it soundings delicious , I live in the south so all I have is loblolly pine and maybe some jack pine and I’m not sure if I can make this with loblolly pine does this work with all pine or just some pines like sugar pine and also can I make this with bald cypress berries.
Alan Bergo
Use the Jack pine. I can’t speak to the loblolly pine, I’m looking into it though. If you could harvest some loblolly cones and send them to me I can run a batch too.