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 if needed. I don't usually wash them. 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. Sugar slush will settle on the bottom and is natural. If you have more cones and sugar, you can add it to fill up the jar. The less air in the jar, the lower the chance of mold.
Finishing and storing
- After the maceration is complete, scrape the sugar slush and pine cones into a pot and add two tablespoons of water for each quart jar. 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, which I'll do if I sell it. For home storage I pour the very hot syrup into jars, screw on the lids and turn them upside down to seal.
Kristy
Just made the mugolio.... OMG it's the best stuff ever. Next year I'm really going on a major hunt for more pinecones since I only made about 3 cups. Your recipes always make me feel like a chef and my friends enjoy trying what I make.
Alan Bergo
Hey thanks Kristy. I’m here if you have follow up questions.
JC
I was so excited to try this and was able to find a good number of fresh green pine cones. Packed them in 2 jars with light brown sugar. Things were going well, after a few days I got a lot of liquid and all the sugar melted, but I did not notice much (if any) fermentation happening. I kept mixing them daily, but after another week I ended up with a large amount of white fluffy mould on top. Any ideas what I did wrong? I followed all the directions, made sure everything was clean and sanitized. I did not initially wash the cones (some sites suggested to wash, others suggested not to). It had rained a day or two before, so I left them as-is. For the most part they were in a sunny window.
Alan Bergo
Hey JC. Don't give up! The naturally varying amount of liquids in unripe pine cones can cause some issues occasionally, but I've never had what I'd describe as a large amount of mold. White mold is harmless, especially as this will be cooked, but it can affect the flavor if you don't remove it quickly. There's a few things you can do:
1. fill the jar up with more pine cones and sugar after the liquid's released and created more room in the jar.
2. Vacuum seal the cones and sugar in a bag and skip the jar altogether.
3. Make sure your cones are green and tender to ensure they have enough liquid in them.
Kathleen
Made this last spring and it was a hit! Thank you
Alan Bergo
Thanks Kathleen.
Andrew
Came across your website while looking up Balsam Fir cones. Had a wind storm last night and the top of one of our Balsam Firs broke off , It was heavy, I figure there’s 20lbs of cones in it. So when life gives you purple fir cones , you make Mugolio!
Judy Nguyen
I meant to ferment a batch of douglas fir cone syrup for two months and forgot it for several more months (8 total oops). Since there was no mold, or bulging and it still smelled awesome, I finished the process and, wow, it made a really smooth tasting batch. The resinous edge mellowed out but it was still strong with piney notes. A very pleasant accident 🙂
Alan Bergo
Thanks Judy, glad it worked for you.
Ficus
Nice article. Well written. Informative!
Found someone who plagiarized you:
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTNL9hWxA/
Alan Bergo
Thanks. Yeah it happens all the time. I don’t worry too much about it.
Sami
Hi, thanks for this great recipe! I just realized today that I made a mistake and put in equal weights of cones and sugar rather than equal volumes. It's day five now and things seem to be macerating well and lots of liquid is coming out, my jars are almost half full of liquid. Should I add double the sugar now on top and shake it up? Or do you think it should be fine with less sugar in the syrup. Or maybe it's too late and the whole batch is wasted, hopefully not. Thanks for your help!
Alan Bergo
Totally fine! Just add the sugar now, no worries at all! The ratio is so simple it’s confusing.
Sami
Thank you so much!
Alan Bergo
You bet, I’m here if you need.
Alexander
So now everyone in the comments are confusing me.
1. I put chopped green pine cones into a solid cup to measure it out in relation to the sugar although it leaves obvious space within the physical dry-weight measuring cup. (Imagine chopped green cones in a 1 Cup measuring cup.)
2. I weigh out the sugar in relation to the chopped green pine cones in a dry-weight measuring cup. (Imagine 1 cup of brown sugar packed to the brim.)
Which "volume" are we talking here?
I've been cooking and baking for over 20 years. Like what are we talking?
Option 1: You're doing it right.
Option 2: The green cones are loose so measure 2 cups of loosely packed green cones as 1 cup sugar.
Just let me know what I'm dealing with here.
Alan Bergo
Alexander, since you have a scale it's easy. If you read the recipe you'll see that you mix 8 oz of green pine cones with 16 oz of sugar, mix and put it in a jar. If the cones are long, as with Norway spruce, they should be sliced to make them fit in a jar. That's it! It is a 1:1 ratio by volume.
Alexander
Thanks for getting back, Alan.
I understand.
The comments confused me.
I should’ve gone with my instinct on this one.
I’m using chopped Eastern White Pine cones as they’re in season here.
Thank you for your help!
Alexander
Alan Bergo
You bet. It’s so simple it’s complicated. You can apply the ratio here to other things too. People have done it with rhubarb, blueberries, I do it with spruce tips. The same method is used in Korea for plums and juicy fruit, known as Cheong.
Trent
I’m so grateful for this article! We made mugolio last year and it was a great experience for the family to be out foraging together. One question though, I may have messed the proportions up. I filled a jar with diced pine cones and filled the rest of the space with maple sugar in some jars and honey in others. We have a milk crate full of pine cones, we are hoping to do a bunch and give/sell it as gifts. Should I half my ratio? Fill a jar halfway ish with pine cones then honey the rest of the way? Thanks for the help.
Alan Bergo
Hey thanks Trent. Glad it worked for you. With honey you can simply cover the jars that are packed, say, 3/4 full of cones. With the maple sugar you'll want to follow the original recipe.
Susie
deodar cedar trees Can I use this trees cones to make this syrup?
Thank you
Alan Bergo
Those cones look nice. I'd definitely try them.
Stuart
I have a cabin in the mountains of Colorado, and it is surrounded by bristlecone pine trees. The cones are positively dripping with strongly scented sap. I found your recipe online and decided to give it a try. I just finished loading four quart jars. Fingers crossed!
Stuart
Well, my bristlecone pine cone syrup is finished. It has an interesting flavor and delicate scent … however, it leaves a somewhat unpleasant aftertaste. It may just be ‘operator-error’ on my part, but I’m not sure I’ll be doing this again.
Stuart
Alan Bergo
Try it with another species some are better than others. Variations in flavor are part of what makes this interesting.
Branwe.n
Thank you so much for your time guidance! They are currently on their way, and I can't wait to share the tasty results
Justin
Just a question. After the first four days, I’ve noticed that a lot of the pinecones are up above the sugar and liquid. Do I put more sugar in to cover up the pinecones that are above the liquid? Thank you.
Alan Bergo
If you add more sugar the syrup will crystalize after cooking. Shake the jar occasionally to coat them with the syrup.
Justin
Thanks for that
Ayla Bella
Are there any concerns with food safety during the maceration process? I notice that some cones tend to sit above the liquid level - any potential for botulism as the syrup sits?
Alan Bergo
Hi Ayla! Remember that you’re shaking the jar occasionally, which coats them with the fermenting syrup that is progressively lowering its pH. That alone is enough to ward off botulism. As the syrup is cooked after the maceration it is doubly safe, since botulism is destroyed through cooking. This is a very old traditional method of preservation, besides Europe and Eastern Europe it’s also used in Korean cooking, known as Cheong.
david
Looking forward to trying this as I came across some green cones within easy reach. A question about your proportions: It says 2 c (8 oz) of cones and 2 c (16 oz) of sugar. Are the ounces weight or volume?
Alan Bergo
I’m sorry if that’s confusing. If it’s easier, just think of it as equal parts by volume. 2 cups of pine cones mixed with 2 cups of sugar. Its confusing as sugar weighs twice as much as pine cones by volume.
david
Thanks for confirming. I will use weights as the cones vary by size so much.
Alan Bergo
Yes that’s exactly what I do. You can scale it easily.
John Glenn
I have a question about your process if you had any insights:
Is it better to leave the fermenting syrup out in a warm sunny place or in a cool dark place?
I saw that your instructions say sun, but most other sources for similar recipes call for shade. Just wanted to clarify, I'd hate to waste the batch I have going as it already smells amazing. Thanks in advance
Alan Bergo
Hi John. Mold can happen at some lower temperatures and the warmth of some sunlight will speed up the water being extracted from the cones, which then lowers the pH as it ferments. But, honestly once the fermentation has started and you shake the jar occasionally you should be fine, and I’ve done it both ways, and probably a few in between. Even if somehow you were to get a little mold I’ve only ever seen small specks of harmless white mold and it won’t affect the flavor unless you forgot about it for a long time, which is part of why I only call for 30 days of maceration. No worries about messing up your batch.
Reb
I am new at this-in a tight schedule-ran out and gathered a bunch (about a gallon) of the tiny male cones (pollen producers) like catkins, from a large handy jack pine. I went ahead and made them up for syrup, since I couldn't find anything about it and the female cones aren't within reach and or ready. They seem to be doing fine - this is day 5 and they're nicely liquifying and bubbling slightly.
Will this work? (I hope so!!!! :a)
Thanks!
Alan Bergo
Hi Reb. It will not have the same strong flavor, but it'll make a syrup, sure.
Rebecca Huseby
Thanks Alan - it's sure smelling AWESOME! :a)
Branwen
I read this beautiful recipe 3 days ago, and last night during an incredible storm, I was gifted with a literal windfall from my old Whit Pine! I have 20 thoroughly green, pliable cones , dripping with resin from the end!
Because the cones are large (5 -8" long), should I cut them in 1/2, chop them into coins, or use them as is?
Thank you not only for the guidance, but also for bringing this back to mind! As soon as I read it, I recalled my Nona talking about making it with her Nona in the late 19th century! I'm so excited to try a forgotten recipe from my heritage!
Alan Bergo
Hi Branwen. Yes, you’ll want to cut the cones into, say 1/4-1/2 inch thick coins or so. You want a shape that’s easy to stir or shake.
Debi Bailey
I found a huge downed crown of a white pine here in my woods in SE Michigan. Will the baby comes work for Mugolio? They are tiny - an inch long or so, very tight and green when I snap them off the stem.
Alan Bergo
Hey Debi thanks for commenting. Yes these will work fine, I've used them before myself.
Neida Ratzlaff
Hi! Lucky you! That will work perfectly! Traditionally the tiny cones like you found or even smaller, are what are used. It makes an especially dark syrup with a strong taste of pine.
MICHELLE
When you use the green Cedar pines, I thought cedar was poisonous to human beings
Can you please explain why you use cedar if it is poisonous
And is there something we can substitute for that to get the closeness of what you make?
Alan Bergo
Chef Sean Sherman, who won the James Beard for best new restaurant in the US serves cedar tea. I've made cedar syrup for years. An important thing to remember here is dosage, and that you're not eating the physical fruit/cones. I do have a recipe in my book for using the cones, which are used like juniper. Juniper can have similar compounds to cedar, cinnamon in dangerous consumed in quantity too. Eaten as a seasoning in small amounts like you'd use Juniper they're fine.
Klara
This was a lot of fun to make. My 2 yo and 3.5 yo had a blast gathering the cones from our 5 yo white pine which was short enough for them… although we didn’t use gloves and I highly recommend you do because it was a mess to clean up those tiny hands!! I just finished the straining and jarring. It’s a beautiful deep red color which I was surprised by. It tastes delicious and smells awesome. We plan on celebrating my son’s second birthday today with a pancake breakfast using our syrup this morning! Thank you for these great recipes!!!
Michelle Abernathy
This sounds SO fun! I’m a hobby sugarer (2 maple and 1 black walnut), and try to avoid refined sugar as much as possible. I’m gearing up to move to a true homestead where I’ll have more trees, and bees, and (hopefully) all the homesteady things! Anyway, I’m wondering if honey could be used as a replacement for sugar? Obviously I’d have the maple/walnut sugars too...There’s a nice pine grove around the pond, and making as many creations with only my own home-grown ingredients is a definitely a goal!
Alan Bergo
Yes I use honey too. You can see that in my post on Spruce Tip Syrup.
Ashley
Ooh sorry for all the questions but I’m very excited to start experimenting, starting my first batches tonight. You think coconut sugar would be ok to use?
Alan Bergo
I think coconut sugar should work fine.
Ashley
You say in one part no need to water bath simply put it in sterile jars piping hot, then in the actual recipe you say store in fridge or water bath? Should I water bath to store out of fridge?
Alan Bergo
You can do any of them. If I’m going to sell it I’ll probably waterbath can it. If it’s just for me at home I’ll pour it in jars hot and turn them upside down to seal.
Ashley
Thankyou! And how long you think they’d keep? If not waterbathed versus if were? Please. Also, have you experimntedistheflavorbetter if you leave to macerate longer than a month?
Alan Bergo
This process of packing the jars with piping hot syrup is the same as for maple syrup. Waterbathing is kind of unnecessary, but if I'm going to sell it, it's a distinction I like to make to cover my butt, just in case. Both methods-water bath and packing hot/turning jars upside down, as long as they seal correctly, will last a very long time. The worst thing that could happen is a jar could start to ferment if it's exposed to air-and you'd see noticeable bubbles indicating fermentation.
Kris
Hello! I saw this & made my first attempt at a couple varieties with different cones. I also made a spruce tip syrup. All of them smell wonderful...except one. It has a strong odor of acetone, is that normal with some species of cones? I don't see mold or anything, but it looks like it might have a top layer that is "thicker." Thanks for any input.
Kris
Alan Bergo
Thanks for sharing Kris. If you don't like the aroma of flavor of one, toss it. There's so many cones out there I can't speak to them all. I haven't had any issues with any I've made so far though.
Grace
Is there any kind of pine that is not usable? Like a long leaf pine?
Alan Bergo
I have yet to find a pine cone syrup that is not edible. As the cones are not eaten it's a very safe product. The only thing you really need to be on the look out for is cones that taste better to you than others, which, or course, you'll figure out after the syrup has been made.
Kathleen Clendenen
I wonder if there is a way to know how the syrup will taste before doing all the processes. I wonder if tasting the sap would give a good preview?
Alan Bergo
Hi Kathleen. Considering that this has now been made into commercial products and is pretty well known, I don't know what else to add here. It tastes great. The effort is minimal, all you do is put pine cones in a jar with sugar.