PINE NEEDLE TEA

Where we live Ponderosa or White Pine are plentiful and are my favorites. Cut the needles into small pieces, an inch long or shorter, and add small strips of peeled twig bark to a container and fill with warm or moderately hot, but not boiling, water. If your water is steaming, the vapor will carry away some of the beneficial items.  Vitamin C, contrary to popular belief, is not destroyed by heat until the heat reaches 190 degrees F.  Small twigs are easier to work with as long as they're pliable and have resin (sap). Larger bark pieces are too often dry and devoid of resins. 

Use a glass container, stainless steel may be OK but I prefer glass.  Oxygen and light do more damage than low heat.  As soon as you add water cover the container with a screw on lid. Plastic is OK but don't use metal unless it's coated.  If you have one of those glass bottles with the glass snap in lids that are held down with a metal bale, all the better. Put the container in a cool place and cover it to keep out the light.  You can place the bottle inside an old wool sock to keep out the light and the tea will cool more slowly.

Let it sit for a few hours or until the solution turns a light brown.  Overnight works but not necessary.  If done correctly, the drink tastes somewhat like mild orange or other citrus juice.  The taste also depends on the tree and whether it's from the needles or the inner bark cambium layer.  During the winter most of the resin is in the bark. During the warmer periods, especially when the tree is beginning to put out buds, the resin is in the buds and needles.

The branch in the picture is enough to make tea for two for a week. When you break the branch, it’s usually possible to grab the loose end between your fingers and strip the bark off and you don’t need scissors or shears. It doesn't take a lot of resin, you'll be able to feel it on your fingers when stripping the bark off the limbs.

A small handful of cut and stripped parts makes a quart. The needle and bark mixture can be used a couple of times. I used the cup in the pictures for a size comparison.  We compost the needles and bark pieces when all the good is gone. I only take small limbs one at a time when needed, trying to improve the looks of the tree as in pruning. They store well for a few days without any apparent loss of nutrient value.

During the winter I get itchy skin, probably from the drying effects of the wood heat but it may be from hot showers.  When I've been out in the cold for a long time it's real nice to stand in a hot shower for longer than I would after a hot summer day. 

To accomplish getting warm without getting the itch, I cut up a large handful of needles and stripped small limbs, put them in the bath tub, fill the tub with water and climb in. The oils float to the surface with some of the oils vaporizing and permeating the air. Soak there for awhile enjoying the aroma therapy benefits.  You can rinse off with a cool, light shower or dust off the needles and bark pieces with a towel.  I don’t use soap when rinsing because I don’t want to remove the oils.  The soak and aroma are very relaxing and the oils take all the winter itch out for days. Since it's so enjoyable I can't say how many days because after two or three, I'm ready for another soak. I believe it helps balance the skin Ph and slow the onset of wrinkles and I know it works as a soothing after shave. Both my wife and I have found that if we wash our hair before taking a bath, rinse out the soap and re-rinse with the pine water while bathing, our hair is silky smooth.  I'm experimenting with using a modified, still modifying and experimenting, formula to wash my face and hands in the morning to see if it will be beneficial for collagen rebuilding. 

Lack, or breakdown, of collagen is what causes wrinkles.  At the joints, lack of collagen can contribute to joint cartilage problems, arthritis and necessitate joint replacements.  As you can see, there may be a lot of possibilities here.  It will take me awhile to find out how many.