May 4, 2018
In May spruces start growing their buds, or rather soft tips, which have been known to traditional folk medicine to sooth all sorts of ailments, especially coughs and sore throats.
Slovenes seem to be far from alone in their preparation of spruce tip teas and syrups, as there are accounts of similar practices from all around the world, Native Americans included.
Spruce tips are extremely high in vitamin C, while also rich in various other substances. They are soft, so you can eat them just off the trees, although pick away from the main roads to avoid ingesting pollutants.
Photo: Dave Dunford, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Instructions for making a spruce syrup can in fact be found in the current second grade textbook for the environment class. This is what Slovenian eight-year olds are instructed to do:
In translation:
Read grandma's recipe for preparation of spruce tip syrup
- Place spruce tips into a jar in layers
- Pour sugar in between the layers
- Fill the jar to the top and press the tips down firmly
- Finish with a layer of sugar and screw the lid tightly closed
- Put the jar into the sun, best on a window shelf
- Leave the tips to soak in melting sugar for 30–40 days
- Drain the syrup and keep it in the fridge until used
Kids are encouraged to carry out this mission, and one of them allowed us to post the first results of their assignment:
Do not pick your tips after days of strong rain, as they are washed of resin and essential oils. Wait a little so they become sticky and aromatic again.
Begin with a layer of spruce tips, conclude with a layer of sugar
Now the kids will only need to wait for about a month so that the sugar melts and all the important things are extracted from the spruce tips. Then they will need to drain the syrup and put it in the fridge, so it’s ready for any coughs, colds and sore throats that arrive in the autumn. Yay!
