The Boreal Forest provides for us, here in the North, at all times of the year. Most people have probably heard of berry picking and mushrooms in the Fall, but I would imagine that few have thought to harvest Spruce Tips in Spring – usually during May.
Spruce tips are delicious and have a very light, flavour – almost like pineapple. You can use them in many ways – to make Spruce Tip Salt or Spruce Tip Syrup, to flavour vinegar or shortbread or just chop them up and sprinkle them on your salad. In Alaska they even make beer with Spruce Tips – now that is something I would like to try!
They are easy to keep as you can freeze them as they are and then make something wonderful with them when you have the time – we will be making Spruce Tip syrup imminently!
You must pick them at the right time though – when the tips are young and tender. They grow at the end of branches, they are bright green and have a brown, papery shell. If the brown shell is missing then unfortunately you’re too late and the tips will be bitter, but you can always try going to higher ground where they might still be at the perfect time for harvesting.
So even though we are in the Great White North, Mother Nature still provides us with seasonal goodies. Once the Spruce Tips are harvested I have my eye on a promising looking strawberry patch! From the number of flowers I’m hoping we will soon have a good crop of yummy wild strawberries to enjoy!
