The fir and spruce tips are growing quickly in the spring and early summer here in Maine. The tips are prime for foraging and remedy making when they are still tender.

The tips can be harvested and prepared at any time of year (one of the beauty's of evergreen medicine) but the young tips are the cream of the crop.

Fir and Spruce trees look similar but they are actually in different genus.  

The fir needles are more individually flat and also splayed out so that the tip lays flat.  Fir needles are smooth and soft to the touch.  

The spruce needles are round and pointed at the tips.  They feel sharp.  They lay around the tip, so the tip is cylindrical.

 They have a lovely aromatic, yet bitter and astringent flavor.

They smell good infused in oil, a face steam, or when burned as an incense.

They taste good, especially when sweetened a bit, like in a syrup or oxymel (infused vinegar and honey).

They can be added to vodka or gin as flavoring, or in large concentration as a tincture.  

The volatile oils and resins in Spruce and Fir trees are beneficial when fighting a chest or sinus infection.  They can kill bacteria, improve breathing, improve digestion, and be warming when chilled.  They are also high in Vitamin C.

While out and about, these next few days, notice the evergreen trees.  Notice if they are spruce or fir.  Take a nibble of the tips and see how they taste.

Maybe harvest some and make a tasty oxymel.  

Fir or Spruce Tip Oxymel 

1. Harvest fir or spruce tips. Pinch off some tips from the lower branches, but also leave some tips, so that the trees can continue to grow.

2. Finely chop the tips and fill a clean jar with them. 

3 A. Fill the jar 2/3 full with Apple Cider Vinegar. I prefer to pasteurize my vinegar first. It prevents the remedy from going funky and extends the shelf life.

3 B. To Pasteurize the vinegar, bring it up to a boil and then remove from the heat. The vinegar should be heated in a non-metal pot.

4. Fill the jar the final 1/3 with honey.

5. Stir well to incorporate. I like to use a chopstick as a stirrer.

6. Cover the full jar with unbleached wax or parchment paper. This makes a barrier between the vinegar and the metal lid. Otherwise, the vinegar will rust the metal. 

7. Put a tight lid on the jar.

8. Let it sit for 4-6 weeks.

9. Strain and use. Keep in the fridge to extend the shelf life, but it is not necessary.

10. Enjoy by the spoonful, in cocktails, mocktails, bubbly water, marinades, and dressings.