It’s that time of year to make one of my favorite things ever – Fir Tip Sugar! Every year, fir and spruce trees put out little tufts of fresh growth at the tips of their branches when the days start to warm up. These super-soft needles are completely edible and so much fun to use in the kitchen.
Fir tips are easy to spot in the forest, with their brightly colored new growth looking like little chartreuse paint brushes. There are a few ways you can use them in cooking and baking, but today we’re going to focus on making an intensely-flavored, vibrant-colored sugar with them.
What do fir tips taste like?
If you’ve never tried fir tips before, you’re in for a very special treat! Fir and spruce tips taste unique from tree to tree. You may get flavor notes of lemon, grapefruit, pine, resin, juniper, and bitter orange.
This flavor profile makes them delicious for many sweet dishes. They pair well with flavors like berries, rhubarb, pistachio, and all kinds of citrus.
A tip on tips
Almost all conifer tips are edible. Here, I’ll mostly refer to fir tips, because it’s what is found most abundantly in my area. However, the same knowledge applies to spruce, hemlock, and pine tips.
Because the flavor can vary for each tree, I recommend you sample the soft needles from various trees when you’re harvesting them. Give them a little taste and collect the tips off the trees with a flavor that you find pleasing.
Harvesting fir tips
Always be sure you’re confident identifying wild plants before foraging. If you need help identifying different types of conifers, see this helpful guide on harvesting conifer tips.
The best time to harvest fir and spruce tips is when they first emerge out of their papery casings. They will be vibrant – almost neon – green and very tender. They can be easily plucked off their branches with your fingers.
Remember to be a responsible forager and only collect what you will use! Once you’ve finished collecting them, remove any papery casings, hard mature needles, stems or twigs that may have broken off with the tips.
Making fir tip sugar
I love the intriguing flavor that this sugar brings to desserts and drinks, and I also can’t get enough of that glorious bright green color! Making fir tip sugar is easy. Simply process an equal amount of sugar and conifer tips together in a food processor until thoroughly combined.
The tips will break down completely and the sugar will turn a vivid green color. Use fir tip sugar right away for your recipe (I highly recommend this Strawberry Fir Tip Shortcake).
If you’re not ready to bake with your sugar just yet, you should dry the sugar out to prevent spoiling. Use a dehydrator or set your oven to its lowest setting and bake the sugar until completely dry. If it ends up a bit clumpy, break it up with your fingers or pulse it in a clean, dry food processor or spice grinder.
You’re now ready to make delicious fir tip desserts and drinks. Leave a comment and let me know what you use your fir tip sugar for. I can’t wait to hear what kind of creative ideas you come up with!
More wild sugar recipes
Fir Tip Sugar
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup fresh fir tips or spruce tips
Instructions
- Blend sugar and fir tips together in a food processor until thoroughly combined, about 2-3 minutes, stopping the processor a few times to scrape down the sides.
- Use sugar within a day or two. If not using immediately, you should dry out your fir tip sugar so that it doesn't ferment and spoil. Spread fir tip sugar out onto a baking sheet and place in the oven on its lowest setting (around 180° F). Bake until dry and crispy to the touch. Break up any clumps with your fingers and store in a clean dry jar.
Did you try this recipe?
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