Maple Syrup vs Pine Syrup?



I guess this is another one of those strange persistent mental connections… for some reason when I think of "maple syrup" I picture pine trees. When I think of trees being tapped, and sap being drained and collected to make maple syrup – I picture pine trees. Why? I don't know.

Here's the questions though: does anyone make Pine Syrup? I've never seen it. I've never heard of it. Is there a technical issue that makes it impractical to make syrup from pine sap? Does it taste horrible?

Edit (9/20/09):
I've found these available on amazon. They aren't made from the tree sap like maple syrup is, but I guess they're still considered "pine syrup". One is a "pine cone syrup" and the other a "pine code bud syrup". They both appear to be the exact same product though (same size, same manufacturer), just sold by two different shops. I couldn't find any "pine needle syrup".

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31 Comments »

  1. jim c said,

    Back in the 1960s when I was a Boy Scout I loved to order things out of the Herter's catalog. Herter's was located in Waseca, Minnesota, and they had an inch-thick catalog with outdoor items including tents, firearms and hunting gear, etc. They even offered wild rice pancake flour and pine bark syrup. I ordered them more than once because they tasted great. In recent years I have been looking for a similar syrup but no luck yet. If anyone finds it, please tell me. Herter's was bought out by Cabela's, but the product hasn't been marketed for a generation.

    February 26, 2011 @ 11:44 am


  2. Karla B. said,

    Today I came across directions for Pine Syrup (Syrop z Sosny). The person's blog is in Polish, but there is a translator on the right side bar.
    Looks like they make it by harvesting the newly grown (branch) tips of pine trees, gathered in May. Essentially, they boil the tender tips in a liter of water for a couple of hours adding water so there is still a liter of water when done. To this you add sugar and cook a bit more. Strain and then bottle it. It doesn't say it needs to be refrigerated after opening like maple syrup usually does. One person commented that there are recipes for Pine Syrup that add lemon juice, but this one doesn't include that. It is just Pine tips, water and sugar. Here is the link if anyone would like to try and make it:
    http://justmydelicious.blogspot.com/2011/05/syrop-z-sosny.html

    May 17, 2011 @ 2:17 pm


  3. cdozo said,

    Thanks for the link, Karla. I'm going to tell my friends up north (where there are pine trees) about it. Hopefully they will make some. Then when I go to visit them I can try to.

    May 17, 2011 @ 3:10 pm


  4. Samantha said,

    There is an even easier way to make the syrup. No cooking required. Take pin tips in May. Put some tips in bottom of jar, cover with sugar, another layer of tips, more sugar and so on. Cover jar with cloth and put in sunny window for 30 days. Strain and bottle. This stuff is fabulous and none of the nutrients have been destroyed in the cooking process. I have 2 jars in my window right now. Love this stuff.

    May 27, 2011 @ 3:35 pm


  5. Jim Morrison said,

    Samantha is right, in general that's how you make it, in Bulgaria they also add wild blueberries or wild strawberries to the syrup to give it another flavour. It's delicious whatever way it's made and has all the nutrients intact, pine syrup with a slice of lemon and hot water is great when you have a cold or the flu.

    I'm seriously thinking about making a business out of collecting the syrup from the farmers up in the Rhodopi mountains and exporting it from Bulgaria if there is a demand.

    May 31, 2011 @ 7:32 am


  6. Florin said,

    Hello
    In Romania we make pine syrup at home.
    But you can buy it also.
    http://www.ilanplant.ro/produs/sirop-muguri-de-pin

    http://www.google.ro/search?hl=ro&q=sirop%20de%20pin&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=58325l60809l0l12l11l0l1l1l0l297l1252l1.4.2&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1420&bih=743&wrapid=tlif130742268593421&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi

    June 7, 2011 @ 12:00 am


  7. Barbara said,

    If I remember reading once – John Muir LOVED Sugar Pine Syrup. And, I disagree with writer above – if it could be harvested in a sound way, I fully support it.

    June 13, 2011 @ 10:50 am


  8. Alison Jacobs said,

    Pine sap syrup is hard to find but I have bought it a couple of times in Austria, most recently at the Lindlingalm in Saalbach where they make their own. I paid 6 euros for a big jar. The lady there said most people don't make it because of the work involved in tapping it and boiling it up.

    It tastes great, darker in colour and flavour than maple syrup and is supposed to be good for chest complaints. If you can find it, I'd certainly recommend it.

    August 12, 2011 @ 5:17 am


  9. Crystal said,

    If you're looking for pine syrup made from actual sap, there's a company called Edible Wilds that offers it. They boil the sap out of sustainably harvested branches from the blue spruce tree then boil the water out of it and add some natural sugars to add more sweetness. I have it on a regular basis and it is delicious. Check it out at http://www.ediblewilds.us

    October 4, 2013 @ 1:24 am


  10. Rachel G said,

    Hi
    They make in Transylvania locally and is one company Ion Syrup who makes commercially in UK.
    Yes the syrup is made from young conifer buds picked in a very short season from the mountain and in very limited production due to law around protecting the forests.
    The flavours are unique and need to be made with lot of care.

    🙂

    May 5, 2016 @ 2:45 am


  11. Dave Manning said,

    Jim Morrison and Samantha
    I'm a chef and have used the mugolio or pine bud syrupfor years, from the Dolomites of Northern Italy.

    Anyway I do a lot of foraging, preserving and ferments. Could you be more specific about what it is you pick in early May? Is it the flower bud of pine trees before it becomes a pine cone? Or is it a young pine cone? I read somewhere that you pick the cone at about 1/2 inch in length. Is this correct?
    Any help is greatly appreciated. Also can you use any buds from any pine trees? Or only a specific type of pine tree, like that of the Dolomites (mugolio pine)?

    Thank You

    January 24, 2017 @ 7:06 pm


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