Caramelized Spruce Tip Syrup

Why Spruce Tip Syrup?

During all those walks around the neighborhood gathering violets and dandelions for jelly, I started to notice that baking inspiration literally grows on trees around here.  There are lilacs, redbuds and magnolias galore.  They all have edible parts but I was all flowered out.  Then I happened to see a post from Once Upon A Weed about spruce syrup and remembered there’s a spruce growing in the parkway just a few blocks from here.  It’s about 40 feet tall and absolutely covered in itty-bitty spruce tips.

Carmelized Spruce Syrup

Spruce tips are 100% edible, as are pine tips and fir tips.  You can eat them raw, pickle them, dry them in salt, powder them.  They are versatile!  But I’ve been toying with the idea of an IPA-inspired dessert for a while and thought a deep amber spruce tip syrup would be a perfect companion to the grapefruit and hops flavors I already planned to use.

Carmelized Spruce Syrup

This recipe is so simple to make.  It’s just boil, wait, strain, simmer.  The simmer allows the carmelizing to happen.  I let mine get very dark.  Mostly because I wanted it to be very dark and also because I was watching Parks and Rec reruns and sort of forgot it was on the stove.  The syrup in the pictures is very thick!  You may want to shoot for a lighter color by keeping an eye on it and not wandering off.  The flavor was so unusual, not at all what I expected and super hard to describe.  It’s a bit tart, also fruity and herbal.   It reminds me a little of the horehound candies I used to buy at the drugstore as a kid.  And there is a cooling menthol finish to the flavor. I think next time I can get my hands on some pine tips, I’ll try my hand at hard candy.  I think these would make heavenly throat drops because of the cooling aftertaste.

Behind The Scenes With A Crazy Lady:

I took this lovely picture on the deck, but it didn’t really show off the color very well.  And I’m a little Type A so I decided to try for another picture.  That little photo session devolved quickly into a set up that looked a little something like this:

Carmelized Spruce Syrup

Please note the lego confetti and random grapefruit half.  And the syrup still wasn’t a glowing amber.  So obviously I had to prop up a flashlight on some measuring cups and hang two kitchen towels over a piece of foam core and practically rupture a disk contorting myself into the perfect angle:

Carmelized Spruce Syrup

All to make it look effortlessly simple, lol.  And here’s the image I got which, despite being sort of embarrassed at the lengths I went to to get it, I am quite happy with.

Carmelized Spruce Syrup

Some Tips For Perfect Spruce Tip Syrup (Get it?  Tips?):

  • Gather tips that are very new, 1 1/2″ or less.
  • Do try to slough off the flaky brown stuff, I think the flavor will be better without it.
  • If you take the syrup too far and it it is incredibly thick, pour it in long strands onto a cookie sheet full of powdered sugar.  As soon as it’s cool enough to handle you’ll be able to snip it into little candies.  Problem solved since candy >syrup.
  • This makes just 4oz.  I decided to go for a small batch because I didn’t think I’d need very much.  If you want more, you can double it no problem.
  • I’m not very confident with “real” canning so I usually plan to refrigerate my goodies.  If you’d like yours to be shelf stable you could water bath can it.  There’s a link here that’s very helpful.Caramelized Spruce Syrup

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Print Recipe
Carmelized Spruce Syrup
This surprisingly tart and fruity syrup is delicious anywhere you usually use syrup. Also try drizzling over soft cheese, swirly it in ice cream or pairing with a citrus dessert.
Carmelized Spruce Syrup
Cook Time 1 hour
Passive Time 1 day
Servings
ounces
Ingredients
Cook Time 1 hour
Passive Time 1 day
Servings
ounces
Ingredients
Carmelized Spruce Syrup
Instructions
  1. Combine the tips, water and sugar in a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil. Turn off heat, cover and let sit overnight.
  2. Line a colander with a paper towel and strain into a bowl, squeezing the mixture to get al the liquid out.
  3. Return the liquid to the pan, it will still be quite light in color. Cook on medium-low for 20-30 minutes, watching carefully until the desired color is reached. The darker it is, the thicker it will be.
  4. Pour into 4 oz. jar and refrigerate for up to a month.
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15 thoughts on “Caramelized Spruce Tip Syrup

  1. Another person’s recipe boiled the tips in just the water, then let sit overnight in the fridge. After that strained and added brown sugar and boiled down. Which method do you think would be better as far as when to add the sugar? Do you think you would lose some of the flavor of the tips with brown sugar as it has a little stronger flavor? I just want the best end product possible!! Thanks:)

    1. Somehow just saw this comment, sorry for the delay in responding! I think the brown sugar might add some nice color and flavor. I prefer the white sugar because I boiled mine down quite a bit and caramelized it. The caramelizing adds its own flavor and color and that’s what I wanted. I suppose you could make the tea then add the sugar but I always favor as few steps as possible, and I don’t think it matters much. I vote you try it both ways and let me know 😉

  2. Having had Spruce Honey as a gift from Finland. I was delighted to find this blog. I made a triple batch and was so happy with it. I made and canned five half pints plus some for the weekend. I also set a little juice aside to make some sugar free jelly for my Hubby. Thanks for the fun idea.

    1. Hi Aunt Anje, could you please list your recipes for the sugar free jelly and spruce honey?
      Thanks so much!

  3. This was a fabulous late night Pinterest find. We too have just discovered the beauty of spruce tips. The mancandy picked a bunch thinking it was just a little. Now I’ve got some idea what to do with the 16 cups of spruce tip tea I ended up with.

  4. My spruce tip syrup looks like yours, but it does not taste tart or fruity. It tastes like caramelized simple syrup. Any thoughts? Thanks!

    1. Hmmmm, I’m not sure. There can be variation in flavor from tree to tree. How did you prepare it? According to recipe directions? I will ask my wild edibles friends for insight. Stay tuned!

  5. My French-Canadian friend taught us to just pack the tips in layers with brown sugar and let ‘cook’ in a dark cupboard. It made syrup after a few weeks and keeps well in the refrigerator. I’ve never tried to boil it. Might have to and compare! Thanks.

  6. I live in very rural alaska. My daughter and I take quart jars and layer tips, sugar, tips, sugar, tips (continue) to the top of jars. Put the lids on jars and set them on a sunny windowsill. As the sugar melts into liquid, keep layering. When your jar is all liquid and tips, strain with cheese cloth and use!! I find that each quart jar produces about half the quart. Mmmm…I even put a teaspoon into my coffee in the morning. This is sooo simple for a very busy life.

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