Make Pine Needle Tea Yourself: Here’s How to Do It

If you like going for a walk in the forest, you can easily make pine needle tea yourself. A tea made from pine needles helps with respiratory diseases.

Homemade Pine Needle Tea: Here’s how to make the tea yourself

Why buy what you can just as easily make yourself – pines are among the forest trees native to Germany and can be found in almost every forest. From their needles you can easily prepare a tasty and healthy tea.

• Of the more than 100 species of pine, Pinus sylvestris – also known as Scots pine or Scots pine – is the most widespread in this country. The coniferous tree grows to a height of around 40 meters and has thin, paired needles up to 15 centimeters long.
• The long, thin needles in particular distinguish pines from other conifers such as spruces and firs. The rounded cones and the scaly bark are also striking features. An app or a book for tree identification can also help.
• Ideally, collect pine needles between March and May. At this point, the needles are still young and give the best flavor as a tea. In order not to damage the tree, you should not pick too much from the same spot.
• You can process the collected needles directly into tea or dry them first and store them. Store pine needles in a cool, dry, airtight, closed container.
• In order to achieve an optimal effect of the ingredients, pour about 15 grams of finely chopped pine needles with one liter of hot water. Make sure that the water is no longer boiling, otherwise the vitamin C will be destroyed.
• Let the tea steep for at least five minutes. Depending on your preference, or if you have brewed tea in advance, you can strain the needles through a sieve. Otherwise, it doesn’t hurt if the needles remain in the cup or pot until drinking.

Pine needle tea as a remedy – that’s why it’s so healthy

The healing properties of pine have been known since ancient times. The needles in particular, but also the pine shoots and the resin contain many valuable components that can be used in natural medicine.

• Pine needles are high in flavonoids and antioxidants, as well as vitamins A and C. It is also said that suramin and shikimic acid, which are also said to have medicinal effects, can be extracted from pine needles.
• A tea made from pine needles can help in particular with respiratory diseases such as coughing, hoarseness or sore throat. The vitamin C supports the immune system, while the essential oils have an expectorant effect.
• Naturopaths also like to use the tea for skin diseases such as psoriasis or neurodermatitis, muscle strains and rheumatic complaints.
• In addition to tea, oils, tinctures, creams and bath additives can also be made from parts of the pine. Pine needle oil is widely used as a bath additive, for inhalation or for rubbing in.
• By the way, you can not only drink your homemade pine needle tea, but also inhale it if you have respiratory problems or inflammation.