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homemade spruce tip syrup dripping from spoon in glass jar rustic forest style

Spruce Tip Citrus Syrup

A fresh, citrusy syrup made with young spruce tips and lemon — bright, glossy, and perfect as a drizzle for desserts and drinks.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Steep 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 1 jar
Course: Condiment, Syrup
Cuisine: Seasonal, Wild
Calories: 40
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup Young spruce tips fresh, soft, light green
  • 250 ml Water
  • 200-250 g Sugar
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • Juice of ½ lemon

Equipment

  • Saucepan
  • Strainer
  • Saucepan
  • Spoon

Method
 

  1. Rinse the spruce tips gently.
  2. Add spruce tips and water to a saucepan.
  3. Simmer for 15–20 minutes until fragrant.
  4. Let steep for at least 1 hour (or overnight for deeper flavor).
  5. Strain the liquid.
  6. Add sugar and lemon zest.
  7. Simmer until slightly thickened.
  8. Add lemon juice at the end.
  9. Let cool — the syrup will thicken further.

Notes

💡 Tip: Harvest only young, bright green tips — older needles are too bitter.
⚠️ Always correctly identify spruce species. Not all evergreens are safe.