Indiana Pine Needle Tea

Jake & I made pine needle tea while camping in Hoosier National Forest.

First, gather pine needles.  Avoid dry needles if possible; they lack flavor & nutrients.  Try to harvest ones that appear to be young and healthy.  Pick out & discard the driest ones.  
Wash the needles if necessary.

 Next, put the pine needles into the water to soak for a few minutes before turning on the heat source.  Boil the water and needles for at least 3 minutes.

Then, cover the and allow the needles to continue steeping for another 3-5 minutes.

Once ready, the pine needles will be softened from their original state.  A slight change in color might also be noticeable.  Allow the tea to cool to the desired temperature and drink.  

It's not a necessity to transfer the tea to a new mug or to remove the pine needles before drinking; it's merely a preference.  I do not usually remove mine.

Check out my Yukon River Trip blog!

Mild Sassafras Tea in Indiana

Jake & I decided to try two experiments while camping in Hoosier National Forest this time: making sassafras tea & boiling water in a plastic water bottle.  

The first time we made sassafras tea, we weren't exactly sure what we were doing, and we only steeped stems and thin stalks; we didn't use the root at all.  The outcome was a milder flavored tea.  I now make it both ways--with stems & stalks or with roots--depending on my preference at the time.


To Make Mild Sassafras Tea:

First, locate a sassafras tree; I prefer a root shoot like the one pictured below. 

Then, strip the leaves from the the stalks & stems.

    

Place the stems & stalks into your pot of water.

Because we are also experimenting with boiling water in a plastic water bottle, 

the bottle served as our pot.

Allow the stems & stalks to soak for 15-20 minutes.  

Doing this helps reduce the boiling time.  If you are using a gas stove, this would save fuel.  

You can, however, begin boiling the tea immediately.  

Jake used paracord & tied our bottle to a stick so that we could boil our tea over the open fire.

After presoaking, bring the tea to a boil for around 3-5 minutes.  

If presoaking was skipped, bring the tea to a boil for around 5-7 minutes.  

The exact time will depend on the thickness of your stalks & stems as well as your preference.

A change in the tea's color should be noticeable when it nears being ready.

Allow the tea to steep & cool to your desire.  

Removing the stalks & stems before drinking is not a necessity, just a preference.

It was a first for both tasks--boiling water in a plastic bottle and making sassafras tea. Both experiments proved successful.

Tea Suggestions:  
If a stronger flavor is desired, also use (or only use) the root of sassafras.  I've found that using the stalks & stems is sometimes preferred if my water source is limited; they require less pre-washing than the roots.  With a stronger tea flavor, I enjoy adding a bit of honey if it's available.  

Boiling Water in a Plastic Bottle Suggestions:
Make sure to leave a bit of air at the top of your bottle, and boil the water with the lid off.  Flames can touch the bottle without the plastic melting; however, disfiguration & discoloring will occur from the flames.  Do not allow flames to  rise up past your water level.  The part of the bottle above the water will melt if touched by fire or severe heat.  Rig up a tripod or stick & string to make holding the bottle in place easier.

Check out my Yukon River Trip blog!