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    You Are Here Home » Sauce Recipes

    Published: Jun 9, 2019 Updated: Apr 1, 2022 by Hilda Sterner | This post may contain affiliate links 4 Comments

    Spruce Tips Pesto

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    spruce tips in a food processor

    Spruce Tips are not only edible but also quite delicious! These tender tips, found at the end of the Spruce tree branches, can be harvested and used in various recipes including pasta. One way to prepare them is to make Spruce Tips Pesto.

    spruce tips pesto pasta in a white plate

    About This Recipe

    Sometimes, when you are in a secluded location (like I currently am in Montana) you can be in the middle of cooking when you realize that you're missing a key ingredient. It's those times that I find myself using what's on hand instead.

    So recently, when I wanted to make pesto for a seafood pasta dish, I realized I didn't have basil. I certainly did not want to make the thirty-minute drive into town to get some. It was then that I remembered a friend who recently mentioned having tried Spruce Tips Pesto.

    Since I'm literally surrounded by spruce trees, I decided to alter my pesto recipe by substituting Spruce Tips for the basil. It was a huge hit with my husband, Scott, so I hope you like it too!

    How to Make Spruce Tips Pesto

    STEP 1: Add one cup of washed spruce tips into a food processor.

    spruce tips in a measuring cup

    STEP 2: Add garlic, walnuts (or pinenuts), salt, pepper, nutmeg, and crushed red pepper, if using. 

    Food processor with spruce tips and garlic cloves

    STEP 3: Process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

    pesto in food processor

    STEP 4: While the machine is running, add the oil.

    pesto in food processor

    STEP 5: Add parmesan cheese and lemon zest. Give it one last whirl.

    spruce tips pesto in a white bowl

    STEP 6: Mix in with your favorite pasta dish, or as a substitute for pizza sauce.

    pesto pasta with shrimp in a white bowl

    Recipe FAQs and Expert Tips

    How do you pick spruce tips?

    Since I'm no Spruce tips expert, I decided to do a little digging. I wanted to find out what to do, and what not to do. Here's what I learned:

    • The best tasting spruce tips come from Blue Spruce trees, so if you have access to them, consider yourself lucky!
    • The best time to harvest the tips is in early spring when they are young and tender. However, we're into June and there's still plenty to pick, at least here in Montana.
    • Avoid picking too many tips from the same tree, especially from young trees.
    • Pick the brighter, newer growth, which will be at the end of the branches.
    • When picking, you are essentially pruning the tree. Therefore, be sure to pick from areas that are towards the bottom of the tree, or from interior branches. Picking from the top will stunt the growth of the tree.

    What do Spruce Tips taste like?

    Spruce Tips have a combination of two main flavors; The initial taste is citrusy, which is followed by the taste of resin. Because of their strong flavor, a little goes a long way!

    Soaking the tips in water helps remove some of their resiny taste. This helps the flavor mellow out a bit as well.

    spruce tips soaking in water

    Where can you find spruce tips?

    If you don't have access to spruce trees in youre area, you can actually buy them online. Another option is to use Pine Tips or Fir Tips. Most conifer tips are edible, however, yew tree tips are considered poisonous.

    What can you do with Spuce Tips?

    Spruce Tips can be used in all kinds of recipes including pickles, spruce needle tea, jelly, and soda. Here are some other ideas:
    • Spruce Tip Syrup
    • Spruce Tip Salt
    • Spruce Tip Sugar
    • Spruce Tip Shortbread Cookies
    • Spruce Beer
    • Spruce Tip Ice Cream & Sorbets

    Pro Tips

    • Toss fresh, uncooked tips into a salad with other greens.
    • Steep dried tips in hot water to make tea. Spruce is loaded with vitamin C, and rich in potassium and magnesium, so the tea can be soothing for a sore throat. Adding a cinnamon stick, honey, and a squeeze of lemon juice has even more health benefits.
    • Adding the tips to cold water will impart a mild flavor, similar to adding citrus or cucumber slices to your water.
    • Use the tips in the place of rosemary in recipes.
    • The tips can also be used in various savory dishes.

    You may want to check out this informative article that explains how to identify a Spruce because not all evergreen trees are edilbe.

    spruce tree
    spruce tips
    top view of small spruce

    For more information about how spruce tips were used in the past, you may enjoy reading the following post: Sprucelets: An Original Adirondack Medicine.

    Related Posts

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    • Survival Food (food substitutions and other ideas)
    • How to Make Rosehips Syrup

    Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.

    Stay in touch with me through social media @ Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, and Facebook. Don't forget to tag me when you try one of my recipes!

    spruce tips pesto pasta

    Spruce Tips Pesto

    A delicous, citrusy pesto made with the new growth of spruce trees.
    5 from 6 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Condiments
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 15 minutes
    Servings: 2 servings
    Calories: 488kcal
    Author: Hilda Sterner

    Equipment

    • food processor

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup fresh spruce tips
    • 2 cloves garlic
    • 2 tablespoon walnuts or pine nuts
    • ¼ cup olive oil
    • 2 tablespoon avocado oil (or use more olive oil)
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
    • ⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
    • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
    • ¼ cup parmesan cheese
    • 1 teaspoon lemon zest

    Instructions

    • Add one cup of washed spruce tips into a food processor.
    • Add garlic, walnuts (or pinenuts), salt, pepper, nutmeg, and crushed red pepper, if using.
    • Process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
    • While the machine is running, drizzle in the oil.
    • Add parmesan cheese and lemon zest. Give it one last whirl.
    • Mix in with your favorite pasta dish, or as a substitute for pizza sauce.

    Notes

    The nutrition info was calculated using basil pesto. Although I tried, I could not find specific nutritional formation on spruce tips.
    • Toss fresh, uncooked tips into a salad with other greens.
    • Steep dried tips in hot water to make tea. Spruce is loaded with vitamin C, and rich in potassium and magnesium, so the tea can be soothing for a sore throat. Adding a cinnamon stick, honey, and a squeeze of lemon juice has even more health benefits.
    • Adding the tips to cold water will impart a mild flavor, similar to adding citrus or cucumber slices to your water.
    • Use the tips in the place of rosemary in recipes.
    • The tips can also be used in various savory dishes.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 488kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 50g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Fiber: 4g
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @HildasKitchenBlog or tag #HildasKitchenBlog!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Dennis Miller says

      June 01, 2020 at 6:34 pm

      5 stars
      So good and no spruce taste. Makes a great pasta condiment!

      Reply
      • HildaSterner says

        June 01, 2020 at 6:51 pm

        Are you thee Dennis Miller? 😉 But seriously, thanks for the review, I really appreciate it!

        Reply
    2. Kelly Methey says

      June 10, 2019 at 9:34 am

      I find this very interesting. I would never in a million years thought to make pesto with a tree. I am intrigued and my horizons are being broadened by your unusual recipes. I think I will have to try this and report back!

      Reply
      • HildaSterner says

        June 10, 2019 at 2:31 pm

        Yes, I felt the same way when I heard that Spruce tips were edible. I'm picking some to take back to San Diego with me so I can test out more recipes! Gettem' while they're good!

        Reply

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