Produce recently spotted at The Market
Produce Briefs...
Roselle Flowers
Roselle may be used raw, dried or juiced. The fruit's tart flavor requires a sweetener of some kind, and it is successfully used like a cranberry in recipes for jam, jelly, chutney and even wine.
Barrel Cactus Fruit
The fruit of the Barrel cactus is best prepared in sweet applications, since its natural tartness lends itself well to a hint of sugar. Cook the fruit down with agave syrup to make a jam, jelly or a sweet and sour chutney.
Description/Taste
Spruce trees are between 20 and 60 meters tall and have deep green colored needles that cover the branches. The Spruce tips should be foraged in early spring as soon as the bright lime-green buds emerge from their brown papery casings. This is when they are most tender and their slight resinous flavor is minimal. Spruce tips have lemony citrus notes and an herbal quality similar to rosemary.
Seasons/Availability
In the wild, Spruce tips are available in early spring.
Current Facts
Spruce is a coniferous evergreen tree in the Pinaceae family. There are dozens of Spruce species in the Picea genus, all of which are edible and may be prepared in a similar manner. Each spring the trees grow new buds at the tips of their branches that eventually harden, developing into mature needles. It should be noted that not all evergreen trees are edible, and it is therefore vital that identification of Spruce is accurate.
Nutritional Value
Spruce tips provide high levels of Vitamin A and C, as well as oil that has antimicrobial and antibacterial properties.
Applications
The new Spruce tips are soft and chewy and may be eaten raw, but are best cooked or pickled. As the tips mature they become bitter and too hard to consume. The Spruce tips' lemony quality compliment seafood nicely in a sauce or stuffing. They are also used to add a fresh citrus note to beer. In sweet applications, Spruce tips add balance to cookies, sorbets and syrups. When steeped, Spruce tip tea is excellent for soothing sore throats and other respiratory ailments. A salve may also be made for topical uses on rashes, bug bites and joint aches.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
The Koyukon People of Alaska used the White Spruce from root to tip for medicine, shelter, firewood, waterproofing, and ceremonial purposes. In their native language every part of the tree has a unique name thus illustrating its multifaceted importance.
Geography/History
Fossil records from the Paleocene Era trace the origin of spruce to Montana. Spruce trees grow in the boreal forests of temperate climates in the Northern hemisphere. Today they may be found growing across Scandinavia, Russia, China, Japan and North America.
Featured Restaurants
Restaurants currently purchasing this product as an ingredient for their menu.
| Solterra Winery + Kitchen | Encinitas CA | 760-230-2970 |
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Spruce Tips. One
is easiest, three is harder.
