Pine needles may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of natural herbal medicine, but they actually do have a lot of benefits! The best part is that conifer needles are easy to forage year round, even in the fall and winter.This pine needle cough syrup is easy to make and is helpful for calming coughs and soothing sore throats.
Medicinal Benefits of Pine Needles
What better way to make natural medicine than with the trees around us!
The needles of most species of pine trees have both edible and medicinal properties. They are aromatic and have antibacterial and pain relieving properties.
Pine needles, along with most other conifer needles, are high in vitamin C and can be used as an expectorant for coughs and for relieving chest congestion.
When pine needle tea is combined with honey to make a syrup, it is highly beneficial for soothing a dry and scratchy throat and helping to tame coughs
Pine Needle Cough Syrup RecipeBesides pine, other conifer needles you can use in this recipe are fir, spruce, or hemlock (the coniferous tree, not the toxic herbaceous plant).
Pregnant women should avoid using the needles from Ponderosa Pine.
Pine Needle Cough Syrup
This pine needle cough syrup is beneficial for soothing for a dry and scratchy throat and helping to tame coughs.
Ingredients
1 1/4 cup water 300ml
1 cup fresh pine needles 16g
1/2 cup raw honey 120ml
Instructions
Bring the water to a boil then pour it over the pine needles in a pint mason jar. (For a stronger syrup you can boil the pine needles in the water for a few minutes before taking of the heat).
Let the infusion steep until the water has cooled to room temperature, then strain out the pine needles and stir in the honey.
Store the syrup in a covered jar in the refrigerator and it will keep for 2-4 weeks. If you’d like to increase the shelf life of this syrup, freeze it in baggies or ice cube trays and then thaw as needed before use.
How to Use Pine Needle Cough Syrup
Take one tablespoon (15ml) every two hours as needed to ease a cough, relieve chest congestion, or to soothe a dry and scratchy throat.
This syrup is safe for children ages 2 and older, but be sure to give the little ones a smaller dose. I have a handy dosing guide for children based on their ages in my book Healing Herbal Infusions.
Beyond being medicinal, this syrup is very tasty and is nice to have around for the holiday season for mixing into cocktails or mocktails! I’m definitely going to do that this season, maybe mixed with some infused winter gin? Yes please!
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