Drink Some Pine Needle Tea

Pine needles are probably not the first thing you think of when you hear the word tea but its been around for ages. The tea has a pleasant smell and taste. Children seem to love it because of its tanginess. Pine needles are rich in Vitamin C and also bring relief to conditions such as heart disease, heart ailments, varicose veins, fatigue, kidney aliments, sclerosis and it also gives you better eyesight. There are probably even more medicinal uses out there because this tea has been used to treat and give relief for many illnesses. Cancer patients drink this to make them feel better.

This is the perfect tea to drink during the winter months. The needles come from the Pine which is an evergreen tree. It looks beautiful no matter what season it is. This tea will keep you healthy plus bring some of that smell and beauty into your own tea cup or home.

Before you go picking the needles off of a tree you should do a little research first. The type of tree ideal for pine tea is the White Pine. You might need to get a field guide book to find out if these are in your area and what they look like. Choose a tree away from roadways or places where the tree could have been contaminated with toxins or pollution such as a garbage dump.

Once you've found the right tree take a minute to appreciates its beauty. Be thankful that nature provides us with so much. You only need a loose handful of pine needles per cup of tea. If you're making this tea with children let them pick their own needles. The smaller needles tend to be sweeter but its not that much of a difference. You need to wash the needles thoroughly before making the tea. Run water over them until they are clean then put the needles in a tea pot. Pour boiling water on top (1 cup of water per person), cover and then let sit for 15 to 20 minutes. When its ready strain it and then pour into your favorite tea cup.

You can spice up this tea any way you want. I do recommend using a sweetener like sugar, Splenda or whatever you have on hand. Some like to add herbs and spices like cinnamon, lavender and chamomile. Chamomile and pine tea is delicious mixed with a dab of honey. Pine needle tea brings you clarity and mental clearness when you drink it.

If you don't like the idea of drinking this tea it would still be a wonderful idea to pick some pine needles and let them sit in boiling water on your stove. This will add a crisp pine smell all over your house. You will love it.