Everyday Herbs: Pine

Since I spent the morning making household cleaner I thought I would share the process.I start with pine needles. Right now I am working on using up the tree which we got at the tree farm for the holidays.   Pine is an under-rated herb in my opinion.  Few people give it credit due for its nutritive value (contains enough vitamin C to ward off scurvy) or its disinfectant qualities.     It also makes a great herb to keep brewing away in a pot on the stove.  When the woodstove was in commission, I would have a pot of pine simmering all winter long.   Now, I use one those little crockpots.   Pine needles also make good  strewing herbs.  They work as a natural repellent against creepy things that like to live in your bed or under your appliances.

Brewing a pine beverage….

Because it needles are a little tougher I like to make pine decoctions.    I toss some 1/2 cup of  pine needles  into a pan of with 2 cups of water and I decoct them until I get a nice strong brew.  The picture to the left  shows the deep almost rosy color that results.    It is a very refreshing beverage.

When I am using it for cleaning solution,  I just turn off the heat and let the liquid cool down.  I pour it into spray bottles which are half full of white  vinegar or use it full strength as a room freshener.  The blue bottle sits on the back of the toilet in the upstairs bathroom.   You can add other essential oils if you’d like but I really don’t bother.  When I have some pine resin solution (pine resin dissolved in strong alcohol)  I like to add a half-teaspoon of that to each bottle.   The final product smells amazing and I can use it for cleaning just about everything. There is very soothing about cleaning with herbs.  It purifies the home and the psyche; one more of those things that keeps me smiling during the winter.