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Make a Pine Needle Soda: A Natural "Sprite"

Pine needle soda with ice, lemon, and herbs

Photo Credit
Olga Kri
Category
Beverages
Course
Other
Preparation Method
No Cook

Make a Pine Needle Soda: A Natural "Sprite"

The Editors
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Let’s make a natural soda with pine needles! We call it a natural “Sprite,” but this fizzy soda tastes so much better—citrusy with undertones of mint—with a free blast of Vitamin C. The recipe only requires three ingredients! See how to make White Pine Needle Soda.

White Pine was an important staple for humans here for centuries. The needles are especially rich in vitamin C, vitamin A, and numerous other plant compounds and may have saved the lives of early European explorers. This cup of Pine Needle Soda has much more Vitamin C than a cup of orange juice!

Yes, White Pine Needles are Edible

Most pine needles are edible; we use White Pine needles because this tree is common across North American neighborhoods and parks, plus white pine needles make the best-tasting drink in our books. The White Pine is easy to identify because it’s the only one with 5 needles per bunch. See how to identify white pine trees. (Don’t mistake pine for a yew or cypress or “fake” pine like the Norfolk Pine as these needles are toxic.)

A few notes on the recipe below …

  1. Use a glass jar with a tight lid or glass container with flip-top to make this drink. Plastic can leach chemicals in sunlight. 
  2. Do not eliminate or decrease the small amount of sugar. You need the sugar to feed the wild yeasts living on the needles (which they feed on to create the carbon dioxide bubbles).
  3. We’ve been asked about washing the pine needles. We just take take them straight from the tree. You may immerse them in a large bowl of cool water if you’re concerned about dust, but be very gentle and do not overwash or you’ll kill the wild yeasts which you need to create the fizzy soda. Avoid hot water which also kills wild yeasts.

Also: See our Pine Needle Tea recipe and more White Pine remedies!

pine needle drink
Put needles and sugar in a glass jar and fill jar with water. (Note: We use White Pine needles in our recipe.)
Ingredients
2 cup pine needles, woody ends removed
4 tablespoons sugar
2½ cups water (use bottled or filtered water)
Instructions
  1. Put the needles and sugar in a glass jar or bottle and fill up with water.
  2. Add the lid and gently shake the jar so the ingredients are evenly distributed.
  3. Put the bottle on a windowsill with direct sunlight (or indirect sunlight during summer). From here on, do NOT shake the bottle at any time or it may explode.
  4. Wait THREE days. Then open the bottle. Again, do NOT shake it. Strain out the needles. 
  5. Pour liquid over a cup of ice! Squeeze in some lemon slices, perhaps some mint leaves, and enjoy!

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Comments

Lady Deatherage (not verified)

1 month 4 weeks ago

White needle pine is not in the south. The long leaf is an endangered species and is native here, but rarely seen. However, we planted one on our property "doing our part" and due to its health benefits. Will this recipe work with the long leaf pine?

Longleaf pine is not an endangered species. It is widely planted (thanks to many government programs spending your tax dollars - or those of your children and grandchildren - to subsidize it

Not sure what part of the South you’re in, but I’m in TN and white pines are not hard to find here!

Yes! The Long Leaf Pine is edible as a member of the pine family. It may not taste as good as white pine, but it’s very medicinal: antiseptic, diuretic, warming, expectorant, and rich in vitamin C. Use a generous amount - a loose half handful - chopped up and steeped in hot water for 10 minutes. The tea should taste sour and resinous. 

Second to White Pine, we love Virginia Pine needles (Pinus virginiana) which is found south through the Appalachian Mountains to western Tennessee and Alabama.