Christmas tree salt (made with edible conifer needles)
A simple base recipe made from the mature needles of spruce, fir, or other edible conifers that can be used to add unique Christmas tree flavor to a wide variety of foods and beverages.
Equipment
- spice grinder (ideal)
- multi-bladed blender like a Ninja (second choice)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Christmas tree needles (36 grams), ideally fresh or no more than a few days removed from branches
- 1 cup kosher salt or white sea salt (270 grams)
Instructions
- Add half of needles (1/4 cup) plus a quarter of the salt (1/4 cup) to spice grinder and pulverize until smooth. You'll want to open the spice grinder and scrape the sides and bottom with a spatula to make sure all needles have been pulverized. Scrape into a bowl/storage container with a spatula. Repeat with the other half of the needles plus another 1/4 cup salt. Transfer to same bowl. Finally, put remaining salt in spice grinder and blend very briefly for a few seconds to help remove any of the remaining goodies from the previous needle-salt batches. Add this salt to the bowl and mix & mush everything together until uniform. Make sure to give your spice grinder one last scrape with the spatula to get any sticky conifer residue out, then wash the grinder with hot soapy water.
- Store your Christmas tree salt in a spice jar or canning jar in your spice rack or pantry (no refrigeration required). The flavor will last for at least 6 months, but the color will slowly brown due to oxidation.