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[AgateLicker]

It's a boom year for cones this summer and I've been finding overburdened Norway Spruce treetops on the forest floor. Beating the critters to the cones has been my goal so I can make lots of this divine syrup.

 Traditionally you pack young green cones in a crock with a natural sugar (maple, honey, etc.) and bury that mo'fo in the back yard for a year to ferment and develop but ain't-nobody-got-time-for-that!

I butt my jars up to my ever-running dehydrator and the radiant heat is developing them nicely on my counter. This one is a week old with a bit of molasses mixed in to skew the flavor profile. The spruce tastes very much like sugared grapefruit. Cedar is on deck to be chopped today. Their cones are much more floral and less citric smelling. I can't wait to see how it develops flavor-wise.

Anything (intentionally) steeping/developing in your cupboards or on your counter? Lacto-fm, 'booch or otherwise?

[IDearthwalker]

I'm going to be real stupid about this what do you do with them? Eat, drink or what? Sorry never seen any mention that I'm aware of of what you do with them.

[lithicbeads]

To accompany lutefisk?

[irockhound]

Idearth  end of the first line "so I can make lots of this divine syrup"..   Syrup is the end product

[IDearthwalker]

Ok. That sounds great. I got into choke cherry syrup a couple years back and it's heaven to eat on flapjacks.
Thanks for responding.

[AgateLicker]

Sorry, IDearthwalker- I didn't see this before. Now that I have I would like to let you know this shit goes good on EVERYTHING. Favorite application of mine is with whole fat plain yoghurt. It can be a bit "young" and sassy with the tannins so the fats bind them and you can enjoy it without the sandpaper pucker. These batches have mellowed a lot and are getting brandy-ish, so the tannins have chained up and dropped out and it's much friendlier now.

Other trees I tried were hemlock, cedar, white pine and Doug fir.  Overall I would suggest putting time and energy into White pine as the flavors were consistently favorable through the whole maceration process and post boil-off.

Choke cherry syrup sounds real nice. Have you had any turn into vinegar on you?

[AgateLicker]

Lithicbeads, I've never tried the stuff. Potted meats are in a class all their own as far as I'm concerned. You need some killer chops to choke down putrefaction like that...

Just wait- someday I'll get a chance to sample some and enjoy the hell out of it.

[lithicbeads]

I had an old Norwegian - American neighbor who would wax poetic about how wonderful it was and lamenting not being able to find it. Every Christmas samething. I got tired of it so one year I went to a Norwegian shop in Seattle and got him two pounds. I gave it to him at Christmas and when he opened it he looked at me like I was nuts. He said nobody ever ate it they just bought it. Called his bluff.

[vitzitziltecpatl]

Frank, that's just too funny. The look on your neighbor's face must have been priceless.

[AgateLicker]

Aaaah! That must have been a gas! And two whole pounds... Just goes to show that Santa's elves have big ears and you should watch what you wish for.

You're a good neighbor.

[IDearthwalker]

Agatelicker, So far no vinegar. Haven't had it made but only 2 years. Choke Cherry vinegar sounds nice though. Made jelly also and that is some good stuff too.

[AgateLicker]

IDearthwalker, after accidentally turning a few things to vinegar I tried to *actually* make some this year. I used elderberries left over from syrup making and popped them in a jar with a heavy splash of table vinegar and the rest topped with water. Capped the jar with brown paper and a hair tie and 3 months later I've got a slammin' vinegar that developed a SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast) that can kick start other batches of vinegars.

If you like tasting vinegars I highly suggest you try your chokes. We've only got one little P. virginiana and it didn't set fruit this year- maybe next year I will find enoughgo play with!