White Pine Soda Recipe

Needles of White Pine (Pinus strobus) can be used to make a refreshing drink at any time of year (Photo 1).

Photo 1: White Pine soda.

Kate’s White Pine Soda

1 part White Pine needles

1 part water*

1 tbsp sugar** per cup of water

A jar large enough to hold everything***

* if you live in a municipality that treats its water with chlorine (or similar), don’t use tap water for this recipe.  The chlorine will kill the wild yeast. If you’re on untreated well water, tap water will be fine.

**  you’ll need a natural, fermentable sugar such as white or brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup.  Artificial sweeteners (eg. aspartame, saccharin, sorbitol, sucralose, xylitol) will not work.

*** I use a 1L mason jar for 2-3 cups of needles.

Gently rinse the White Pine needles under cool, untreated water to remove any dirt and debris without killing the yeast.  Measure or estimate the volume of needles you have and pack them into the jar – you don’t need to be precise with your measurements.  Add an equal volume of water along with 1 tbsp of sugar per cup of water (if the end product isn’t sweet enough for your taste, you can add more sugar then).  

Photo 2: Put all ingredients in the jar and let sit 3-4 days.

Cap the jar (leaving a bit of headspace), shake it gently to mix the sugar and water thoroughly, and place it in a warm area (Photo 2).  After a day, you should start to see some bubbles forming. Let it sit for three to four days, and then strain the liquid from the needles.  Add ice and enjoy!  (The carbonation doesn’t last long, so this is a drink best enjoyed when you strain it rather than after it’s been stored).