Making Mugolio or Pine Syrup

[HawkinsHollow]

This is probably the farthest thing from "country cooking" as there is but I will tell you about it anyway.

Last spring my friend made a concoction called mugolio or pine syrup, he said he really enjoyed it so I looked it up. Every recipe I could find came with a very complimentary explanation of this syrup, so I had to give it a try. I have mostly Virginia Pine and white pine around here so I picked about a quart of the young shoots and small pollen bud clusters that grow on the end of the branch. With these pine pieces I combined the same amount in a 1:1 ratio of light brown sugar and pack them down into a quart jar. And then you wait!! After a couple of days the sugar will begin to pull the water and flavor out of the pine pieces. It will go through a fermentation process and then after a month or 2 you simmer for 10 minutes and then strain it into bottles for longterm storage. I am only a couple of days in, but I am excited to test the product. I have decided to make another batch or 2 this spring. I honestly think we are going to like it and will be kicking ourselves for not making more. I will report back to let you know how it is. This stuff sells online for $20 for tiny 4 oz. bottles. DOes anyone have experience with pine syrup?

Sorry for the lack of pictures, my computer is acting funny and it won't let me attatch pictures.

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

You have to report back when you've tried it. I am skeptical.

I like maple syrup and had just had some a few days before a hunting trip. I was sitting in my stand when I saw a new glob of pine sap about ready to drop.... I thought, "why not, it has to be similar". Friends... It was not similar... yuck. It was 2 months before the PTSD from tasting that glob wore off.

 

[workinonit]

It will probably be really good if you get lots and lots of sugar in it and come up with something to get that pine taste out of it.

 

[HawkinsHollow]

We will see?!?

From all my digging online lots of people talk highly of the flavor. I just made 2 more batches. So we are going to either love it and have plenty, or we will not love it have have plenty for Xmas gifts.

 

[Jrasband]

I like the smell and taste of pine don't know why it would make it taste bad. I am very curious as well as Virginia white pine is prob the most abundant tree I have on my property.

 

[Captain Dirty]

From all my digging online lots of people talk highly of the flavor [of mugolio or pine syrup]. I just made 2 more batches. So we are going to either love it and have plenty, or we will not love it have have plenty for Xmas gifts.

Sounds very much like Lambic Beer, a Belgian Ale made from airborne wild yeasts. Some beer afficiandos swear by it; I will charitably say it is an aquired taste. However it is useful. When one of my homebrew batches goes awry and turns skunky. I will call it Lambic and foist it on the unsuspecting.

 

[3Ts]

I'm interested in the results of your experiment. I am aware that they make turpentine and other Naval Stores (pitch, tar & rosin amongst others) from pine sap so I can't imagine that it would taste good.

 

[HawkinsHollow]

In typical TBN style the Nay's are at 3 and the Yay's are at 2. What is your vote?

I have not heard one negative thing from anyone who has ever tried it, so I am hopefully optimistic that we will enjoy it. I like culinary adventures though.

 

[workinonit]

I'm open minded about it but when I think of it I too think of turpentine.

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

I'm on the edge of my seat here...

 

[jyoutz]

Interesting. Pines and conifers in general have a sharp astringent turpentine taste and aroma. I will be skeptical until I hear otherwise.

 

[HawkinsHollow]

Yep, one more day!! I am pretty excited too! I have 3 batches going, I plan on letting at least one of them go for 2+ months see how it changes the flavor. Stay tuned! Might take me a couple days to finish it into syrup form.

 

[HawkinsHollow]

Interesting. Pines and conifers in general have a sharp astringent turpentine taste and aroma. I will be skeptical until I hear otherwise.

What was the last piece of a pine tree you tasted?

 

[jyoutz]

What was the last piece of a pine tree you tasted?

Well, working in the woods I have bitten down on a few pine needles and tasted sap balls. It never made me think this would be something good to eat. Native Americans used to strip bark and eat the soft inner cambium of pines during times of hardship, but it was never a preferred food.

 

[D&D]

What was the last piece of a pine tree you tasted?

I believe they called it a gin and tonic Not to my liking.

 

[HawkinsHollow]

Here is just one of the VERY complimentary explanations of Pine Syrup with a recipe.
Mugolio: Pinecone Syrup You Can Put on Everything | Wild + Whole

And another EXCELLENT write-up about this culinary treat.

Mugolio: Pine Cone Syrup

Mugolio, or syrup extracted from pine cones, is one of the most delicious chef secrets available to foragers, and costs pennies to make.

foragerchef.com

 

[BigGG]

This reminds me . . . When I lived in Houston in the '70s and '80s there was a Greek restaurant down on the ship channel that was frequented by the sailors in port. Rustic but great food. They had a wine list that included wines with rosin. One night on a lark I ordered a bottle with rosin. The waiter asked if I was sure that's what I wanted. When I asked, he said I wouldn't like it, so I changed my order.

Later, I learned that the stuff is an old tradition. Seems the Roman soldiers were drinking up the Greeks' wine as they ransacked the place, so the Greeks started adding pine rosin to discourage the practice.

As a pine tree farmer, I'm all for finding new markets, but I don't think foodstuffs is going to fly. But if we can convert plants to 'meat', who knows?

 

[HawkinsHollow]

OK!! I canned batch #1! I got about 3 pints out of a quart jar of sugar and Virginia pine pollen cones. I like it! I tried it on some vanilla ice cream. It is a delicate mix of woodsy, floral, and citrus notes. I bet if I let someone try it and they did not know it was pine syrup they would be hard pressed to come up with pine syrup. It is not piney or resinous AT ALL. Again this is just my initial impression, I look forward to trying it on pancakes. I have 2 more batches, one made with Virginia Pine and turbinado sugar and the other with white pine and brown sugar. Looking forward to trying them, I might harvest the turbinado sugar one soonish. The white pine one I might let stew for another month or so, to see if it changes as it matures.

 

[jyoutz]

OK!! I canned batch #1! I got about 3 pints out of a quart jar of sugar and Virginia pine pollen cones. I like it! I tried it on some vanilla ice cream. It is a delicate mix of woodsy, floral, and citrus notes. I bet if I let someone try it and they did not know it was pine syrup they would be hard pressed to come up with pine syrup. It is not piney or resinous AT ALL. Again this is just my initial impression, I look forward to trying it on pancakes. I have 2 more batches, one made with Virginia Pine and turbinado sugar and the other with white pine and brown sugar. Looks forward to trying them I might harvest the turbinado sugar one soonish. The white pine one I might let stew for another month or so, see if it changes as it matures.

Pollen cones? That’s different. I thought you were using the resinous needles.

 

[CalG]

Tap a maple tree, collect the sap and boil it down. You get Maple Syrup! The sweet essence of breakfast waffles!

Tap a pine tree, collect the sap and boil it down. You get turpentine! Turps will kill you faster than horsemen ride!

;-)