Eating Christmas tree is “healthy” and better for the planet, according to some food experts. Some chefs have said the tree is a great source of Vitamin C and eating them is better for the environment than chucking them away every year.
If the tree is organic it is said you can “pretty much eat the whole thing” and it can be turned into a number of comestibles, from ice cream to gin.
René Redzepi, a chef at the three-Michelin-starred Noma restaurant in Copenhagen, says he has been using pine needles in his cooking for 20 years.
He said: “Think of it as rosemary – you can use it in just about anything.”
The needles from Christmas trees can be used to pickle vegetables or eggs, as an infusion or in many drinks.
You could also make pine ash by cooking parts of the tree in an oven until charred before whizzing in a blender to create a black powder for flavouring.
Julia Georgallis, a baker and author of How to Eat Your Christmas Tree, said: “You can pretty much eat the whole thing.
“You can use the needles as you would use rosemary or bay leaves, for flavour.”
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They are also used to make sweet treats such as syrup and shortbread cookies.
Pine needles are said to be good for coughs and helping to clear chest congestion.
Pine needle tea can also help with mental clarity, depression, obesity, allergies and high blood pressure, according to the forest ranger of the Forest of Dean.
