birch syrup

Dark, rich syrup infused with the essence of pine. Makes a little under 2 cups. This is a small amount, you can scale the recipe using the same proportions as needed. For large batches, just combine pine cones with approximately twice their weight in non-white sugar.

Mugolio, or Pine Cone Syrup

Combine the sugar and pine cones and pack into a quart jar, then allow to macerate (age) in a cool dark place for at least 2 months.

During the first few weeks of maceration, open the jar occasionally to release carbon dioxide as the mixture will ferment vigorously. Shake it occasionally to help it on it&#39;s journey.

After the maceration is complete, scrape the sugar slush and pine cones into a pot, bring to a boil, then strain and bottle.

The syrup is stable at room temperature since the fermentation lowers the pH, but will keep the best flavor in the fridge. It can also be water bath processed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqfvu5ONi5w

Fermented Green Pine Cone Syrup / Mugolio has been a chef secret for years, and bottles of the real stuff can cost over 10-15$/oz. Maple syrup is often 25$/qt.  This is basically a small batch of the traditional pine cone syrup made in the Italian Dolemite alps. A guy from Romania told me of a spruce tip equivalent where the jars are buried in the ground for a year (which is cool) but this method is faster and will be usable after no less than 30 days. 

Traditionally the young cones of Pinus mugo are used to make the syrup, but you can make a similar, great tasting product with all kinds of unripe conifer cones and I cover a few different ones in the video. I pick my young cones in early June in Minnesota and Wisconsin, but harvesting times will vary depending on when your spring is. I use the finished syrup in drinks, as a maple substitute, and for all-purpose cooking. The coolest part is that each different species of conifer cone will have a unique flavor. So far the only ones people have reported not liking to me has been from sub-alpine fir, although balsam fir cones make my fantastic syrup. 

If you're interested, check the in-depth guide on my site as I only cover the basics here and it's pretty fast (I don't like to watch long videos). Link in comments for the in-depth walkthrough.

How to Make Pine Cone Syrup / Mugolio

Tender caramelized sunchokes are delicious, with or without hickory nuts and birch syrup

Glazed Sunchokes with Birch Syrup, Hickory Nuts and Orange 

lb sunchokes (choose slender, evenly shaped sunchokes as they will be peeled)

lard oil

Water (as needed for deglazing)

Tablespoon birch or maple syrup (optional)

Kosher salt (to taste)

hickory nuts (to garnish (optional))

herbs (like parsley, tarragon, chives, celery leaf, chervil, etc, to garnish (optional))

orange zest (a few scrapes to taste)

Peel the sunchokes, then cut into even sized pieces, about 1-2 inches. Heat the oil in a pot to medium heat, add the sunchokes, stir to coat with the oil, season with a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally for a few minutes until they begin to lightly caramelize.

Deglaze the pan with a tablespoon or two of water, put the lid back on, and cook until the liquid is evaporated. Shake the sunchokes around in the pan a bit, the pan should have brown residue starting to build up. Add the birch syrup and more water and cook again.

Continue adding small amounts of water, covering the pan to steam the sunchokes , until they're tender when pierced, about 15 minutes. The sunchokes should be deeply brown and glazed. Toss the sunchokes with the fresh herbs, orange zest and toasted nuts if using and serve.

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Mugolio, or Pine Cone Syrup

Glazed Sunchokes with Birch Syrup, ...

Top 2 birch syrup recipes from across the web

The most viewed birch syrup recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Mugolio, or Pine Cone Syrup

Glazed Sunchokes with Birch Syrup, ...

The most viewed birch syrup recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine