Have you ever tried spruce honey?

It couldn’t be easier to make. Try it yourself!

In May and June, when spring arrives and the spruce trees are full of new light-green growth, we get the urge to head out into the great outdoors. Not just to enjoy the rays of glorious sunshine and admire blossoming nature while hiking, but also to gather the ingredients for tasty spruce honey. If you’ve stayed in Alpbachtal at our hotel and have fallen in love with our hobby, here’s the recipe.

Here’s what you need:

• 200g young spruce shoots
• 1 litre water
• 1 lemon, cut into slices
• approx. 1kg sugar

Here’s what you do:

Wash the shoots, put them in a pan, and pour the water over them. Leave them to infuse overnight. Add the lemon slices and heat everything (approx. 30 minutes on a medium heat). Remove the spruce shoots and the lemon slices, weigh the liquid, and then add the same weight in sugar. Simmer on a low heat until it forms a syrup (approx. 30 to 60 minutes). Pour into jars while still hot and seal the jars immediately.

Some important notes:

• Never gather ingredients without the forester’s permission.
• Don’t gather shoots from young or old trees.
• Only gather side shoots.