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Wild Edibles- White Cedar Tea- Vitamin C boost!

Here’s a video on how to make Cedar Tea, otherwise known as Scurvy Tea.

White cedar (eastern Aborvitae) is one of the more well known “wild teas”, due to its’ history in Canada. Jacues Cartier is believed to have had his entire crew cured of scurvy after arriving in Canada by the Micmaq people when given cedar tea continually. This belief is impressed upon by the potent amount of vitamin C found in the needles and bark of the tree. Though cedar oil (a scummy sheen on the surface of the tea) is toxic and can cause painful side effects, simply pouring off the scum is all that needs to be done to make the tea safe. The true name of White cedar is Aborvitae, roughly translated from Latin this means “Tree of Life”. Due to the vitamin C alone, the name was definitely well earned. This tea has a strong flavor and many people state that it is a required taste, however after several cups, with the occasional seasoning of maple sugar or honey, the tea definitely grows on one. Many pines, spruces and other non-poisonous conifer trees can make similar teas with strong amounts of vitamin C. Simply boil the needles/scales with water, steep until cool enough to drink, pour off any film and enjoy.

As with any wild edible, make sure to thoroughly research anything before you start to use it.

Today I picked some cedar...MAKE ALL THE CEDAR TEA