The year was 1535 and it was Jacques Cartier’s second trip to the New World. His crew of 112 sailors had been at sea for months when they finally sighted land, it was land that the Natives called Kanata, meaning “village” or “settlement.” From this time on the French explorer would refer to this territory as Canada.
Cartier sailed his ships up the St. Lawrence River in search of gold, silver, copper and spices that the Iroquois was said to have assured him lay farther to the west, until winter forced him to anchor his ships and build shelters.
For 5 months his ships lay frozen and immobile in the ice, and over a period of several weeks all of his men but 3 began to come down with a strange and deadly disease, as did their neighbors the local Stadacona tribe.
Those afflicted would have blotches on their skin, swollen and bloody gums, an incredibly weakness and depression and finally paralysis and death. Until one day a he noticed a healthy looking Stadacona native coming to visit their settlement to trade, a man that he happened to remember had been sick with the strange plague just 3 days before.
Jacques had lost 25 men by now and he was desperate, he asked the man how it was that he could be walking around healthy while none of his own men had shown any signs of recovery, and he was shown a tree called Anneda. There is conflicting ideas of whether this was the Cedar tree or White Pine, but for our purposes you will see it really doesn’t matter. The sailors stripped the tree bare of needles in 6 days as they made a tea that in a very short time had cured all of Cartier’s men and allowed them to leave Canada in May.
What the men had was Scurvy and their cure was Pine tea, or rather the vitamins that are so abundant in Pine tea. A cup of Pine tea has 4 or 5 times as much vitamin C as a glass of orange juice! It is also packed with vitamin A and other antioxidants. I have heard stories of refugees fleeing through the mountains who survived for 2 months on Pine tea, so it is definitely something to keep in mind as you wander your own wilderness. It also makes a great antiseptic wash and effective decongestant.
All you need to do is break or cut up your needles and steep them in hot water for a few minutes, and it will make a refreshing drink. Most trees in the pine family can be used and are completely safe, including Hemlock (the tree, NOT the plant!) Spruce, and Cedar. Each tea will have its own distinct and different flavor, and everyone is delicious. My personal favorites are the White Pine which is delicate and almost sweet, and the Cedar which smells and tastes much stronger and is amazing! The Cedar seems to me to be especially good as a decongestant.
But as with all things there are a few that you should be aware of, do not use the Ponderosa Pine, the Norfolk Island Pine, or the Yew as they can be poisonous and should not be used for tea. Also pregnant women should not drink Pine tea. Be sure you always do your own study from a trustworthy source as you learn about wild edibles, but being aware doesn’t have to mean avoiding wild foods all together as so many do.
A good example is that Potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, pimentos, and paprika are all in the nightshade family. A group of alkaloids in these foods can impact nerve, muscle and digestive function, and may also destroy joint function. But these alkaloids are mostly concentrated in the plant and not the fruits so they have become among the most common of foods among the different cultures of the world. So learn to be aware of the dangers around you, but to not let that fear keep you from enjoying and finding your own Home in the Wilderness.
Cartier sailed his ships up the St. Lawrence River in search of gold, silver, copper and spices that the Iroquois was said to have assured him lay farther to the west, until winter forced him to anchor his ships and build shelters.
For 5 months his ships lay frozen and immobile in the ice, and over a period of several weeks all of his men but 3 began to come down with a strange and deadly disease, as did their neighbors the local Stadacona tribe.
Those afflicted would have blotches on their skin, swollen and bloody gums, an incredibly weakness and depression and finally paralysis and death. Until one day a he noticed a healthy looking Stadacona native coming to visit their settlement to trade, a man that he happened to remember had been sick with the strange plague just 3 days before.
Jacques had lost 25 men by now and he was desperate, he asked the man how it was that he could be walking around healthy while none of his own men had shown any signs of recovery, and he was shown a tree called Anneda. There is conflicting ideas of whether this was the Cedar tree or White Pine, but for our purposes you will see it really doesn’t matter. The sailors stripped the tree bare of needles in 6 days as they made a tea that in a very short time had cured all of Cartier’s men and allowed them to leave Canada in May.
What the men had was Scurvy and their cure was Pine tea, or rather the vitamins that are so abundant in Pine tea. A cup of Pine tea has 4 or 5 times as much vitamin C as a glass of orange juice! It is also packed with vitamin A and other antioxidants. I have heard stories of refugees fleeing through the mountains who survived for 2 months on Pine tea, so it is definitely something to keep in mind as you wander your own wilderness. It also makes a great antiseptic wash and effective decongestant.
All you need to do is break or cut up your needles and steep them in hot water for a few minutes, and it will make a refreshing drink. Most trees in the pine family can be used and are completely safe, including Hemlock (the tree, NOT the plant!) Spruce, and Cedar. Each tea will have its own distinct and different flavor, and everyone is delicious. My personal favorites are the White Pine which is delicate and almost sweet, and the Cedar which smells and tastes much stronger and is amazing! The Cedar seems to me to be especially good as a decongestant.
But as with all things there are a few that you should be aware of, do not use the Ponderosa Pine, the Norfolk Island Pine, or the Yew as they can be poisonous and should not be used for tea. Also pregnant women should not drink Pine tea. Be sure you always do your own study from a trustworthy source as you learn about wild edibles, but being aware doesn’t have to mean avoiding wild foods all together as so many do.
A good example is that Potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, pimentos, and paprika are all in the nightshade family. A group of alkaloids in these foods can impact nerve, muscle and digestive function, and may also destroy joint function. But these alkaloids are mostly concentrated in the plant and not the fruits so they have become among the most common of foods among the different cultures of the world. So learn to be aware of the dangers around you, but to not let that fear keep you from enjoying and finding your own Home in the Wilderness.
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