The Hirshon Georgian Baby Pine Cone Syrup - გირჩის მურაბა

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My Citizens, I continue to walk the slow, uphill path of recovery from the virus that has laid waste to most of the San Francisco Bay Area and ravages my corpus as I write this. Needless to say, getting better is at the very forefront of my mind, and thus today’s recipe is another that bridges the divide between food and medicine!

This particular recipe sounds insane, because it’s made from – wait for it – pine cones?! Trust me, it is anything but crazy and has millennia of folk wisdom and science behind it! For example, read about the incredible medical benefits of pine here.

This fragrant and delicious jam is a traditional Georgian and Siberian treat and is an excellent remedy for a number of ailments. Sometimes it’s called pine honey because of its texture.

Pine cone jam is very beneficial for those who have weak bronchial systems and also strengthens the immune system. This jam is a real medicine! Try it when you catch cold, have bronchial asthma or croup. It can be given to children as well – 1-2 teaspoonfuls every morning, 20-30 minutes before breakfast.

In the Borjomi and Abastumani areas of Georgia, you’ll often see people who sell this kind of jam and it is one of the most popular and widely-consumed jams in Georgian cuisine used for healing purposes. It is not difficult to prepare it.

To cook this, you need young green cones. In the Caucasus, they usually collect them in May, in Siberia – in June. Cones should be soft, easily punctured with a nail, and 1 to 3 cm in length. The cones ARE edible in this jam and they should look like these:

My version of this recipe has several touches of TFD flavor magic, but is very authentic indeed – I have every confidence you’ll find this a tasty addition to your breakfast and very healing for you and yours!

Battle on – The Generalissimo

The Hirshon Georgian Baby Pine Cone Syrup – გირჩის მურაბა

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Ingredients

2 ¼ lbs. soft, green pine cones
3 lbs sugar
⅓ pound raw honey
3 cups bottled water
¾ cup unsweetened cranberry juice
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

The cones have to be gathered in May-June, in an ecologically-friendly environment (no spraying). The cones must be green, soft and their lengths must be 1-3 centimeters (0.4-1.3 inches).
Wash the cones carefully in hot water and place in a stainless steel pan (they contain a lot of resin, which can ruin enamel pots when boiling).
Add water and sugar, stir until it boils, and let it keep boiling for 15-20 minutes, on a high heat. Then put the pot away and let it cool.
When the jam is completely cold, put it on the fire again and let it boil for 30 minutes. The syrup will change color gradually and will become the color of a transparent caramel.
Put the pot away and let it cool again, then put it again on the fire with all the remaining ingredients and let it boil. Do this until the syrup becomes thick.
When you think it is ready, pour one drop on a plate and wait until it gets cold. If it becomes so thick that it does not easily move on the plate, it is ready. Distribute the jam in jars and cover them.