Last year, when I took down our Christmas tree after the holidays, I cut its branches to lay on top of my outdoor pots, thinking I was making the most of the evergreen tree by adding a mulch to the winter garden. As I was cutting, I was surprised by how much fragrance was left in the needles.
Photography by Marie Viljoen.
Before you cast off your Christmas tree or wreath after the holidays, read on about how to use the needles to perfume holiday fare.
Most firs sold on sidewalks and Christmas lots are scented: Fraser, balsam, and Douglas fir have intensely fragrant needles.
Fir sugar is a wildly versatile and easy way to catch the magical scent of Christmas.
After rinsing and drying the plucked needles, combine a quarter cup of needles with a half cup of sugar and process in a spice grinder until very smooth and bright green.
Dip the rims of cocktail glasses first into lemon juice and then gently into fir sugar, letting the rims dry for 10 minutes before filling the glasses.
Viscously cold vodka pairs very well with fir, and sends your party in a Nordic direction.
Substitute fir sugar in a butter cookie recipe for a holiday snack with a whisper of the North. Add a dab of the green sugar to the frosting, too.
For a winter counterpart to summer’s mint julep, shake up 2 teaspoons of fir sugar with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and 4 fluid ounces of bourbon.
Staying with cold climate traditions, use fir sugar to make gravlax, a quick-cure of salmon that is ready to eat after three days.
Fir and Juniper Gravlax
I made this gravlax with a side of salmon from my annual share of wild-caught red salmon from the Iliamna Fish Company. 2 tablespoons fir sugar 1 tablespoon juniper sugar 2 tablespoons fir salt 3 tablespoons vodka. Place the side of salmon in the dish, skin side down.
Wipe the dish, and sprinkle the Second Cure’s fresh fir sugar, juniper sugar, and salt over the bottom of the dish. Have a set of good tweezers handy so that you can pull out the pin bones that will be exposed as you slice (I find it easier to remove them now than before the fish is cured).