How To Make Spruce Pitch Gum

Lonnie shows the best method he has found for purifying spruce or pine pitch to use as gum as he does in the video or to use for something else such as adhesive. This is in his typical step by step tutorial type of teaching so that viewers then know how to do it themselves.

[@mountainwit]

I tried this technique and it worked beautifully. Instead of wrecking an old cooking pot, I boiled the cheesecloth bag in a large tin can. Thanks for the great instructions in your video!

[@thelkmaster]

very cool my boy's are collecting pitch as I'm typing. This looks great!! Growing up I would pull it off trees and chew it. But bugs and bark sometimes were a pain. Great video!! I'm going to check out more of them!! I owns plumbing shop and used to work 100hr weeks all summer just to pay the bills and live. we now live a simple lifestyle and live off the land as much as possible and I can work 3 days a month . Videos like this make it much easier

[@IndigoLocksmith]

I appreciate your video. I am slowly weaning myself from the technocratic world as I was raised in the deepest parts of it. The simple lifestyle, though is hard work, is by far more peaceful, rewarding, and safer. I never thought pitch would make a good gum but I'm going to try it. When I was a child I enjoyed blue spruce needles.

[@tallcedars2310]

Anything natural I like to try, will collect pitch and give this a try, thanks Lonnie.

[@oldguy537]

that's a new one on me .. thanks for taking the time to share ..Tony

[@Bumbaclott444]

I would always play outside and use the spruce tree as base and I will always get that sticky stuff on my hands😂u learn something every day

[@Pawoodsman]

That was cool Lonnie going to have to give us a tour of the cabin someday

[@Wintertrekker]

Really cool Lonnie! I have never seen that done before. Yet another thing to add to my to-do list that you have shown me!

[@Jlavoice]

I have only watched a few of your videos and wanted to let you know how helpful you are to me. I greatly appreciate your sharing your knowlege with us. I camp regularly in the Matanuska Valley and look forward to trying these ideas.

[@HalfQ]

Great idea, thanks for sharing. I will be putting this on the "To Do" list. Take care and thanks again.

[@MiWilderness]

Looks like you're making spruce taffy Lonnie. :) that pitch looks real clean. Thanks for sharing.

[@TheSurvivalSecrets]

This was very interesting, I must try it some time. Thanks for sharing your valuable knowledge.

[@nicolareddwooddforest4481]

Super cool video. I love spruce and fir trees, their smell is so fantastic. I would love to make gum from the resin one day. This looks so great.

[@Andersbork]

Great method! Thank you for sharing! All the best, Rob

[@off-gridhillbillystyle3735]

You're welcome for watching

[@randyhermann1]

Glad to see you back Brother!

[@cskillet2003]

I've always wondered about how to do this. Great video as usual!

[@HillbillysNdaBush]

Awesome way to refine pitch. I think i will have a go at it. Thanks bro.

[@chaulsin]

Always enjoy your videos, very informative. Thanks for sharing!

[@MrWdlawson]

Thanks for another great video!! I was I was hoping you would have a new video out soon.

[@kraigler419]

Good idea. I was wondering for a long time the best way to filter it. I'm trying this for sure

[@billa.785]

I remember chewing spruce gum like that when out on winter campouts as a Boy Scout. It helps reduce the risk of frostbite by keeping your muscles working. Thanks

[@KLD2929]

Thank you for that video. I have always wandered how that was done.

[@paulwastaken]

thanks for sharing, nice instructional video... will give that a go soon. thanks

[@CharlotteWinslow]

My dad just showed me this video it is incredible and I’ll be making it very soon while I’m isolating in my home on 40 acres - Thankyou. Inspiring.

[@Far-North-Bushcraft-Survival]

Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@MiWilderness]

Well you learn something new everyday. :) I figured you guys had pine up there. What you say reminds me of the difference between white pine and red pine needle tea, I prefer the white, because it's milder, so I guess the same might apply to the pitch. The reason I asked is because I notice more pitch oozing from the red pines around here than anything else.

[@bsflower13]

Very good info! Thanks for posting

[@robertclarke7274]

Never seen gum made before, that's a real surprise for me!

[@tonybright7897]

i gotta try this. thanks for showing how to make it.

[@AdventureArchives]

fantastic. I can't wait to give this a try. Thanks for posting

[@billyjoedenny]

excellent video lonnie,great tip brother. ..bill

[@camanojim]

Good to see you Lonnie

[@cockneysparrowa.k.ashewolf7663]

thanks for your feed back lonnie,i have now moved on to chaga tea,it dont taste as good as pine,who knows maybe ill try it again someday,i hate to think i couldnt drink pine tea again,thanks again lonnie ,best wishes to you and your family..SHE WOLF :)

[@xJbrandx]

Great vid thanks! I am definitely going to try this.

[@scottydog636]

Thanks for sharing, I'm going to try this. Then maybe I'll experiment on a second batch to see if maybe I can flavor it with some natural peppermint leaves. I'd also like to see what other uses it could have like burnability and waterproofing.

[@karenchakey]

Wow what a neat process! Can I do this with pine pitch too!

[@neuroleptika]

Great video, I will try it myself!

[@superyouper]

An 'old timer' many years ago told me that they used Black Spruce pitch. He claimed that is what spruce gum was made with commercially around 1900. He said when he was a kid they would make the gum in a double boiler then pour it into a pan of cold water to harden. When hard they would dust it with corn starch or powder sugar, He said when pouring it in the cold water, bugs and debris would float to the surface.

[@jollyanonymous3584]

I live in southern Ontario where you can find cedar everywhere so I made some tea(not the best place to live when you love the outdoors but good thing I have a small forest that I can walk to in 1-2 minutes)

[@TheWoodsmenJoe]

great info there brother, I will have to make some

[@survivewithout]

great info. thanks for sharing

[@tysy73]

Fun video, thanks for the lesson! Does this gum stick to fillings?

[@slappezever]

wow great video again Lonnie. Another reaon for me to go out in the woods and try this. Really wondering how it will taste. You said it is also used to make seams watertight? How can you re aply this stuff? If you have to heat it again, wont it burn?

[@ultimatedilwala]

Thanks for the video!

[@cockneysparrowa.k.ashewolf7663]

hi lonnie,i respect the knowledge you have and am glad that you share this with us,i wonder if i may ask you something,last year i went through a period of being violently sick and passing out, i had tests done at the hospital and they couldnt figour it out and then i realized it only happened after i started drinking pine needle tea,which is my favourite wild tea,so i stopped using pine tea and not had an episode since,are there any kinds of pine that you know of that could cause this? thanks

[@berrnisimon9785]

You could be allergic to pine trees, such a thing exists: allergy to certain trees.

[@HazeyWolf1337]

Yum great job - thanks for sharing! Natural spruce gum is good for teeth, gums, digestion - all natural, a gift from the woods! Nice to find a new video from you, friend - Peace and Best Wishes -

[@kullcraven]

Hey man great vid, i used to chew spruce gum as a kid, just off the tree. If you watch my vid, fail, making fir tea, I mention about it there lol. Good vid man and nice way to purify the pitch .

[@oliviatatortot9911]

I learned about this in school it's really cool

[@cslr11]

wow i never new you can make gum that way . thank you so much for sharing . is it bitter at all

[@nicholasf3452]

Very cool. Do you know the differance between a pine and spruce tree or if they are the same thing

[@Simplemansnature]

Absolutely fascinating Lonnie! You live in such a beautiful, peaceful place. I assume that all of the flammable resins, such as the terpene, were boiled out of the pitch? I don't know if that is harmful or not to a person?

[@OldSchoolPatriot]

Great video. Thanks You

[@thomasreddick5908]

thank you im going to try this out..

[@inquisitivewolf]

Lonnie, Great instructions and info. I wonder what compelled the indigenous peoples to plop this "odd" substance into their mouths? Maybe to increase saliva and decrease thirst while on long hunting treks. Really enjoy your videos. You always manage to share bushcraft/camping/survival skills in a way not typically seen in other KZbin videos. Would love to see more of the cabin and your daily activities to make things function properly. Take care and stay warm, Larry

[@tectonicD]

Hey Lonnie! Thanks for all these great videos. Would it help to grind up those pieces in a food mill/coffee grinder before the boiling/skimming process? Man, sure would love to see a powered parachute video one day..i've wanted to get one sense I was a teenager.

[@xall1e]

Collected som resin from some pine trees yesterday. It hadn't turn in to a hard solid piece yet, instead it was very sticky. Think it still will work? Another parameter which may lead to me making a mess in the kitchen is that I don't have (or know where to get cheese cloth), so I think I'm gonna us an old (but washed) sock. Thoughts?

[@MrPeter0201]

Thank you!!!

[@Lean540]

A great video my friend. I wonder what it might be like with a couple teaspoons of brown or maple sugar mixed in?

[@uski59]

Thankjs again for another awesome video.....Ohhh Yeah, I'll be makin some of this,...Im sick & tired of commercial gum crap

[@haralddumhart3945]

Great Video! Thanks a lot!

[@Far-North-Bushcraft-Survival]

+Harald Dumhart You are welcome and thank you.

[@keter1234]

Thanks for the vid.

[@MiWilderness]

I didn't get a chance to finish watching this video. Do you have a taste preference for one pitch over the other as far as chewing goes? We have a red pine that is just oozing resin and I'd like to try this method on it. thanks again.

[@xfbgmxraptor72]

def trying this

[@klistercat1]

Nice, would any pine work?

[@TheMountainRN]

Can you use the gum as glue or other use when under that form.

[@xall1e]

ah, ok. Tried the sock technique now. Some resin got through, but I don't know if it will ever harden. Got this sticky stuff all over my hands. My friend taught me a tip which turned out to work pretty good. Squeeze the peel of some oranges and get the juice out of it, it will disolve the resin and take away most of the stickyness :)

[@cockneysparrowa.k.ashewolf7663]

you know what lonnie i think you have solved the mystery,its the only thing that makes sense,i certainly didnt think about the pestacides or any sprays that may be on the trees,when i go out on my next camping trip i will try the all natural pine in the woods and see,,,thanks again lonnie for your feedback much appreciated.. SHE WOLF :)

[@IS-xk3iq]

Like trying your tea, I would have liked to see you trying your homemade gum.

[@houseoffire72]

Always wanted to learn this process - just so happens i have a quart bag filled with resin... might try this later today

[@bbpring]

I love spruce gum, but it is definitely an acquired taste. Great Video. Thanks.

[@matthewredfern3038]

does the pitch stick to everything i would love to know before i do it

[@guloguloguy]

Hey, Do you suppose that one could use this spruce 'pitch' to help 'glue' stone arrowheads onto arrow, or atl-atl dart shafts? Also, perhaps the 'spruce-chewing gum' could be slowly consumed more like a hard candy, instead of just trying to chew it, like modern chewing gum. How about flavoring it with some juniper berries, or wintergreen berries, blueberries, blackberries, or cranberries?I'll have to try this someday! I just cut down a large Colorado Spruce-because it's not Nativehere in IL).

[@jeffreymailly9822]

Lonnie - Great video. Thanks for posting. I have a question. If you end up boiling it or melting it, then does it matter if you collect the soft stuff? I want to try and I probably will but wondered if you did this before? Everything I'm reading says you have to find the hard pitch. But what about using the soft stuff that hasn't fully hardened?

[@Far-North-Bushcraft-Survival]

+Jeffrey Mailly That is an question that I do not know the answer to since for handling convenience sake I only collect the harder varieties. I do occasionally get some that is still sticky and gummy a bit but not soft though.

[@Angrycapitalist]

Could you collect it in the spring like Maple sap?

[@kendalldavis99]

Will it work with pine pitch

[@Khalagata]

Almost like an ols fashioned taffy pull there for a while =) except that was done to aerate and make the taffy more pliable.

[@chiefdaddypct10]

Thank you! :)

[@Wondygo]

You could keep some in a little metal tin container and re-warm it up for other projects around the fire right?

[@Far-North-Bushcraft-Survival]

Yes you could

[@liquidxskin19]

will this burn like pine pitch?

[@MrExspectator]

Too cool!

[@libbybaker6890]

Helpful hint- pitch comes right off with oil.

[@GarnettM]

Hi Lonnie - Have you ever tried cattail bulb /root after it`s boiled it`s layered like an onion but tastes exactly like potato ,Takes about the same time as a turnip to cook not bad actually had it couple times needs seasoning salt though best just before they go into seed .

[@Far-North-Bushcraft-Survival]

I have never tried cattail. We do have it in Alaska but not in any areas that I typically frequent. There is none in the area where I live.

[@GarnettM]

@@Far-North-Bushcraft-Survival yank one out sometime ,its amazing how they taste like potato ,I cant remember if we flowered one might work deep fried .

[@mrgod114]

hay buddy if you dont mind me asking what happend to your pointer on your right hand it looks sore ...

[@epicdemic7464]

I was curious if there would be any issue with terpentine in the pitch, couldn't it be poisonous if digested? can any sap be used for gum? or just spruce?

[@Far-North-Bushcraft-Survival]

Many people take pure turpentine internally. Whether that is recommended or not, you decide. The "gum however would have so very very little in it if any that I would not think it a problem. Turpentine is volatile oils and the oven straining process will most likely cause some if not all of the volatile oils to evaporate I would think.

[@epicdemic7464]

Oh I see, you've been doing this for along time I imagine, so you know the inns and outs for that kind of thing, and thanks for the reply!!! Gonna make some tonight!

[@kan-zee]

Had to come back to this vid...hope you don't mind, that I did a Shout out to another youtuber about your awesomene vids, that we really enjoy tremendously..Cheers ;-))

[@MrBuck1955]

have you ever thought to somehow add a little honey into the mix , I read somewhere that the natives did this not sure how it would be done ..... thanks for the great video's !!!!

[@yellochello5692]

I have made so much use of your videos already. I hope you see this. Could you use pitch from European/Norway spruce as chewing gum as well? Just to clarify. I think it's pretty clear from what you're saying, but I don't wanna eat something toxic.

[@Far-North-Bushcraft-Survival]

Anytime you want to check on a plant whose name you know, go to pfaf.org and type in the name of the plant in the search field. Their database is a wealth of info. Their database can also be used to search for plants that address a particular need as well such as "repellent," "soap" etc

[@yellochello5692]

@@Far-North-Bushcraft-Survival Thank you so much, Lonnie! I'm definitely going to use this

[@americasgotrandom]

I have a few pine trees down along side my house, and noticed there was a good half pound of sap coming out of one of them. I made the gum, but was wondering if sap from any pine tree is safe to chew?

[@americasgotrandom]

americasgotrandom mom says theyre evergreen, but I'm still not sure.

[@Far-North-Bushcraft-Survival]

americasgotrandom All pine pitch is fine for chewing on. As long as you know it is pine then you are good to go.

[@Zoroaster4]

yes

[@johnyeller]

Do you happen to know if the pitch gum has Vitamin C like the pine needle tea? Also, I'd imagine it doesn't have much of a flavor. Grinding up some peppermints or adding a little cinnamon or such for flavor would make a world of a difference.

[@Far-North-Bushcraft-Survival]

John Yelvington I don't know if the pitch has vit C. It is however, very antiseptic. The pitch straight off the tree like this is fairly flavorful but once purified then the flavor is quite diminished. I have thought in order to keep it all natural it might be good to add dry crumbled peppermint leaves to the pitch and then fold it in before shaping into individual serving sized pieces. Your idea of ground cinnamon sounds like it would be good as well. Good idea.

[@cockneysparrowa.k.ashewolf7663]

THANKS LONNIE, i will definately check out linda runyan and try this little test,i really appreciate all your feedback it has been most helpfull,thanks for your time and valued knowledge,take care lonnie, SHE WOLF :)

[@canesser1]

Fantastic Lonnie, would rather chew on this than that chemical laden gum you get in the stores anymore (full of aspartame, nasty stuff). It's time to go collecting! The corn starch just keeps them from sticking together?

[@xall1e]

You could chew it right away. Was out with some friends some weeks ago and one of them tried it, she said it stuck to her teeth though. Not sure it if was because it hadn't hardned (or maybe it had, didn't see what piece she used) or if it was because we didn't warm it up. We did cook up some later, and them it worked just fine :) Accidentally set the pot with the resin on fire later though (burns quite well) xD

[@philletwist5311]

Hello,Sir...Could you do a video on how to make spruce beer? I like your gum video! ! : )

[@Far-North-Bushcraft-Survival]

+phil letwist Never have made spruce beer myself so I would be a poor source on info on how it is done.

[@TheMountainRN]

Very nice. Look like " tire st-catherine" my grand ma use to do for candy 8)

[@sheebyshab]

Been wathcin Ray Mears much?

[@researcherextraordinaire8867]

Here's a benefit of spruce pitch that I wasn't aware of. Spruce (Picea spp.) and its evergreen relatives are readily available toothache remedies. I mention Spruce as the representative genus here because they tend to be pitchy and seemed to have been favored by Natives for toothaches. The pitch is antimicrobial, pain relieving, and can be applied directly to the trouble area. It can also be used to pack a cavity to fight infection and close the hole. Cedar, Pine, Hemlock, Fir, and Juniper can likewise be used. The needles and inner bark are also medicinal. survivalcache.com/five-emergency-toothache-remedies-from-wild-plants/

[@Far-North-Bushcraft-Survival]

I agree based on my own experiences. I have experienced the pain relieving properties of spruce pitch multiple times and have sought it out for that purpose when injured. It is not only pain relieving but very antibiotic as well as healing. I had a wound that was about 1/4 inch deep and about 1 and 1/4 inch long heal back together in 24 hours when using spruce pitch in the wound. Those type wounds usually do not rejoin unless stitched. Thanks for the article link. Here in the north, Devils Club is also effective at relieving toothache pain. I'm surprised that the article did not mention willow. Chewing on willow leaves or inner bark releases salicylic acid which is a pain reliever. Also chewing on the inner bark of spruce was said to be used for toothache as well.

[@papamc1937]

Lonnie and Connie's "Sprucemint" gum

[@BernieKohl]

My grandfather used to tell me that they used to collect the spruce pitch which filled the cracks within the wood of damaged trees if they needed purified one back in the days. Of course, the tree has to be chopped down and split for that. I've never seen the water boiling technique before. Don't you lose a lot of the nutritional/medicinal value through boiling?

[@rowanpotato9816]

how long does it stay edible

[@Far-North-Bushcraft-Survival]

As far as I know, it may never go "bad". Spruce pitch is *VERY* antimicrobial. I have had unprocessed spruce pitch in our house for over a year and it does not appear to have changed any.

[@rowanpotato9816]

Thanks! i just made a batch with pine pitch and it works well too

[@Angrycapitalist]

To clean the pot and spoon, could you re boil a new pot of water to melt the remaining pitch, then toss the water out.

[@Far-North-Bushcraft-Survival]

That would help but probably would not, in itslelf, clean the pot of all pitch.