Making Spruce Tree Syrup and Waffles in the Mountains - Cooking with Alex Ep4

[@just_alex]

I'm so dumb I didn't even give you feedback on how the spruce syrup tasted... so here goes my best description... The syrup tasted nutty (I think from the caramelisation) the spruce needles made it slightly acidic and tangy. You know the smell that fills the room when you get your Christmas tree inside? Try to imagine that as a taste in your mouth... Oh dear, I need to get a proper food person to taste and describe my dishes for me! Anyway... Thanks for watching!

[@parklandpiker]

I recon it tasted fantastic,might even give it a go ...

[@virginiaroberts3367]

No you're not dumb. You taught us how to prepare spruce tree syrup. Probably some of us had never heard of spruce tree syrup. You're getting this cooking down to a fine art. The dish was a beautiful presentation. Thanks for the learning experience.

[@kieranarcher3601]

🤣👌

[@jacobymf2190]

Do you use an account called inbox me?

[@kieranarcher3601]

@@jacobymf2190 it’s a scammer , if u click on it , it has no subscribers , just block them mate

[@Foodiechef1235]

The one thing I’ve gotten out of your videos Alex is the happiness you exude. As a grandmother, it makes my heart proud to see you living your best life. Thank you. So proud of your accomplishments. Breakfast was a huge success. Because of you, I learned how to make spruce syrup. Who would have imagined!

[@just_alex]

Thank you. Happy to read this :)

[@Foodiechef1235]

Alex, I was wondering if you are selling your honey yet? I’m in Dallas Texas and would be willing to send Texas items. Thanks.

[@toughluck8012]

Wholesome

[@floppysquid2036]

He really is a wholesome, great guy

[@TheVeganVicar]

@@just_alex, are you considering becoming a compassionate VEGAN?

[@doodmayne7535]

Im born and raised in Alaska, there is nothing like being in nature/ the wild. Literally nothing heals or fulfills the soul like being in beautiful nature.

[@anugerahhakimi]

Hey Alex , im a 23 y/o dude and watching your videos gives me hope of where one day i will be able to travel to forest and mountains like those !

[@connienana1623]

Hi Alex, I enjoy your videos so much. The fun, the learning and excitement of your exploring is awesome! I’m an old grandma and wish I could’ve explored life as you are doing. Keep going and enjoy!

[@LittleCabinintheYukon]

In the forest around our cabin we primarily have White Spruce. This year we noticed the tops of the spruce trees super loaded with cones. The squirrels have had no problem gathering their winter feed this year! As a kid, I used to help my granny make toffee using the same sugar-water method you used for your syrup. We added vanilla rather than spruce needles though. lol! Your waffle iron, I believe, was designed to use on a wood cookstove like you have there in the cabin. Back in the day. the round stove cover in the tops of the wood cookstoves were removed and the pot, waffle iron, frying pan, was placed directly over the fire. It allowed whatever you were cooking to have a higher heat. I have one quite like yours that I use on. my wood cookstove.

[@FishingAroundBudleigh]

So much content. You need to live there forever. So productive!

[@just_alex]

Haha yeah. No distractions here in the mountains!

[@FishingAroundBudleigh]

@@just_alex exactly! Full focus on videos. Must be lovely. But hard at the same time. Are you ok on your own still?

[@FishingAroundBudleigh]

@@just_alex Have you seen the scam account replying to your replies? I have reported 10 times. Hopefully they leave this channel alone!

[@Jarsin09RC]

Two videos in two days I’m loving this content, I honestly don’t know how you haven’t got a million subs already but I know it’s coming already!

[@b.worthi1555]

Thank you for making the spruce syrup. I loved watching the foraging for the spruce needles - that looks fun.

[@josefamilia3558]

Keep going you have got something special in you ❤

[@ringerheringa3052]

Another half hour very well spent! Fantastic video as always, Alex! A big THUMBS UP!

[@just_alex]

Thanks!

[@sarahp1383]

Beautifully explained the different stages of caramelization, and the difference that toasted almonds can make to any dish. Loved watching the runny spruce -infused caramel syrup coating the banana chunks and drizzled over the golden brown waffles. Indeed there can be nothing more cheery than making this very satisfying breakfast inside a cost hut, while outside it is freezing cold. Thank you for a very informative and enjoyable video.

[@just_alex]

Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed! :)

[@lelandpeck4585]

That was amazing, Alex. Very interesting how you collected the spruce branches and ended up with Spruce syrup. Your waffles looked delicious. Made my mouth water just watching you eat. Thanks for sharing.

[@just_alex]

Thanks for watching! :)

[@katerachel-boslem3153]

Another FANTASTIC Video Alex...as a Teacher I'm very impressed by the way you explain things such as the chewy sweet which has more water in it than hard caramel which has very little water. A great but simple explanation. YOU are doing a great job and I hope your Mum & Dad are SUPER PROUD of YOU🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲

[@just_alex]

Thank you! Happy to hear that from a teacher!

[@katerachel-boslem3153]

I don't know how to inbox you on telegram...apologies

[@erinreiss9507]

Greetings from California, USA. Thanks for the videos! Keep up the great work.

[@kerrkristie]

As always, best partis feeling your joy on doing it 💕 thank you for beeing you

[@hnm9678]

Chill the bananas first so the syrup hardens right away. Also make sure the bananas are submerged when coating. I will make them myself soon.

[@Mariec-e3h]

That place is so peaceful, I love choices of your travel thank you ❤

[@joaofonseca5770]

Just amazing as always!! Keep inspiring all of us to get out of our comfort zone and truly live mate!!

[@just_alex]

Thanks João :)

[@rose-maryvictory8560]

You are absolutely brilliant Alex, we just love watching you! Keep going!! xx

[@just_alex]

Thank you!

[@IntrinsicPalomides]

You're making me hungry Alex! :) Thanks for another great upload, it looks amazing out there.

[@rebeccazahn5299]

I love your exploration of so many things, and your learning of the scientific details about those things. Thanks for sharing. ❤

[@kieranarcher3601]

That first attempt at making the waffles 🧇 had me crying 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@just_alex]

😂 it was a disaster haha

[@mecker]

Me too 😅😅 so funny - would look the same with me though 🙈

[@kieranarcher3601]

@officialjustalex. go away scammer ! Pri@k 🤛

[@TheNails3]

Absolutely loved this... your videos are wonderful, and the way you decorated the dish at the end was so lovely

[@rickyjessome4359]

Great video Alex. Spruce syrup is really good. And the smell of it being boiled is amazing. I remember growing up my best friends father had peppermint spruce trees growing. And every Christmas his mother would put a big pot of needles on and boil them. Thanks for the great video Alex. Cheers 🍻

[@TheJimcrooks800]

The spruce syrup turned out really well - as diid your latter waffles. Good way to fill some time - experimenting with sweet food to eat. The caramel-coated bananas looked great too Alex. Enjoy your culinary excursions!

[@veironik9]

Being more of a mountain person, I find that mountain forests are probably the most beautiful places on Earth. I can’t wait to go hiking next summer. I really enjoyed this episode and I will definitely try making this syrup in the future! The food looked really delicious and you did a really great job with the thumbnail. Breathtaking view…🏔❤

[@mairaa9184]

As a villager in Malaysia, foraging food in the forest is one of my favorite too. Sometime I just got caried away...resulting to retun home quite late and exhausted....and also almost starving. The best part of your videos are the foraging in the forest. And you also have a great sense of humor. Love it.♥️👍

[@just_alex]

Thanks! Yes foraging can pass time so easily, it's so much fun! Happy to hear you enjoy the videos!

[@baldvale5418]

I can see your being a Chef at this rate Alex, your attitude, the way you look at food is very creative & thought provoking. Suggestion for your next cook up just look in the Barn next door ; ) All the best.

[@RyanJudd-es5qw]

quick id for spruce....the needles are square in cross section and will roll between your fingers easily. Fir are flat and sort of "winged" and don't roll easily. Try it and it will make more sense.

[@odilegabayengel4192]

That was looking yummy ! I need to try this spruce tree syrup one day, looks appealing to me. And of course, now I am hungry ! Thanks Alex for sharing !

[@beautylovewisdom8032]

Love trees, love green, love mountains! Going to make these for my husband's birthday - he loves waffles. I'll add blueberries. I've watched two of your videos and subscribed. Keep it up!!🏵

[@just_alex]

Thanks! Hope you enjoy it! :)

[@emiliagonzalez5622]

amo cada uno de tus videos Alex, me inspiran y me hacen muy feliz, es increíble como con cada uno de ellos aprendo cosas muy interesantes

[@ms.farmgirl]

Alex,, Happy your throat is sounding better. You are such an inspiration [Mentor] for others to get motivated into pushing themselves into other possibilities. Well done!! Your calendar says you are on day 15. The halfway mark. And you survived just fine without Carl.. lol. Also,, you can make Almond Syrup the same way, but replace the spruce stems with almonds. IT's even better if you add a splash of vanilla extract in! I love it in coffee! Thank you for the video!! Bless!

[@just_alex]

Yeah it’s a lot better after a regular dose of lemon and honey water. :) Interesting! Will have to try almond syrup!

[@MNIU_]

I’ve been cooking since I was 5 and it’s absolutely hilarious hearing you say “ apparently it’s called caramelization” and how astounded you were 😂 I never realized how technical cooki was until I met someone who literally didn’t know how to cook and I tried to explain to them how to boil water to boil eggs As an fyi to make soft caramel you would need is caramelization but more of a candy type your final product looks good , I’ve never thought about making an actual syrup for waffles but have thought about making a simple syrup.. I can cook but baking, candy making and pastries grilling, fermenting, dehydrating , preserving …. I’ve mastered stovetop cooking I’m working on preserving now so I can know how to preserve harvests when I get into gardening (which is how I came by your video)

[@ruchiramunjal6061]

Amazing Vlog !! Great Valuable Information Shared Alex .

[@trevorcornes1056]

Looks lovely Alex . Very nice 👍

[@deividas_kimontas]

Stunning location! Great content Alex! 👌

[@dale918]

Loving your videos mate, living the life I've always wanted ❤

[@carlos.8569]

I’m loving your videos, thank you for sharing your life with us.

[@just_alex]

Thanks for watching!

[@marialorenavillanueva5342]

Oh wow..love..love the video!

[@benmccaskey3940]

Let the caramel go hard and then blend it to a dust, then keep it air/moisture tight. When you need it dip the bananas in and blowtorch them to caramelise… this will be the best way for even caramelisation

[@lucyjones9350]

Great video as always Alex!

[@MatejKavcic17]

Oh tasting batter with a finger before baking something, espacially for Muffins with chocolate so tasty

[@rimajaro]

I love how you are so open to trying new things. Have you ever tried making aebelskivers? They are little Danish pancake balls. Very tasty, yum!

[@just_alex]

No never tried them! Will have to though!

[@mercury6434]

I love this, I wanna try and make this syrup. Nice!

[@jamesatkinsfishing]

well done Alex another brilliant video, Thank you 👍👍

[@just_alex]

Thanks for watching :)

[@mariesheppard3750]

Wow great waffles and syrup looked good enought to eat LOL

[@cjshake]

Wow very fascinating! I may have to give this a try!

[@Nitzagoat]

can you do a video about blueberris and what plants you need to plant that are good for beekiping ?

[@mairaa9184]

Very enjoyable one. The crunchiness sound of the caramelized banana you made is tantalizing....yummy! Got to try it. Btw, I am watching from Malaysia.😍

[@just_alex]

Thanks!

[@anitaschneider1704]

Hi from Canada .....would love to see u try Crab stuffed mushroom caps Alex

[@just_alex]

This sounds good! 😊

[@ChrisRobins-c6f]

Loved this video, so interesting.

[@Kpelk69]

Great job Alex... Love your videos. From My Dora, Florida

[@amdo5873]

How about some winter mushrooms,e.g. Oyster mushroom, Enoki and wood ear. Though they grow on other trees like Beech,Wicker or Elder not on spruce.

[@egg750]

You got me on the munchies now 😋 nice one Alex....wish I was there !!!!! Keep up the good work my friend

[@TT-id3dp]

loving the hut!

[@tedpreston4155]

Mmmm. Now you're making me want to try toasted almonds, coated in spruce caramel. I'm thankful to have a spruce tree right outside the door! Off to the kitchen! I've seen many recipes using spruce needles, including ale, which is delicious. Oddly, I've never seen any recipes using fir needles. Now I'm curious whether fir tastes bad. Both fir and spruce grow in our local forests, often side by side. The easiest way to distinguish them is by grabbing a branch, and pulling toward the tips. The feel is very different: spruce needles are both pointy and stiff, while fir needles are very soft and less prickly. Here's a suggestion for coating your bananas with caramel: oil a plate, and then pour a thin coating of hot caramel onto the plate, then set the banana slices into the caramel. Now, pour more hot caramel from the pan on top of the bananas to cover them, so that the caramel runs over the top and pours down over the sides of each banana slice. Place the plate in the freezer briefly until the caramel hardens and becomes brittle. When it cools, you can break the pieces apart, and save any bits of the caramel that break free from the bananas. These bits of broken caramel will make a nice addition of both flavor and texture when sprinkled over your waffles, and many other foods as well.

[@halfdan2592]

Hi Just tried to make the sirup. Tasted so great!! Thanks for the recipe.

[@alanhougham4068]

So much waffle! 😂 Absolutely brilliant Alex. Great content. 👍

[@keithlaurence7402]

I'm sitting up in bed watching this and I'm hungry now. 😲 Definitely going to try the syrup. Fingers crossed I don't get arrested for cutting the tips off of the Christmas trees in my local garden centre. 😂😂😂 Warning: Caramelised sugar it extremely hot!!! If you lick the spoon after stirring it it will take the skin off your tongue (I've done it 😱) and it sticks like glue. Nasty stuff until it cools down. In fact, anything with molten sugar in it. Jam making is the same.

[@boredommemes8981]

Love this kinda vids bro keep doing this :))

[@sunnyrivers]

Enjoyed this Alex‼️🧇🌲

[@ChefsPinch]

"let's make another one'" 😂 keep up the great work :)

[@mrgrumpy70]

Love the freestyle. No cream or ice-cream? Edit: Suggestion is you hunt, skin and cook a rabbit/pigeon/hare etc.

[@learnalwaysstayhumble7354]

You can eat yew berries, but NOT the pip inside them. They are delicious, just spit the pip. Yew foliage becomes more poisonous once cut! (I don't recommend eating straight from the tree, or trimmings! Just a fun fact.)

[@nonsense9202]

Looks a little bit better than the last concoction!.🤣🤣

[@nataliamodiodio]

its so funny to see you walk through all these short doorways all the time 😂

[@rebeccadefiesta513]

I'm not just having fun watching it I learned something new at the same time ☺️ .showed how you making waffles I believe the saying try and try and yeah you see how far you get🤣 perfect waffle 😍😋

[@tomc6003]

Very very good, enjoyed this one and made me very hungry. I think you should try a slow cook in the oven inside, don't get it too hot. Do a nice stew or something, or a big bit of meat finished over coals.

[@marijnb2559]

I would like to suggest some kind of local wild game for a future cooking vid:) Love these series👌🙂

[@christopherjames2825]

Great video Alex ❤

[@jeramie5669]

Well done👌. Another productive day.

[@jeramie5669]

Try cooking beef/chicken stew. Something that will warm you up😊

[@ihvegreynwhitematter]

Happiness when you upload often 🌲🌲🌲

[@TLFaun]

'This white sugar ... Tastes like sugar.' - Alex 2022

[@just_alex]

Think before you speak Alex 😂

[@sylviapenner8947]

Great video. Just a suggestion to try. If you separate your eggs and fold in the whites at the end it should make the waffles lighter and fluffier.

[@just_alex]

Thanks :)

[@kerrkristie]

"In an angle, is kind of artistic" - the description of my life😅

[@magnusmagen4658]

i love your style of vlogs

[@guttersnipe3246]

That's such a beautiful place coming back to live in the UK is going to be such a struggle possibly 😫 anyway keep up the great work 👏

[@jaynedavis3388]

Stick a toothpick in each segment of banana before dipping. My mum used to make toffee caramel 😋

[@matiasleppanen6856]

Really love watching ur videos!

[@liamburnes845]

Great watch as always 👌

[@just_alex]

Cheers Liam!

[@marklilly1877]

Hi Alex, I would like to see you cooking jacket potatoes in the wood burner I have one and I struggle to cook them cheers mate take care ,

[@FishingwithRod]

Usually we harvest the spruce tips in the spring for the syrup here. Kitty actually has done a video on it kzbin.info/www/bejne/sJPVqpx5otRpi7M

[@just_alex]

Oh nice. I will check that out! :)

[@garulusglandarius6126]

Excellent 👍👍

[@hempseedaddict]

Suddenly reminded of Calvin's magic discovery of putting bread into a slot and pulling out toast...

[@leiaalegado4720]

❤❤❤❤ i love your breakfast.alex

[@sherg22]

Would like to see you cook with the chef again but with you both trying to find food and then going from there. Fantastic watch again

[@trojanuk45]

Quality vid Alex ,im no chef but i do like to try ,maybe give brown sugar a go as that has a flavour before heated up so be interesting.

[@Jennifer-ep1sr]

Great video again. My husband says you should cook a wild boar, ha ha! 😄💕🇦🇺

[@just_alex]

Oh wild boar is amazing. I actually nearly hit one the other week in France on the road so I nearly had a hog roast!

[@guttersnipe3246]

Add butter and cream to your melted sugar and you have a sauce to die for

[@Francois_Dupont]

Sucre en Creme?

[@fishingbrigade]

for the next cooking .... Kaiserschmarn :-)

[@tommmmmmmmmmmmmm]

Hey Alex, me and my girlfriend love watching your videos, you make us laugh and smile all the time. Suggestions on what to cook: A wood fired pizza from scratch like you did in Italy or a spaghetti carbonara! Keep up the content man!

[@just_alex]

Happy to hear that! I'll definitely try pizza again! :)

[@tommmmmmmmmmmmmm]

@@just_alex We love your videos, they were some of the inspiration in buying our own VW Caddy and doing it out into a camper. Maybe one day we'll see you around when we're both on adventures! Keep safe!

[@emmanuelola59]

Lovely content as always ❤️

[@foxfod80]

To it or to it not, there is no try. Some wise (Green) man said. I think you doing great alex!

[@enricolovadina3560]

Very interesting , love you video ..

[@leanneorr4943]

Hi Alex, how did you find the cabin and decide it was right?? There's so many sites to use. Btw love your van conversion videos too Xx

[@alanday5255]

If you also get the new baby tips, you can make a fun tea.

[@dale918]

Toss the bananas in the caramel and drain the excess on a wire rack 👌

[@sturoe7361]

Not sure if any pine will do, but you should try pine needle tea,