Sapinette

Yes, another booze recipe. It’s not because we’re alcoholics, but because flavouring alcohol is one of the most gratifying things you can do with wild foods. Infused slowly over weeks or months, a little goes a long way, so you don’t have to decimate whole trees, with a bit of invention you can land on some complex drinks to fill your liqueur cabinet.

You’ll need:

• Young pine needles
• 1lt Armagnac
• Sugar

Sapinette is made in the regions of Jura and Haute Savoie in France. It bears the irresistible scent of pine resin, and while I wouldn’t want to drink it every day, it’s an enjoyable treat to pull off the shelf once or twice a year.

You’ll need about ten sprigs of young pine needles for every litre of Armagnac. These grow from the end of branches, and should be light in colour and supple. Try biting one- if it’s too bitter, it’s too old. *

The rest is very simple. Wash the sprigs, pad them dry and pop them into the Armagnac. Leave the bottle in a cool, dry place for a couple of months, swirling it occasionally. Then pass the Armagnac through muslin, add sugar to taste, and rebottle. You could try using Calvados or Metaxxas instead of Armagnac

* People often mistake yew for a pine, because of its deep colour and blade-like needles. Yew is extremely poisonous! Always use the identification guide to be safe.