Spruce shoots drink

4 dl spruce shoots
8 cups water
1 cup honey
1 spice measure real vanilla powder or 1/2 vanilla pod
1 lemon (juice + zest)
 
Clear the shots so no debris has come with you. Put the shoots in a stainless steel mixing bowl. Bring water to the boil and pour over the spruce shoots. Put down vanilla pod if you use this. Then let pull about 4 hours. Feel free to cover the bowl with a lid.
Then mix in honey lemon juice as well as lemon sest & vanilla powder if you use it.
Strain off the drink (I usually first strain in a fine mesh strainer and then through a linen cloth.)
 
If you want a sweeter drink, you can of course have more honey, if you are diabetic, you can usefully use agave syrup that is said to be better for diabetic options Canderel. If you use Canderel, be sure to use about half the amount of honey and add 1 teaspoon of citric acid for the preservation. Then pour the drink into bottles.
If you are going to drink the amount within 1 month, keep it excellent in the fridge, you want longer, you freeze it. I then use ice cube bags. Easy to push one or two out in a glass.
 
When you then serve the juice, take about half the juice and half the water.
 
A festive option is to frost glass with sugar and salt, i.e. you mix this up to moisten the above edge of the glass and dip in sprinkled. Pours the well-chilled drink. If you want it a bit like a drink, you can usefully put an olive, strawberry or grape on a toothpick. Feel free to throw down any leaf lemon balm or mint.
 
The drink is both good as a meal drink and as a bit more festive drink.