Spruce gum

[moodnacreek]

So we [or I] have learned about turpentine and the naval stores.  I have wondered about the spruce gum business up in Maine for instance. And does anybody have the recipe for the chewing gum made with spruce gum? I remember L.L.Bean sold it as a novelty.

[SwampDonkey]

Never see it. It was used more as a patching on canoes or as a seem water proofing on birch bark canoes. The oldest birch bark canoe is up here in a museum. What saved it was sitting in another museum for over 100 years and forgotten in Ireland. My grandfather who was a woodsman and a guide all his life, only chewed tobacco in the day. I can guarantee he tried most anything. He used to rub bear grease on his arthritic knees for instance. But that was winter months. As soon as fishing and hunting began for the year, there was no arthritis. :D ;)

[moodnacreek]

Never see it. It was used more as a patching on canoes or as a seem water proofing on birch bark canoes. The oldest birch bark canoe is up here in a museum. What saved it was sitting in another museum for over 100 years and forgotten in Ireland. My grandfather who was a woodsman and a guide all his life, only chewed tobacco in the day. I can guarantee he tried most anything. He used to rub bear grease on his arthritic knees for instance. But that was winter months. As soon as fishing and hunting began for the year, there was no arthritis. :D ;)

I've chewed it raw and man does it stick to your teeth.  They must have patched dug out's with it also. The museum in Boisetown [?] , N.B. had dug out canoe's on display along with all the salmon spearing equipment .

[SwampDonkey]

Yes there was dug outs in the early years, but the most popular after that was the cedar ribbed canvas back canoe. The world famous canvas back canoe was the Chestnut of Fredericton, N.B. I have a Miller canvas back made in Nictau along the Tobique River, another famous salmon river.

The salmon museum is in Doaktown.

[sprucebunny]

They used to sell spruce gum chewing gum at the "Deerskin Trading Post" near where I grew up. Loved it ! I think it needs to have corn starch or something mixed with it to be chewing gum. Just a WAG  :D

A link... https://northernwoodlands.org/knots_and_bolts/remembering-spruce-gum

Found several utubes but they are all over 12 minutes.

[47sawdust]

I live in Vermont and have used spruce gum from trees on our land.
It's been a while,but I think it was best in the spring from a fresh "boil" on the tree.

[moodnacreek]

They used to sell spruce gum chewing gum at the "Deerskin Trading Post" near where I grew up. Loved it ! I think it needs to have corn starch or something mixed with it to be chewing gum. Just a WAG  :D

A link... https://northernwoodlands.org/knots_and_bolts/remembering-spruce-gum

Found several utubes but they are all over 12 minutes.

That link was interesting, thankyou.

[SwampDonkey]

There is a cough syrup up here that is still made with balsam fir resin (Canada balsam) and pine needle oil. Buckley's Mixture. Yep, you can still buy it at any drug store around here. ;)

balsam fir resin does not yellow with UV exposure.

[Southside]

Personally prefer Yellow Birch buds in late winter / very early spring, goes great with Maple Taffy and snow, only the Birch should be of the yellow type.  ;D

[moodnacreek]

Personally prefer Yellow Birch buds in late winter / very early spring, goes great with Maple Taffy and snow, only the Birch should be of the yellow type.  ;D

Yellow birch in VA.? Around here they are almost rare and can only be found at higher elevations . Only once have I sawed one. That's interesting, would have expected black birch with it's wintergreen smell to be wanted. I have to remember this as we hike the mt. here late winter before the crowds.