In spring trees start growing again after winter rest. And trees with leaves start sprout, but spruce start sprout too. You can see light green tips. This is spruce tips and in our country we pick it and put in the sugar or honey and made medicine for hurting throat.
Very important is, that you pick it in dry, sunny weather, because then have more good elements and resins that you help for your throat. And here is recipe for this medicine.
Spruce tips in sugar/honey
You pick up spruce tips in dry, sunny weather. You need glass jar and sugar or honey. Here is pictures for sugar, but with honey is easier.
In the empty, dry jar put a layer of spruce tips, layer of sugar, layer of spruce tips and so on till that glass is full or put 3/4 of jar with spruce tips and full with honey.
You put a full jar on the sun and wait that all sugar melt like month or two. The jar with honey you can't put on sun and it must stay there month or two too, but you daily change orientation (once is on bottom, next day on top (cap).
After month or two or more is finish and you filter it in clean glass.
And use when your throat hurt you one little spoon at time.