How to Chew Spruce and Pine Resin Gum (Complete Beginner’s Guide)
The Alberta Wildcraft Forest Chewing Guide.
Why I Wrote This Guide
I decided to write this complete guide on how to chew spruce and pine resin chewing gum because buying the gum is only the first step—learning how to chew it is the next.
You can’t just pop resin gum in your mouth like bubble gum and expect it to work the same way. People are real people, with real expectations and real questions, and this guide is meant to address those in a fun, honest, and educational way.
Not only do we provide one of Canada’s best sources for natural resin gum, we also aim to be leaders in educating our customers in the art of resin chewing.
Not everyone gets it on the first try.
Some people hesitate to even put it in their mouth.
Others are so excited they chomp down right away—then feel disappointed because it didn’t chew like commercial gum.
I’m here to change that.
I’m here to teach you the true art of chewing natural resin gum—with my experience, real-world tips, and wildcraft tricks to give you the best chewing experience possible.
Some people bite down too fast, spit it out, and think it’s bad. Others learn the process and fall in love. This guide turns first-timers into lifelong chewers.
And one more thing—if you bought resin gum from me or from someone else and you just can’t figure it out, reach out.
This is a traditional skill. I’m genuinely happy to guide you step by step and answer questions. No judgment, no pressure—just message me.
Opening Your Tin (The Forest Moment)
So you bought your gum.
You’re excited.
You pop the lid off the tin and you’re instantly hit with that deep forest scent—pine, spruce, resin, something wild and alive. It smells like sap warming on bark, like hiking through black spruce after rain.
You’re holding a piece of the boreal forest in your hands.
Now let’s turn that into gum.
Step-by-Step: How to Chew Spruce or Pine Resin Gum
1. Choose Your Piece
All pieces are the same, but hand-cut, so sizes vary slightly. Grab a piece and pop it in your mouth—but DO NOT just chomp down.
2. Warm It First (Do Not Chew Yet)
Swirl the piece around your mouth and suck on it like a hard candy. Let the resin flavor coat your tongue.
You can suck on it as long as you want—it won’t melt away.
It will slowly warm and soften slightly.
3. Pick a Chewing Side & Bite Slowly
Choose one side of your mouth and slowly bite down.
Chomping makes pieces fly everywhere.
Shattering is normal and part of the process.
Warming it first and chewing slowly helps minimize the shatter so you don’t lose pieces and everything stays where you want it. The photo below is what the shatter looks like.
4. Let Saliva Do Its Job (This Part Is CRUCIAL)
As you slowly bite down, your mouth will start to fill with saliva.
This is not just normal—this is absolutely necessary.
Resin gum will NOT form if it is dry.
The pieces must be wet with saliva so they can soften, stick, and fold into real gum.
Keep the pieces on one side of your mouth and let them get nice and moist. They should feel slightly sticky and wet—not dry and crumbly.
If you have too much saliva, swallow or gently spit some out so the pieces don’t float around your mouth.
But don’t let them dry out—moist pieces are what allow gum to form.
Wildcraft Tip 🌲
Dry resin = crumbles. Moist resin = gum. Saliva is your secret weapon.
Wildcraft Tip 🌲 (Important for First-Timers)
If you bite down, hate the taste, and spit everything out right away, you’ll likely end up with tiny wet resin bits stuck to your teeth. They won’t be gummy yet—just little sticky fragments that decided to stay behind.If this happens, don’t pick at the pieces. Picking doesn’t work.
Add another piece of gum and let the full process happen without spitting it out so the fragments can gather together and form one cohesive gum wad.
You need the gum to form—that’s the key.
5. Fold the Pieces Into Gum (This Is Where the Magic Happens)
This is where the magic happens.
As you chew slowly, the pieces will start folding into each other. This is how the gum forms into one cohesive piece.
Use your tongue to keep everything on one side of your mouth.
Think of it like this:
Chew and fold.
Chew and fold.
Chew and fold.
Swallow or gently spit out excess saliva so the pieces stay together.
Chew and fold. Chew and fold. Swallow or spit. Repeat.
This process can take 30 seconds to 5 minutes (or longer for first-timers).
This is completely normal. This is an art.
The next photo is what it looks like once you start folding and chewing
6. You Have Gum
If you followed the steps, the pieces will merge into one lump. Keep chewing until it becomes gummy, not sticky.
Now it can move freely in your mouth.
You can stretch it, roll it, and shape it.
You now have real forest gum.
How Long Can One Piece Last?
Real talk: a long time.
I chew my gum daily and often chew the same piece all day or for days. One tin lasts me forever. I also have little wads of gum all over my house—this is truly how resin gum is used.
I’ve stored already-chewed gum for a year with no issues. As long as it’s cool and dry, it doesn’t break down.
Some days I start a fresh piece just because I love the initial resin shatter. That first crunch is iconic—and honestly a little addictive.
How to Revive Dry or Brittle Gum
If your gum gets dry after hours of chewing, don’t toss it.
Coconut Oil Trick
Add a tiny dab of coconut oil and chew it in. It will soften and smooth out.
Lip Balm Trick (My Personal Favorite)
Apply one of my all-natural lip balms, then lick your lips while chewing the gum.
This transfers the natural oils into the gum and revives it while you chew.
Little wildcraft trick of the trade 😉
How Temperature Affects Resin Gum
Resin gum naturally reacts to temperature. This is normal tree sap behavior.
-Cold weather = harder gum
-Warm weather or hot drinks = softer gum
Nothing is wrong—this is just how tree resin behaves.
What If Your Gum Melts in the Tin? (Summer Shipping Tip)
Sometimes in hot summer weather, gum can melt into a solid pool in the tin.
It looks ruined—but it’s actually really cool and totally usable.
Let it cool and harden, then gently tap it with a clean hammer or hard object.
The gum will shatter into usable pieces.
Pick a piece and start chewing again.
Hand-cut pieces are beautiful, but rough shattered gum works just as well.
How to Care for Your Gum Tin
Keep the rim of your tin clean.
Resin dust can collect on the edges and make the tin harder to open.
Wipe the rim occasionally with a dry cloth or tissue.
Why Resin Gum Feels Different Than Store-Bought Gum
Spruce and pine resin gum is raw tree resin.
Commercial gum is made from synthetic rubber and plastics.
That’s why it starts firm, softens with chewing, lasts for days, and reacts to temperature.
You’re chewing something from the forest—not a factory.
What NOT to Do
❌ Don’t chomp like a .gobbstopper
❌ Don’t expect bubble gum.
❌ Don’t swallow all your pieces early.
❌ Don’t give up if the taste surprises you—it mellows.
Dental Caution (Real Talk)
If you have very weak teeth, very old fillings, braces, or dental appliances, use caution or avoid.
I’m missing about 8 teeth and have many composite fillings, and I chew daily with no issues—but everyone is different. Make the choice that’s right for you.
Cold Gum Tip
If your gum arrives cold from the mailbox or post office, let it warm up before chewing. Cold resin is harder to form into gum.
Final Thoughts
Chewing resin gum is an experience.
It’s slow.
It’s intentional.
It’s traditional.
Take your time.
Learn the process.
Enjoy the forest in your mouth.
Why We Teach
We don’t expect anyone to buy resin gum and magically know how to use it. Chewing tree resin is an old, quiet skill—something that was once passed down around campfires and kitchen tables, not through product labels. When people buy from us in person, we take the time to teach, to explain, to check in. This guide is our way of doing the same for our online customers.
Everyone deserves a fair chance to learn this art.
We’ve been sending chewing instruction cards with every order, and they’ve helped so many people have that “aha” moment—but this deeper guide felt like the natural next step. Education is part of the product for us. Teaching is part of the harvest.
And truthfully, we just love sharing this. We love passing on what the forest has taught us, keeping these traditions alive, and helping people experience something real, slow, and rooted in nature.
Need Help? 🌲
If you’re struggling to get your gum to form, reach out anytime. I’m happy to guide you step by step