Why Are People In Iowa Eating Their Christmas Trees?

If you're low on food in your cabinets and don't feel like making a run to your local Hy-Vee, then I might have found your next gourmet meal.

And the ingredients might still be in your home after the holidays.

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The Christmas season has officially ended and right about now is when you'll see a lot of procrastinators dumping their real Christmas trees in the trash. Could there be another use for them that doesn't take up space in the landfill?

Now it's looking like people have found another way to dispose of their Christmas trees; by eating them.

No, you can't just take a bite out of your tree with all of its ornaments on it, there are a few things you'll have to do first before chowing down.

First off, you can only consume CERTAIN TREES, there are some that are straight up poisonous. And I know I don't need to remind you that eating a plastic tree is a very bad idea as well, but I just wanted to cover all the bases.

Do not do these recipes on the following trees: yew, cypress, and cedars. ALSO make sure there are no pesticide residues on it.

Something that is slowly growing in popularity is the practice of eating the needles on your Christmas tree. The only trees that you can do these recipes with are fir, spruce, and pine, according to experts.

There are plenty of options if you'd like to implement pine needles into your diet. Pine needles can be dried and mixed down to a powder that can be used to add a bit of a citrusy flavor to your dish, according to some cooks.

Another option is a "pine needle salad dressing" where you can infuse the greenery into olive oil. Read the full recipe here.