Assemble all the pine bits and bobs in a large saucepan which has a fitting lid.

Add the water, bring to a boil and simmer this, partially covered, for about a half hour.

Switch off the heat, cover tightly, and let this sit overnight.

The next morning, sieve out the pine bits and bobs (save those!), and return the flavored water to the same saucepan, but measure it out in cups.

I am assuming you’ll be left with about 1 cup of liquid, but no worry if it’s more or less. Add the same quantity of sugar in cups, simmer to dissolve and then boil until it starts to thicken a bit. The boil starts to look different—more like a confection where the bubbles hold their shape a little, not like a regular rolling boil where they burst fast and feel wet. There’s probably a candy thermometer reading for this point, but I eyeball it to keep things simple.

Now tip in some of the reserved pine bits and bobs, mix, keep boiling for a few minutes and then turn off the heat.

Allow this mixture to cool, and then bottle.

The added pine bits will improve the flavor of the syrup over time (it mellows and turns a bit less bitter than it may have seemed at the start).

This should keep tightly closed and at cool room temperature for a few months. The pine terpenes pretty much act as a preservative, as does the sugar.

Keep either bowls or small bottles to set the panna cotta ready. If you plan to invert and unmould these to plate, then you should plan to set them in bowls accordingly.

Put 1 cup water in the same sort of saucepan used for the pine syrup, and add the dry agar agar or china grass strands to it. Let this soak for about 15 minutes.

Now gently heat the pan with the water+ agar agar in it, swirling from time to time to help dissolve the strands. Unlike gelatine, agar agar needs to be brought to a rolling boil for a few minutes to “activate” it—otherwise your pudding will not set. So, once the agar agar is on its way to dissolving, bring to a boil.

Tip in the sugar, swirl to incorporate and dissolve, and then continue to boil.

Now in a large mixing bowl, add the additional ½ cup water and cornstarch. Mix well to dissolve and break any lumps.

Measure in the cream (either full fat cow cream or coconut cream or both). Mix well.

Reduce the heat on the stove a little, and pour the cream mixture in, in a steady stream, whisking well all the way.

Continue whisking until the whole mixture comes to a boil. It should have thickened because of the cornstarch addition just a little—should coat the back of a wooden spoon lightly. Switch off the flame.

Transfer carefully to a fridge and chill for at least 2 hours.

To serve, you can decide to invert and unmould or eat directly from the bowls—but don’t forget to drizzle a teaspoon or two of the pine syrup over top, either way.

You and also add one of the sugared pine tips or strobili, which should have opened out as though blooming. They are not themselves edible, but still pack a flavor punch and are fun to suck clean.