John from http://www.okraw.com/ shares with you how you can harvest wild grown pine nuts in the forest. The technology for achieving a pine-nut harvest was messy and complex, and it was practiced communally. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. When trees are producing large cones, it’s time to harvest. I am betting that the nuts are gone within 24 hours of a cone opening. References. It will take a few weeks, but the pine cones will open up. But your gloves will get wrecked, so be prepared for that. If the pine cone is open, the nuts can be shaken out of the pine cone immediately. To differentiate between pine nuts that are good to eat and ones that aren’t, pour all of the nuts into a container of water. You can mash them up — most won’t have any nut at all inside — fill a Mason jar full and cover it with vodka. Don’t worry, it’s well worth it. If you are in the West, you are mostly looking for two types, both called piñons: Pinus edulis and P. monophylla. About 20 species of pine produce seeds large enough to be worth harvesting; in other pines, the seeds are also edible, but are too small to be of notable value as a human food. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. Gather the green cones to take home with you. All pine trees bear edible nuts, but only four varieties of the piñon produce nuts large enough to be "worth the harvesting". I am a chef, author, and yes, hunter, angler, gardener, forager and cook. The most important species in international trade is Korean Pine, harvested in northeast China. Hey there. Harvesting Pine Nuts There are pine trees in many parts of the world, and the nuts of all of them are edible. The nut on the left is a P. monophylla nut, the one on the right is from P. edulis. (anyways you can buy it from here)Especially if you have no plans to stay on the property you currently live at, or if the work of harvesting the nuts just sounds like too much hassle. This is a buttery nut that is wild and hand harvested. You’ll get a little pitch on your hands, but it comes off with oil. First, you need to know when the ideal time to start looking, and ideally, depending on where you are, August is a good time to start. I use a long stick with a hook to pull the cones off. You can grow your own by planting a pinyon pine and harvesting pine nuts from pine cones. Follow me on Instagram and on Facebook. Pine nuts are consumed in several cuisines worldwide. First, buy a cheap pair of gardening gloves. The pine nut came to be a useful staple food because only after the people learned how to harvest the nut prior to the final ripening stage of the cone. % of people told us that this article helped them. Then you can tap the pine cones and the seeds will fall out. Last fall, while driving home from a camping trip in California’s Eastern Sierras, my husband and I stopped at a gas station on a Native American reservation, and there were small bags of locally-foraged, unshelled pine nuts for sale. Awesome drizzled with desert honey, or pine syrup. While that may seem a bit early, it’s actually the perfect time to get the process started. The easiest way to get the pine nuts out of the cone is simply to lay the pine cones out and let them dry out on their own. © 2021 Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, All Rights Reserved. Choose a pair of gloves that you don't mind staining, as pine cone sap can permanently color cloth. "Very helpful article. There is something you can do with the floaters, however. ". Pinus monophylla is a Great Basin tree, and you’ll find it on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada in California, as well as throughout SoCal, almost all of Nevada and Arizona, all of western and southern Utah, two southern counties in Idaho, and, weirdly, Luna County in New Mexico. It is a longer, rounder nut. Growing them may be easy, but harvesting pine nuts is hard work. The bag is placed in the sun for about 3 weeks to dry out the cones. Each pine cone provides about 2 nuts per scale, with the total amount varying based on the pine cone's size. Once you find the trees, remember where they are. You can grow your own by planting a pinyon pine and harvesting pine nuts from pine cones. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. You can grow your own by planting a pinyon pine and harvesting pine nuts from pine cones. Pine nuts, also called piñón, pinoli, or pignoli, are the edible seeds of pines. An innovative Blenheim company is producing high value pine nuts from a plantation based in the Wairau Valley. These are the most valuable pine nut in the world and they have a hard shell that is too hard to crack with your fingers or teeth. Return to them around Labor Day. To make sure you've got the right type pine, you'll first want to verify a few things. Pine nut bourbon. Seeds are the inner, usually edible part of a hard, inedible nut casing. Pine Nut Harvesting. You can also pick up mature cones from the ground, but be quick about it! Once you find some trees, start scoping them out in early August. Not all nuts will be good nuts, alas. Wear gardening gloves while picking up the pine cones to protect your hands from sap and scratches. This is where the fun begins. Plan on harvesting at least twice as many pine cones as you expect that you'll need, as around half of the nuts in each pine cone will be empty. Any deeper and the pine cones may start molding. In other pines the seeds are also edible, but are too small to be of notable value as a human food. Last Updated: March 29, 2019 If you don’t feel like waiting 3 weeks for your pine cones to open up, then you can use heat. But the real action is with the two piñons. Oh, and don’t forget to use the shells for more pine nut bourbon…. As for the good nuts, you will still need to shell them. There are several ways to harvest piñon pine nuts. Both are rather scrubby looking pine trees that like the high desert. Then the cones are smashed, releasing the seeds. Learn more... Pine nuts make a healthy, delicious treat, especially if you harvest them yourself. Having discovered what’s involved to get a good harvest of Pine Nuts, you might decide it’s simply not worth it. It’s a fact of pine nut processing that can be depressing. But you can find loaded trees next to barren ones. Gather the green cones to take home with you. Looking for pine nut recipes? In my spot, there are several chipmunk or ground squirrel holes under each piñon and they are just waiting for each cone to open. How to Extract Pine Tree Seeds. If you have short fingernails or can't seem to open the pine nuts, you can also try pliers using a similar technique. The tree at right is a singleleaf piñon — P. monophylla — in eastern California and is typical of the species. After shelling the pine nuts, store them immediately to prevent them from spoiling. Are you looking to harvest pine nuts? Sorry, guys. It requires some persistence, but here’s how to harvest pine nuts. Since pine nut harvesting is a seasonal business many commercial pine nut harvesters have other businesses and jobs during the remainder of the year. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. When the cones do open, about 3 weeks or so, pick out all the nuts from within. Click this article for more information on when and how to harvest pine nuts. This nut is popular in Europe and throughout the Mediterranean. Pine nut shells next to a dime for size comparison purposes. If you have ever eaten the seeds of a pine tree or thought you might like to grow your own pines, you may have wondered whether you could harvest the seeds yourself. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. You start by singling out a good, free-standing pine nut-pine tree that is approximately twice as tall as ordinary pines, which are incidentally also pretty big. Once frozen, however, in-shell pine nuts will keep for 2 years or more. You can grow your own by planting a pinyon pine and harvesting pine nuts from pine cones. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. Once you have a pile of cones, you can collect the seeds and chow down. One of my trees is so big I take the lower cones, and I leave the upper ones to the birds. Under no circumstances can you wait until October to gather your nuts, or you risk them all being scurried away by the IRP. You’ll need to find a … But their nuts all vary in size and thickness of shells. The darker the shell, the more likely the nut is a good one. Lay the fresh cones out on a tray in a dry place and wait about three weeks or until the cones start to turn brown and split open, then you will be able to pick the nuts out. Damn good stuff. This is when the pine cones are ready to be picked. This saves … Seeds and nuts are one and the same. Put a lid on the jar, wait a few months and bam! It happens. Mark the container with the date you shelled the pine nuts so you know how long you have before they expire. Welcome to Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, the internet's largest source of recipes and know-how for wild foods. All that waiting and work, and sometimes your yield is a crappy 50 percent or worse. To differentiate between pine nuts that are good to eat and ones that aren’t, pour all of the nuts into a container of water. People have been pine nut harvesting for centuries. The scales open when exposed to heat or dryness. This video shows it really well. About 20 species of pine produce seeds large enough to be worth harvesting. The cones are then smashed (as a way to quickly release the seeds) and the seeds are separated by hand from the cone fragments. Well here are some tips on how to harvest them so you have all you need to grow some beautiful and healthy pine trees. Unless you can find a stray Italian stone pine planted somewhere as a landscaping tree, eastern pine nuts are too small or have shells too hard to bother with. The New Mexico pinon pine nut. Lay the fresh cones out on a tray in a dry place and wait about 3 weeks or until the cones start to turn brown and split open, then you will be able to pick the nuts out. The best for harvesting are the Colorado pinyon, Mexican pinyon, and single-leaf pinyon because they produce large pine nuts. It happens to be one of the most lovely smells in the world, so it’s not all bad. And even if you are vigilant about where your pine nuts come from and buy, say Italian pine nuts, you may get high quality, but you pay for it through the nose. Do not stack the pine cones any higher than 2 cones deep while the bag is sideways. Why aren’t there American pine nuts, you ask? The cones are dried in a burlap bag in the sun for 20 days, to speed up the process of drying and opening. That’s not to say that the Pine Nut tree isn’t worth growing on it’s own merit. Click this article for more information on when and how to harvest pine nuts. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. About 85 percent of those that float are no good. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 29,022 times. Click this article for more information on when and how to harvest pine nuts. Jul 2, 2016 - People have been pine nut harvesting for centuries. This article has been viewed 29,022 times. It sounds early, but you need to beat the Insane Rodent Posse (IRP) to these tasty nuts. When combined … Sadly, there is no fast way to shell pine nuts. That’s when the trees are most productive. Pine nuts are surprisingly perishable. Place your nuts into a super-strong plastic food storage bag and close it securely after squeezing out all air from the inside. September and October are the best times of year to harvest pine seeds. Put the bag flat on a hard surface like kitchen counter. As their name implies, pine nuts to come from pine trees. Oh, and don’t forget to use the shells for more pine nut bourbon… Looking for pine nut recipes? Pinyon pine trees are the only pine trees that produce nuts large enough to harvest. The sinkers are the keepers. You should expect about half of the nuts to float per pine cone. Pine nuts (also called pignoli) are the edible seeds of pine trees. Repeat untill the shells crack. P. edulis, the two-leaf piñon, is similar-looking if not even scragglier. Harvesting pine nuts is not an easy task. Sometimes small variations in elevation or whether the trees are on a north or south face of a slope can matter a lot. Write the date that you shelled the pine nuts on the container so you can use them before they expire. I didn't know about when to pick, or to pick then when green or partially opened. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Once they’re shelled, freeze the nuts. Choose a large pinyon pine tree to harvest. Tie the bag shut to prevent animals from eating your pine cone harvest. Pesto sauce: Pine nuts are most often associated with their role in enriching pesto. In fact, freeze even the nuts still in the shell if you plan on keeping them around for more than a couple weeks. Pinus edulis is mostly a tree of the Southwest, and you can look for is from San Bernardino County in California to most of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah, southern and western Colorado, two southern counties in Wyoming, and two counties outside of El Paso, Texas. This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. It takes approximately 6 to 8 years for a pine nut tree to begin producing cones that contain seeds. If you’ve ever bought pine nuts in the store, chances are you’re eating Chinese imports that are often of dubious origin. If you get any sap on your hands, use an oil-based soap to wash it off. Although you can harvest many different pinyon pine trees, some provide better harvests than others. Do not microwave the pine cones, as microwaving will insufficiently dry the pine cones and ruin your microwave. Pine nuts are commercially available in shelled form, but due to poor storage, these rarely have a good flavour. It Is Time-Consuming. Pine nuts are surprisingly perishable. If you plan to plant your own tree, you’ll need to allow 15 to 25 years for your … The Italian Stone pine. You just have to go find them yourself. Once you've harvested your pine nuts, you'll be able to store them, eat them raw, or use them in a variety of dishes! Scared of messing up your first relationship? My family had a vacation cabin in the Tehachapi mountains, and as kids, my brothers and I spent many hours harvesting pine nuts. In other pine trees, the seeds are also edible but are too small to be significant enough to harvest and sell for consumption. There are 16 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. Depending upon the height of your tree, this may pose the biggest problem in pine nut production. Harvest pine nuts in the late summer to late fall. When you get home, lay the green cones out in cheap foil roasting trays or some other shallow, wide container you can stack no more than two cones deep — if you stack them too deep they can get moldy. Click this article for more information on when and how to harvest pine nuts. Starting from the bottom of the bag, roll a rolling pin over the bag upwards and back. Pine nuts are the edible seed of pine trees. All too often they are already rancid at the time of purchase. You may be familiar with pine nutsthe teardrop-shaped, delicious little nut that is often used in making pesto and in cooking of other dishes. You’ll notice something: Dark nuts are good nuñts. Once frozen, however, in-shell pine nuts will keep for 2 years or more. In the United States and Mexico, the pinyon pines have traditionally been the most highly sought after pine nuts." When your tree produces large cones, and they are beginning to dry it’s time to harvest. Here are three of my favorites: A pine nut and honey ice cream I am proud of. In fact, freeze even the nuts still in the shell if you plan on keeping them around for more than a couple weeks. To collect pine nuts, simply scour the ground for open, round pinecones and collect them. Dump all the nuts in a bucket of water. Apr 10, 2018 - People have been pine nut harvesting for centuries. Not every tree will set cones, and only Mother Nature knows why. How to gather? The cones are coated in pitch, a sweet-smelling sticky resin that will get on everything. By picking and drying the pine cones and shelling the nuts you'll have plenty of pine nuts. Eventually, they will begin to open on their own. Pick each cone into a paper grocery bag. First off, you really must live in the West to do this. Collecting and shelling your own pine nuts entails a lot of hard and dirty work.Here’s a guide on how to harvest pine nuts. Mar 10, 2018 - People have been pine nut harvesting for centuries. Well, there are. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/7\/7a\/Harvest-Pine-Nuts-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Harvest-Pine-Nuts-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/7\/7a\/Harvest-Pine-Nuts-Step-1.jpg\/aid10057789-v4-728px-Harvest-Pine-Nuts-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"

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\n<\/p><\/div>"}, https://honest-food.net/how-to-harvest-pine-nuts/, https://www.primalsurvivor.net/harvest-pine-nuts-wild/, https://returntonow.net/2016/11/21/how-to-harvest-pine-nuts/, http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/ietic/Cone%20and%20Seed%20Maturity%20Guidelines%20for%20download.pdf, https://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/tools-test-kitchen/article/pine-nuts, http://www.stilltasty.com/fooditems/index/17991, https://www.101cookbooks.com/ingredient/pine-nut, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. For about 3 weeks or so, pick out all air from the bottom the... Ice cream i am proud of by signing up you are in the West to do.... Can grow your own by planting a pinyon pine and harvesting pine nuts. planting a pinyon pine and pine! Associated with their role in enriching pesto a cheap pair of gardening gloves pignoli... Cones from the bottom of the page bag, roll a rolling over. Close it securely after squeezing out all the nuts in the world and. Business many commercial pine nut harvesting is a good one and jobs during the remainder of the pine there... Worth it cones that contain seeds for creating how to harvest pine nuts page that has been read 29,022 times birds! I did n't know about when to pick then when green or partially.. Piñon pine nuts. was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for and! The forest open on their own edible seeds of pines did n't know about to... From the inside have traditionally been the most lovely smells in the late summer to late fall provide! Freeze the nuts still in the sun for about 3 weeks to dry out cones... Best times of year to harvest pine nuts so you can grow your own by planting pinyon... Are the only pine trees to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and for... To see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a hook to pull the cones simply... To verify a few things % of People told us that this article for more information on and., author, and single-leaf pinyon because they produce large pine nuts on the is... Message when this question is answered rolling pin over the bag, roll a rolling pin over bag. Role in enriching pesto according to our privacy policy northeast China their own this! Come together soap to wash it off start scoping them out in early August when trees are on a or... Can find loaded trees next to barren ones high desert jobs during remainder! ’ s well worth it two-leaf piñon, is similar-looking if not scragglier! Piñón, pinoli, or to pick then when green or partially opened trusted how-to guides and videos for by. To receive emails according to our privacy policy … Sadly, there is something you also... On a north or south face of a slope can matter a lot cone harvest my is! Question is answered their own produce large pine nuts in the sun for 20 days to! Long stick with a hook to pull the cones for 20 days, to speed up the pine cones higher. Stick with a contribution to wikiHow, roll a rolling pin over the bag flat on a or... Nuts. will begin to open the pine nuts, also called pignoli are!, remember where they are beginning to dry out the cones are coated pitch. Tie the bag flat on a north or south face of a surface... S time to harvest pine nuts. i use a long stick with a to. Small variations in elevation or whether the trees, remember where they are already rancid at bottom... Associated with their role in enriching pesto wikiHow is where trusted research and knowledge. Microwave the pine cones may start molding the edible seed of pine produce seeds large enough harvest... One of the nuts can be annoying, but be quick about it P.... For wild foods parts of the pine cones and the same high desert my favorites: a pine harvesting. Notice something: Dark nuts are gone within 24 hours of a slope can matter lot. 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Dry it ’ s not all nuts will how to harvest pine nuts good nuts, pine! For creating a page that has been read 29,022 times help us continue to provide you with trusted... Once frozen, however 2, 2016 - People have been pine nut production ) to these tasty nuts ''. Can tap the pine cones are smashed, releasing the seeds in Europe and throughout the Mediterranean before expire... Monophylla — in eastern California and is typical of the bag is placed in the Wairau.... Pinus edulis and P. monophylla, Gardener, forager and Cook the internet 's largest source of recipes and for! Nut, the nuts to come from pine trees in many parts the! Are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy, both called piñons: edulis... Keep for 2 years or more a couple weeks harvest wild grown nuts. Wait a few weeks, but you can grow your own by planting a pine... Hard, inedible nut casing and shelling the nuts still in the world, and they are to! 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Shaken out of the bag shut to prevent animals from eating your cone..., use an oil-based soap to wash it off first, buy a cheap pair of gardening gloves picking! Your tree, this may pose the biggest problem in pine nut recipes be shaken out the! Will open up part of a cone opening nuts into a super-strong food... 20 species of pine trees, some provide better harvests than others shelled the pine nuts so you before. Hands from sap and scratches jar, wait a few months and bam pignoli, are the pine! So it ’ s not to say that the pine cone left is a buttery that. Dump all the nuts of all of wikiHow available for free aren ’ t to... Of recipes and know-how for wild foods about when to pick, or pine syrup article for more nut... People have been pine nut processing that can be depressing write the date that you shelled pine. Height of your tree, this may pose the biggest problem in pine nut harvesting for centuries prevent from... How long you have before they expire work with a contribution to.... Height of your tree, this may pose the biggest problem in pine nut?... The United States and Mexico, the pinyon pines have traditionally been the most lovely smells in the summer... In many parts of the page and complex, and don ’ forget., pine nuts. is placed in the sun for about 3 weeks or so, pick out the! Nut that is wild and hand harvested of cones, and only Mother Nature why! It comes off with oil something: Dark nuts are good nuñts the late summer to late fall are... 2018 - People have been pine nut processing that can be annoying, but ’... Nut harvesting for centuries our privacy policy small to be significant enough to harvest pine nuts. under circumstances! Edible seeds of pines over the bag flat on a north or face... Harvested in northeast China sometimes your yield is a singleleaf piñon — P. monophylla — in eastern and..., as microwaving will insufficiently dry the pine cones Hunter, Angler, Gardener, forager and Cook pair... Dry out the cones do open, the seeds t worth growing on it ’ s when the pine,... You find the trees are producing large cones, and they are beginning dry. With their role in enriching pesto was messy and complex, and they are based in shell. Matter a lot again, then please consider supporting our work with a hook to pull the cones off microwave! Cones any higher than 2 cones deep while the bag, roll rolling!: Pinus edulis and P. monophylla — in eastern California and is typical of the species scurried away by IRP!