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A Nut by Many Other Names … Pine Nuts, Pinons, and Pignolias. Excerpt from December 2000 newsletter Patsy Flanigan
We are often asked what is the difference between the various names used for pine nuts. Actually, there is a difference, and that leads to the fascinating story of this distinctive nut.
Pine nuts grow wild in several parts of the world. Each specie is a little different, but all have long been prized for their unusual flavor. Another thing that they all have in common is that it takes approximately 25 years for a pine nut tree to bear their first edible nuts. For full production, it takes about 75 years. Talk about slow growth! They do however, continue production for hundreds of years.
In New Mexico, the official state tree is the Pine Nut tree, but the nuts are called Pinon Nuts of the Pinon Pine. They have a rather hard shell, and are usually sold in the shell when there is enough of a harvest to get past natural predators. The nuts have been an important food for the local Indians for centuries. The trees grow in elevations between 5000 and 7000 feet.
The most common method of harvesting through the years, has been to wait until the cones open with the first frost in the Fall. Then the nuts fall to the ground. The nuts are then picked up by hand. More recently, improvements have been made in harvesting including using tree shakers and vacuum machines to suck up the nuts. Pinon nuts can be kept in the shell for as much as three years in a dry area. Once shelled they last only about three to six months.
Pignolia is the name used for pine nuts in Europe. Limited amounts grow in Italy, Spain and Portugal. The nuts grown in these countries are a rather long slim nut.
Of more significance is the Pine Nut of the Cembra pine grown in Siberia. This is the nut that makes up the major portion of world pine nut production. Again, the trees defy cultivation and most harvest work is still rather primitive. However, in recent years, much improvement has been made in the shelling and packing of the nuts for shipment. Supply still lags behind demand and varies from year to year.
Of all nuts, pine nuts have the highest protein count and are easily digested. Uses vary widely, from cookies and nut logs to a protein topping for pasta. Pesto is also made with pine nuts, and there is even a pine-nut milk that is said to keep for a long time and can replace meat in the diet. |
