How to Find Pine Nuts

Pine nuts come from several Pinus species worldwide.

Native Americans in the western United States have gathered and eaten pine nuts for centuries. Most species of pine trees produce nuts inside their cones, but pinyon pines provide the largest, easiest-to-gather nuts among the pines in the continental United States. The pine nuts you buy in stores may be from Chinese or European species, but if you live in the western United States, look for native pinyon trees to gather wild nuts yourself. Check local laws to see if there's a limit, and make sure you're gathering where you have permission from the landowner.

Things You'll Need

• Hooked stick or ladder
• Burlap sacks
• Sheets

Instructions

1. Look for pinyon pines in the states where they grow. One species, Pinus monophylla, grows in Nevada and surrounding states, while another, Pinus edulis, grows in New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and parts of neighboring states. Begin exploring in areas with dry, rocky soil, at 4,500 to 7,500 feet elevation, below where ponderosa pine grows and above sagebrush and grassland.

2. Identify pinyon pines by their usual characteristics. Their height is usually 10 to 30 feet, and they often have a crooked or distorted trunk. The stiff needles are 1 to 2 inches long, growing in pairs in Pinus edulis or singly in Pinus monophylla.

3. Pick pine cones from the trees, or pull them off with a long, hooked stick or by climbing up with a ladder. Pine cones are ready to be picked starting in August and throughout the fall.

4. Spread the pine cones to dry in the sun on cloth sheets or in burlap sacks. When the scales open as they dry, shake the sacks or stir the cones on the sheets to release the nuts.

Tips & Warnings

• Wear gloves to keep the sticky pine pitch off your hands while gathering cones.

• Peel or crack and remove the shells of pine nuts, and eat the nuts raw or toast them spread on a pan in an oven at medium heat.

• Pine nut harvest occurs during hunting season in many areas, so wear bright clothing and be aware that hunters may be out.

References

• "Primitive Living, Self-Sufficiency, and Survival Skills"; Thomas J. Elpel; 2003
• "Nuts"; Linda Griffith, Fred Griffith; 2003
• "The Book of Edible Nuts"; Frederic Rosengarten Jr.; 2004
• Idaho Museum of Natural History: Pinus monophylla
• Utah State University Extension: Pinyon Pine

Resources

• "The Pinyon Pine: A Natural and Cultural History"; Ronald M. Lanner; 1981