North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Kathy Johnson" <rrabbits@si4u.net>]

----- Original Message -----
From: Gene Spears <Spears@LMC.edu>


I am wondering if anyone has first-hand experience with Korean pine nuts, or
any of the edible pine nuts.  How productive are the trees, how tasty are
the nuts and how difficult are they to prepare for eating?

Well, we aren't growing the trees but we live near Trinity National Forest
and my husband commutes through there to work every day.  On his way, there
are some pines with gigantic cones and whenever  some have dropped to one of
the pullout areas he gathers them and we use the pine-nuts.  They are easier
to get out of the cones if you put them in a brown bag near a heated area
and wait for them to open.  Once the seeds have dropped out of the cones,
they can be opened.  I do it the slow old fashioned way by tapping with a
hammer while they are on a bread board.  I am sure there is probably a
faster way.  The nuts are very tasty fresh and dried.  They have been eaten
before they get any farther than that in my house. I have a recipe for
stuffed grape leaves that calls for them but the family eats them before
that can happen.  We are in the Cascade range and our temperature fluctuates
from 12 degrees to 100 sometimes.  Good luck.


Kathy J.