Pinyon Pine Nut Harvest is NOW!

Dear Reno Forager,

It is Pinyon Pine Nut harvest time right now. I just went out for the first time to figure it out. Here's the pertinent info you need to collect these delectables!


1. You don't have to go far. I found a big grove on Geiger Grade. Pinyon Pines are scrubby looking pine trees with small cones, often mostly at the top. I forgot to snap a picture of the trees when we were out, but here's some, courtesy of Google Images that look most like the trees we found on Geiger Grade:

2. Equipment needed:

• Gloves (cheap, thick that you can throw away)
• Hat & sunglasses (cover as much of your hair as you can, the bill/shades can help keep stuff from falling in your eyes)
• large paper bags (disposable necessary, paper doesn't get stuck with sap as much as plastic)

3. When you get there, you'll find cones that are green and sticky, all closed. They're not ready. There's also cones that are open as pictured above, and here below in my own photos. We picked the open ones right off the tree (carefully so seeds don't all drop out). The difficulty is being able to GET the cones, since many are high up and out on spindly branches that you can't climb out on.

 The green cone is an example of one that is not ready with pine nuts. 

The others are the cones you are looking for!

4. Once you've lugged your treasure home, you'll need to deal with the sap all over you and your clothes. For your skin/hair, use oil. I rubbed all the sticky stuff off with olive oil spray and had no problems. I have read multiple different things about clothes, but can't tell you which is best from experience... but see the link for pitch removal at the end of this post.

5. Find a surface outside you can strike the pine cones against to release the seeds. They should be pretty loose already if they're open cones. You'll need those gloves for this, but pick up the seeds with bare hands so you don't get any sap on them if possible.

Here are some I cracked open. 

They're yellowish and shiny because I baked these ones.

They're whiter raw.

6. Eat 'em like sunflower seeds! (They're 'soft shell' pine nuts, so they're easily cracked with teeth, unlike many other pine nuts)

• Raw, crack the shell with your teeth (did this!)
• Soak them in salt water and then bake them at 400 in the oven for about 10 minutes, testing them and pulling them out when the milky white inside inside turns translucent. (didn't try this yet!)
• Just lay them on a cookie sheet or pan and bake them at 400 in the oven for about 10 minutes, testing them and pulling them out when the milky white inside turns translucent. (did this! DELICIOUS!)

 I baked some in this dish at 400. I think they only took 9 minutes. They went fast! I pulled one out and cracked it to see if it was ready. Did that about 3 times before I felt like they were ready. Remember, they'll keep baking after you've pulled them out if you don't cool them immediately, so go for underdone, or cool them quick!

 My husband and I made short work of the pan I baked. Mmm!

7. Storing your pine nuts right makes them last longer. Because they have moisture, they need to NOT be in an airtight container unless you put them in the freezer. Raw, they'll last in a paper bag in a cool closet for a long time. Baked, you'll have less time to consume them before the oils turn rancid. If you collect a lot, the best bet is to freeze them and thaw only what you need to use at a time.

For more info on pinyon pine nuts & harvesting them, check out these websites:

• BEST: Harvesting, Picking & Storage of Pinyon Pine Nuts
• BLM Harvesting Info & Permit Stuff (you don't need any permits for collecting less than 25 lbs)
• Removing pine pitch

Harvest is September and October, but they may be done early this year, so get out there! Collecting a bag of cones with a friend should take you less than an hour. Enjoy!