# Edible uses for Pine Trees



## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

This is a good video.

He talks about making tea from pine needles, collecting pine nuts, cooking and eating the inner bark, using the pitch to flavor wine, using the needles as a cooking spice, eating young tender cones by boiling them, roasting inner bark and grinding it into a flour.


[YOUTUBE]HA39XQ8UAr4&feature=relmfu[/YOUTUBE]


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## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

This is a really good radio cast with Linda Runyon.
It is broken up into six parts and rambles sometimes, but it is good info.

[YOUTUBE]AX_P0TEi9c4&feature=relmfu[/YOUTUBE]


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## katydidagain (Jun 11, 2004)

Not to rain on your parade but I'm waiting for you to actually taste pine stuff 1st. This comes from someone who has worn sap for the past week (I pruned a few trees carefully at work but not carefully enough) thus itched a bunch and got swiped in the eye by branches while walking by (obviously not not far enough away from them) thus cannot imagine purposely ingesting anything pine related. (Juniper berries are tasty but pine? Nope.)


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## silverseeds (Apr 28, 2012)

pine needle tea isnt bad, when mixed with other stuff. It has vitamin c and is really nutritious actually. I have pinon pines in my yard, VERY tasty nuts, although they have a hard shell, not to easy to eat them.


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## Riverdale (Jan 20, 2008)

Spruce was also used in brewing and tea in Colonial America.


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## NoClue (Jan 22, 2007)

pine nuts are god awful expensive to buy at the grocery store - really yummy as a salad topping, or with rice or couscous


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## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

Did you see the brown paper bag trick in the first vid for harvesting pine nuts? Seems like an easy way to harvest the nuts.


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## silverseeds (Apr 28, 2012)

City Bound said:


> Did you see the brown paper bag trick in the first vid for harvesting pine nuts? Seems like an easy way to harvest the nuts.


I wasnt sure if this was directed to me or not. If not oh well. If so harvesting them is easy. Its getting each individual nut out of its individual shell. some types are soft shell, and they come out really easy. Or so I have heard. mine are hard shells though, and its a bit of work. Im not talking about the cones, but little shells encapsulating each individual nut. 

they are super tasty though. Ive been told our variety we have locally is one of the sweetest types.


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## silverseeds (Apr 28, 2012)

by the way, I really like the work of the guy in this video. going to start watching the rest of his series.


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## chamoisee (May 15, 2005)

_Pinus monophylla_ has easy to shell nuts. _Pinus edulis_ is supposed to taste even better but has smaller nuts and cannot be squeezed open by your fingers as the others can- harder to shell.


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## silverseeds (Apr 28, 2012)

Ive never seen the nuts for monophylla. Those are from nevada if Im not mistaken, right? And yeah, mine are edulis. So I dont have a size comparison of the two, but they are as big as those you find in the store as pine nuts. Or close enough I never saw a difference visually. 

Often they are sold roasted after being soaked in water for awhile. I never did this to mine or bought them, but its supposed to make it a bit easier to shell them Im told.


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## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

silverseeds said:


> I wasnt sure if this was directed to me or not. If not oh well. If so harvesting them is easy. Its getting each individual nut out of its individual shell. some types are soft shell, and they come out really easy. Or so I have heard. mine are hard shells though, and its a bit of work. Im not talking about the cones, but little shells encapsulating each individual nut.
> 
> they are super tasty though. Ive been told our variety we have locally is one of the sweetest types.


Did you listen to the radio program? The host of the show said she got sick eating pine nuts that came from china. I have a feeling that the chinese may have used some harsh chemical to take the shell off the pine nut and then residue of the chemical is what made her ill.

How do you take the shell off?


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## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

silverseeds said:


> by the way, I really like the work of the guy in this video. going to start watching the rest of his series.


He has some good episodes. In on episode he teaches you how to make hard cider. I tried his recipe and it worked well.


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## silverseeds (Apr 28, 2012)

City Bound said:


> Did you listen to the radio program? The host of the show said she got sick eating pine nuts that came from china. I have a feeling that the chinese may have used some harsh chemical to take the shell off the pine nut and then residue of the chemical is what made her ill.
> 
> How do you take the shell off?


No I didnt watch the radio broadcast part yet. just the first video. 

Well these are often sold on the roadside roasted after having been soaked in water. Im told the shells come off easier this way.

I never roasted mine or bought them, so I just kinda force a fingernail into one, and crack it open. It isnt so hard you cant get at them with your fingers, but lets say you wanted to make pesto or something, it would be pretty tedious. If here is a better way I dont know it.


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## chamoisee (May 15, 2005)

I just bite them open, with the seam running up and down.


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## silverseeds (Apr 28, 2012)

Mine dont have a seam.


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## chamoisee (May 15, 2005)

It's not a seam like a pistachio, it's more like a subtle ridge IIRC. Been awhile since I've cracked edulis nuts, but in any case, I used my teeth.


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## CajunSunshine (Apr 24, 2007)

The secret to delicious pine needle tea is to steep--NOT boil--chopped fresh green ''leaf'' needles in hot water, covered for about 5 to 10 minutes. If properly brewed, it tastes sorta like roses smell, believe it or not! Even kids like it, especially if sweetened with just a lil touch of honey.


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## CajunSunshine (Apr 24, 2007)

Peanut butter will remove pine sap...even from your hair. Don't even ask, lol.


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## silverseeds (Apr 28, 2012)

chamoisee said:


> It's not a seam like a pistachio, it's more like a subtle ridge IIRC. Been awhile since I've cracked edulis nuts, but in any case, I used my teeth.


They vary a bit by tree. I dont really see any that look like they have ridges.. (sorting through some now) 

Authentic New Mexico Pinon Nuts - Home

These are the ones I have. If you click on the picture on the middle of the page you can see it better. Are these what your talking about? 

I know people who eat the shells right with the nuts. I certainly dont like them like that myself. when you crack them with your teeth, do they split easily? Or do you have to pull out many pieces of the shell? 

Either way, its a really neat tree.


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## chamoisee (May 15, 2005)

Yeah, I've had those. See how the tip sort of flattens out? Bite the nut with your incisors and with the flattened part oriented vertically. I do sometimes like to eat the shells....peanut shells, too....


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## silverseeds (Apr 28, 2012)

Ok I think I see what your saying. that is the best part to use a fingernail as well.


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## sherry in Maine (Nov 22, 2007)

Hey CB, haven't looked at these videos yet, but will do this evening when I have time.

Have you ever had that greek wine called 'retsina' (I think it's spelled that way)

Used to go to greek restaraunts and I would have some, recently found a middle eastern place that serves it too. Had a glass again. It's made from pine oil, I guess.

I do want to watch the hard cider one.
I drank Woodchuck when it first came out in late 80s or so. Back then, I believe they used their own apples -or so they said. The taste was dry/bitey . . . Then, like all great small beverage companies do, they got bought out and now it tastes like koolaide.Went to a beverage store in Bangor, and talked to owner about ciders. He showed me a couple, and I took it home. It was from France, about as expensive as the wine I normally buy instead . . .(I spend as cheap as poss. but still want it to taste good, the range is 7 to 12 bucks, mostly near the $7 bottle and then I stock up.)
The cider definitely was good, but still lacked that 'bite'. I bought it to celebrate someone's property closing, so it was kind of a contribution, I guess.
Am definitely making some wine and cider this summer/fall!

I remember someone else posting on this forum or somewhere else about buying some pine nuts, and they had a nasty aftertaste that lasted for a few days. They saw they'd been sent from China, I wouldn't doubt the Chinese do that- shoot, they kill their own babies with chemicals in baby formula.


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## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

Sherry, i have not had Retsina. IS it good?


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## sherry in Maine (Nov 22, 2007)

yes it is a pleasant thing to have, not more than a glass or so, because maybe the pine taste would get a little stronger after more than one glass, I'm thinking.

It has a cool, aromatic taste, if I remember correctly. . .


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## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

made pine needle tea the other day. Not bad at all. Like any other brewed tea, you control the strength. It was actually pleasent and for me I think it would be a perfect drink on those cold winter days. This is a good way to get vit C and cheaper then OJ.

NExt I am going to try seasoning baked chicken with a small amount of finely diced pine needles to see how that will taste. I have a feeling that in the right dose, pine needles and chicken would be a nice combo.


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## silverseeds (Apr 28, 2012)

I bet your right one the pine needles on chicken city bound. Id think it would be a low amount of pine taste, but a subtle pine flavor on chicken does sound good to me also.


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## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

People say the flavor is strong for the pine needles, but take a mouthful of raw rosemary and tell me if that is not strong. Sage, take a sage leaf in your mouth and chew it, tell me that is not an intense, almost offensive flavor.


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## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

Sounds good to me also silver.


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## OnlyMe (Oct 10, 2010)

If you have pine nuts you can make pesto as well....

Fresh Basil Pesto Recipe | Simply Recipes


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## bajiay (Apr 8, 2008)

Are pinion pines the only ones with nuts you can eat? We have a ton of pine trees around here on this property. I need to do some research I guess.


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