Pinyon pines grow abundantly in Utah. Spanish explorers in the 1500's called them "pino pinonero", meaning "nut-bearing pine." In our area we have Colorado pinyon, also called two-needle pinyon.
In the late fall, the cones open wide, revealing their small seeds. 
We gathered some pinyon nuts on a ride in Indian Canyon and took them home. Raw, they taste like turpentine, but lightly roasted, they have a pleasant, nutty flavor. If you happen to have a pinyon forest near you, I recommend you give them a try.
Janie...great photo of you...great information...
ReplyDeleteI munched on pinyon nuts last night. They are yummy. It's nice you can buy them at the roadside stands now. It's a lot of work to beat them off the tree.
ReplyDeleteHmmmm Janie---Think I'll roast mine. After all of that work for so little 'nut'---I don't think I'd enjoy a Turpentine taste.... Yuk!!!! (By the way, have you ever tasted Turpentine before?????? ha ha ha)
ReplyDeleteDon't think we have Pinyons around here--but I've enjoyed learning about them. I learn so much when blogging.
Hugs,
Betsy
What a beautiful flower!! Now I'm intrigued!
ReplyDeleteThey are tasty, but unfortunately I'm a few thousand miles from the nearest pinyon tree. So I'll just enjoy your photos instead.
ReplyDeleteI've eaten these tasty nuts when traveling. Thanks for the reminder ;-)
ReplyDeleteHugs and blessings,
I have never tried any pinyon nuts but think I would like to if they're roasted properly. Do squirrels eat them while they taste like turpentine or do they change flavor if they are stored for a while?
ReplyDeleteI loved seeing a pinion pine! And the photo of the nuts was interesting too
ReplyDelete...Ruby door is the perfect background for...
What an interesting post and great shot. I don't think I've ever tried the pinyon nuts.
ReplyDeleteThose Pinyon pine cones are pretty, kind of look like wooden flowers. I'm surprised birds and squirrel like seeds that taste like turpentine. :D
ReplyDeleteWow look at that! I don't think I have seen that sort of thing before. Very informative and interesting. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI didn't know that there were any pine tree nuts edible to people. The Pinyon Pine is a beautiful tree.
ReplyDeleteLove the shot of you, Janie! And a terrific, informative post as always!
ReplyDeleteHave a great week!
Sylvia
Never tried a pinyon nut, maybe next time. Great photos and post.
ReplyDeleteThese are so cute and NUTTY. Love them!!
ReplyDeleteLooks like a good crop Janie. I do like them right out of the shell myself. Many people don't realize there are pine nuts in pesto. Great post.
ReplyDeleteOh, yummmmm! I do love pinon nuts ... and pinon tree. Wonderful!
ReplyDeleteHi Janie, is this the source of the ever expensive pine nuts? If so, I had used them in my recipe for the Chinese lettuce wraps, and they added flavor!
ReplyDeleteNice post!
Janie: I have used them in cooking and salads and they are wonderful to eat.
ReplyDeleteare these the nuts people make pignoli cookies out of?
ReplyDeleteLovely to see them growing in the wild. We have a few laege nut pines but the cockatoos get the nuts before we do.
ReplyDeleteIf they taste as good as they look, I should like to have a try! Thanks for your visit! Have a nice day!
ReplyDeleteHi,Janie!Great and beautiful shots!!
ReplyDeleteKisses,
Irina
I've always enjoyed pine nuts, especially with hummus. I never made the connection with pinyon pines, however, thinking those seeds the purview of birds such as pinyon jays. Yet it turns out they are the major source of commercial pine nuts in NA.
ReplyDeleteI do thank you for the warning on the raw ones - I'm not at all interested in a taste like turpentine, and I would never have known to be wary of them.
How amazing that something can go from tasting like turpentine to a lovely nutty flavor when roasted!
ReplyDeleteVery cool! I only know the Pinon as a great tree for xeriscaping in this area. I didn't know they produced edible nuts. Very cool.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'll second that that is a great photo of you!
This is making me hungry(ier). I thought it was a mushroom at first - perhaps my stomach talking again!
ReplyDeleteI have never had Pinyon nuts. I do eat Pine nuts. Will look for the Pinyons....
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tips. I always learn something from you.
Happy Thanksgiving,
Sherry
To those who asked if these were the pine nuts used in various recipes -- sorry, I don't know. I think there are several types of edible pine nuts, but I suspect these could substitute in most recipes.
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving to all!
Love the photo of you! And those cones look like flowers - gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteI would love to go looking for nuts and then roast them - the closet I get is roasting our pumpkin seeds after the carving is done...
ReplyDeleteLove to you
Kelly
Nice photos and great info.
ReplyDeleteWe have Pinyon pines too but I didn't know about these nuts.
Thanks for sharing.
Not keen on nuts myself but I'm fascinated anyway by your account of what is a foreign world for me.
ReplyDeleteA relative of the Italian pignoli? Either way, a delicious post and I salute your sense of adventure.
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving!
I never even thought of eating those. Good to know! Have a great Thanksgiving!
ReplyDeleteWhat a find, Janie! They sell here for many dollars per 100 grams. I use them sparingly in a few recipes.
ReplyDeleteI learned something today. I will have to see if we have any around here.
ReplyDeleteJust dropping by to wish you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving Day!
ReplyDeleteHugs and blessings,
I love pinon nuts. Some of my earliest memories is in the Ranger Station at Payson Arizon in the late 50's early 60's where my dad worked. We would go through and gather them up. Members of the Tonto Apache tribe would really scour the area also.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the wonderful lesson, Janie. I love the look of the pine cones, they are so different from what we have here.
ReplyDelete