November 23, 2009

Nutty

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. 
Native Americans gathered these seeds and stored them for winter, and many Utahns enjoy the tradition of collecting and eating them.  If the humans aren't quick, though, squirrels, nuthatches and scrub or stellar jays will be happy to munch on them or store them for winter.
We gathered some pinyon nuts on a ride in Indian Canyon and took them home. 
After cracking the shells, only a small nutmeat remains. 
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.

For views and adventures from all around the world, click here.

40 comments:

  1. Janie...great photo of you...great information...

    ReplyDelete
  2. I 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.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hmmmm 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)

    Don't think we have Pinyons around here--but I've enjoyed learning about them. I learn so much when blogging.
    Hugs,
    Betsy

    ReplyDelete
  4. What a beautiful flower!! Now I'm intrigued!

    ReplyDelete
  5. They are tasty, but unfortunately I'm a few thousand miles from the nearest pinyon tree. So I'll just enjoy your photos instead.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I've eaten these tasty nuts when traveling. Thanks for the reminder ;-)
    Hugs and blessings,

    ReplyDelete
  7. 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?

    ReplyDelete
  8. I loved seeing a pinion pine! And the photo of the nuts was interesting too



    ...Ruby door is the perfect background for...

    ReplyDelete
  9. What an interesting post and great shot. I don't think I've ever tried the pinyon nuts.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Those Pinyon pine cones are pretty, kind of look like wooden flowers. I'm surprised birds and squirrel like seeds that taste like turpentine. :D

    ReplyDelete
  11. Wow look at that! I don't think I have seen that sort of thing before. Very informative and interesting. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  12. I didn't know that there were any pine tree nuts edible to people. The Pinyon Pine is a beautiful tree.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Love the shot of you, Janie! And a terrific, informative post as always!

    Have a great week!

    Sylvia

    ReplyDelete
  14. Never tried a pinyon nut, maybe next time. Great photos and post.

    ReplyDelete
  15. These are so cute and NUTTY. Love them!!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Looks 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.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Oh, yummmmm! I do love pinon nuts ... and pinon tree. Wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hi 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!

    Nice post!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Janie: I have used them in cooking and salads and they are wonderful to eat.

    ReplyDelete
  20. are these the nuts people make pignoli cookies out of?

    ReplyDelete
  21. Lovely to see them growing in the wild. We have a few laege nut pines but the cockatoos get the nuts before we do.

    ReplyDelete
  22. If they taste as good as they look, I should like to have a try! Thanks for your visit! Have a nice day!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Hi,Janie!Great and beautiful shots!!

    Kisses,

    Irina

    ReplyDelete
  24. 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.

    I 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.

    ReplyDelete
  25. How amazing that something can go from tasting like turpentine to a lovely nutty flavor when roasted!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Very 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.

    And I'll second that that is a great photo of you!

    ReplyDelete
  27. This is making me hungry(ier). I thought it was a mushroom at first - perhaps my stomach talking again!

    ReplyDelete
  28. I have never had Pinyon nuts. I do eat Pine nuts. Will look for the Pinyons....
    Thanks for the tips. I always learn something from you.
    Happy Thanksgiving,
    Sherry

    ReplyDelete
  29. 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.
    Happy Thanksgiving to all!

    ReplyDelete
  30. Love the photo of you! And those cones look like flowers - gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
  31. I 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...
    Love to you
    Kelly

    ReplyDelete
  32. Nice photos and great info.
    We have Pinyon pines too but I didn't know about these nuts.
    Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Not keen on nuts myself but I'm fascinated anyway by your account of what is a foreign world for me.

    ReplyDelete
  34. A relative of the Italian pignoli? Either way, a delicious post and I salute your sense of adventure.
    Happy Thanksgiving!

    ReplyDelete
  35. I never even thought of eating those. Good to know! Have a great Thanksgiving!

    ReplyDelete
  36. What a find, Janie! They sell here for many dollars per 100 grams. I use them sparingly in a few recipes.

    ReplyDelete
  37. I learned something today. I will have to see if we have any around here.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Just dropping by to wish you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving Day!
    Hugs and blessings,

    ReplyDelete
  39. 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.

    ReplyDelete
  40. Thanks for the wonderful lesson, Janie. I love the look of the pine cones, they are so different from what we have here.

    ReplyDelete

LinkWithin

Blog Widget by LinkWithin