Pine nuts are the edible seeds of the pine tree.
The stone pine has been cultivated for its seeds for more than 5,000 years, and are widely used across Europe, North America and Asia.
Pine trees need a lot of water to produce a quality seed at harvest, and the harvesting process is labour-intensive. The cones first need to be cracked to get the seeds out, and then they need to be shelled to reveal the edible ‘nut’ itself.
Good on salads. Ready to eat. High in vitamin E. Suitable for vegetarians.
The high oil content in pine nuts does mean that shelled seeds can deteriorate rapidly, so pine nuts are often stored in their shells at low temperatures, and then shelled as required.
Ambient Product
About 20 species of pine trees provide edible nuts, with different species being cultivated in different parts of the world.
European pine nuts mostly come from the Stone Pine, while in North America the Pinyon Pine varieties are more prevalent (and their pine nuts are often called ‘pinyons’ to differentiate the originating tree).
In Asia, the Korean Pine is the most important species cultivated.
