Pine Nuts Technical Information Pine Nuts 1. General Information Pine nuts are the edible seeds of pine trees, which are evergreen, coniferous1 Pine Nuts / General Information resinous trees of the Pinaceae family. Pine trees are mainly spread across the Northern hemisphere and are found in Asia, Europe, the Near East and North America. Several species of pine trees produce edible nuts, which are considered a delicacy. The major producers are China, North Korea, the Russian Federation, Pakistan and Afghanistan; in the Mediterranean (Pinus pinea), the top producing countries are Italy, Turkey, Spain and Portugal. Pine nuts are used in a wide variety of traditional recipes. The pine tree belongs to the Pinaceae family and the Pinus genus is the largest and most important genus of conifers with more than 100 species, found mainly in the Northern hemisphere. A great number of species of the genus Pinus produce edible seeds, also known as pine nuts. Pine trees are evergreen, coniferous resinous trees whose height depends on the species, ranging from 10 m up to 30 m tall. They are also adapted to a wide variety of weather conditions: from the extremely harsh and cold climate of northeast Siberia to the hot dry deserts of Nevada and Mexico. They are long-lived with some trees living for over 1,000 years. Pine nuts have been collected since ancient times. They were prized by the Romans and Greeks and were a staple food of several Native American tribes in North America, and indigenous peoples in Siberia and the Russian Far East. Today pine nuts are considered a gourmet product and are highly regarded as an ingredient in a multitude of recipes. Most pine nuts are marketed shelled, although a small quantity is marketed in-shell. Pine nuts are known around the world as a nutritious snack (raw or roasted) and an essential ingredient in many traditional dishes. They are highly valued for their taste. In addition, like all tree nuts, they have an interesting nutritional profile, high in vitamin E and K, and minerals such as iron and magnesium, among others. They also are high in polyunsaturated fats (34%). Pine Nuts / 1. General Information PINE NUT WORLD GROWING AREAS Pinus sibirica Pinus pumila Overview of Pine Nut Production Pinus lambertiana Global pine nut production P. monophylla P. quadrifolia has presented marked P. sabineana Pinus pinea P. torreyana Pinus koraiensis fluctuations over the years, P. coultieri partly because pine trees Pinus edulis Pinus massoniana P. cembroides tend to produce periodic Pinus gerardiana (P. griffithii) crops, with good crops every Pinus yunnanensis 3-5 years on average. The average annual production of pine nuts between 2014/15 Pinus pinea and 2018/19 was 27,000 metric tons (MT), kernel basis. Main Pine Nut Growing Areas (Source: INC) China is the main producing country with a 5-year average (2014/15-2018/19) crop of 8,100 MT, which accounts for 30% of world production. The average production in North Korea was 4,900 MT, and in the Russian Federation, Pakistan and Afghanistan 3,600 MT each. Note that these averages are merely the arithmetic averages –pine trees usually have periodic crops, with good crop years approx. every 3-5 years. In general, North Korea, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Russia export a significant percentage of their in-shell production to China. For instance, from the 2016/17 Russian crop, around 50% was exported to China and the remaining half was consumed domestically. Russia is one of the major producers of Pinus sibirica and P. koraiensis. However, due to the vastness and isolation of the Siberian forest, only around 10% of the production potential is currently harvestable. Seasons Pine trees are rarely planted for nut production purposes. Most of the pine nuts available on the market come from natural forests, where no cultivation techniques are applied except for silvicultural practices. Commercial plantations are very scarce for several reasons. Pine trees take a long time to bear nuts, between 10 and 40 years (or even more), depending on the species and the conditions. Although pine nuts are collected without any expense of plantation forestry, the labor cost is particularly important given that the collection and processing are very labor-intensive. Pine nuts are gymnosperms, meaning that they grow inside a cone rather than being protected by an ovary or fruit. Most of them are monoecious, having male and female reproductive structures –cones– on the same tree. The male cones (herbaceous cone) fall as soon as the pollen is shed. After wind pollination, the seeds in the female cones (woody cone) mature in the third year. When the cone is ripe the scales open and the seeds (pine nuts) are released. Northern Harvesting Hemisphere Blooming Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec This chart shows the most common blooming and harvesting months, which may vary depending on the pine tree species and the area. The harvest may last from autumn to spring since the pine nuts are well stored in their cones on the tree. In hand-harvesting, the still-closed green cones are collected by gatherers and piled into heaps to dry in the sun, so that the cone scales open and loosen the seeds. In recent years the use of machines during harvesting has increased. Mechanical harvesting is performed by tree shakers, with special vibrating jaws coupled onto fronted booms of a farm tractor or on compact utility tractors with armored cabins. Sources: • Ciesla, W. M. (1998). Non-wood forest products from conifers. FAO. • Sharashkin, L., & Gold, M. (2004, August). Pine nuts: species, products, markets, and potential for US production. In Northern Nut Growers Association 95th Annual Report. Proceeding for the 95th annual meeting, Columbia, Missouri. • Mutke, S., et al. (2012). 4 Mediterranean Stone Pine: Botany and Horticulture. Horticultural reviews, 39, 153. Copyright © INC International Nut and Dried Fruit Council, October 2019. www.nutfruit.org Pine Nuts 2. Products Pine Nuts / Products Enjoyed by the Greeks and Romans in ancient times, the pine nut kernel2 is an edible nut with an exquisite flavor and high in vitamin E and K, as well as minerals such as iron and magnesium. Pine nuts are considered a delicacy in many cultures. They can be eaten raw, but also lightly roasted. In addition, they are highly valued as ingredients for a great number of recipes both sweet and savory. Pine nuts are known around the world as a nutritious snack (raw or roasted) and may be found in some nut mixes. In addition, pine nuts are a culinary ingredient widely used in the elaboration of dishes and salads, in NUTRIENTS IN 100 g OF DRIED PINE NUTS* the confectionery and bakery industry, as well as the Calories 673 kcal world-famous pesto sauce. Proteins 13.69 g Saturated fat 4.899 g Although the dietary values differ depending on the Monounsaturated fat 18.764 g species, the nutritional profile of the pine nuts is very Polyunsaturated fat 34.071 g interesting. They are high in polyunsaturated fats, Carbohydrate 13.08 g thiamin, vitamin E and K, and minerals such as iron, Fiber 3.7 g magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, copper and manganese. They are as also a source of fiber, potassium, niacin Phosphorus 575 mg and riboflavin. Potassium 597 mg Magnesium 251 mg Pine nuts can be pressed to obtain a gourmet cooking Manganese 8.802 mg oil. The highest quality oil is obtained by cold pressing. Zinc 6.45 mg Pine nut oil is also used in cosmetics, beauty products Iron 5.53 mg and as a high-end massage oil. The by-product of pine Copper 1.324 mg nut oil pressing is called pine nut flakes (contains up Vitamin E 9.33 mg to 30% oil) and is usually used in granolas, chocolates and bars. Vitamin K 53.9 µg Thiamin 0.364 mg When flakes are further pressed and crushed to extract Niacin 4.387 mg oil, they turn into pine nut meal or flour, which has a wide variety of culinary uses such as in pastries, * Includes pignolia (Pinus pinea) and Korean (Pinus koraiensis). pancakes, etc. Mixed with water, the meal becomes a Source: USDA FoodData Central, January 2019. beverage or cream. Pine Nuts / 2. Products Used as a Snack Examples of commercialized pine nut snacks Raw pine nuts Roasted pine nuts Pine nuts in nut and dried fruit mixtures Candied pine nuts Uses as an Ingredient Dishes Pesto and other sauces, salads, toppings, traditional vegetable, fish and meat dishes, and desserts. Bakery Industry Breads, cookies, cakes, pastries. Pine nuts may be made into flour for cakes. Confectionary Industry Pine nuts are used as an ingredient in chocolates and bars. Beverage Industry Pine nut meal or flour mixed with water is made into pine nut beverages and cream. Other Uses Oil Industry Due to their polyunsaturated fats (34%), pine nuts are a source of vegetable oil. Their oil can be used as dressing for salads, for cooking or eaten raw. Cosmetics Pine nut oil can be used in cosmetics and soaps. Sources: • Sharashkin, L., & Gold, M. (2004, August). Pine nuts: species, products, markets, and potential for US production. In Northern Nut Growers Association 95th Annual Report. Proceeding for the 95th annual meeting, Columbia, Missouri. Copyright © INC International Nut and Dried Fruit Council, October 2019. www.nutfruit.org Pine Nuts 3. Varieties Pine Nuts / Varieties There are approximately 30 species of Pinus that produce seeds and that3 have been used as a food item, at least by indigenous tribal cultures. Pine nuts of different pine species differ in size, nutritional value and taste. Around 30 pine species in Asia, Europe, the Near East and North America produce edible pine nuts.