Open pine cones in 5 steps: Instructions

Just before Christmas, the shelves are full of pine cones. Even in the supermarket, the woody fruits cavort among the vegetables. They are offered with instructions on how to open them. But often any attempt at opening ends in frustration and disappointment. Pine cones are extremely stubborn and require the right handling before they reveal their delicious kernels. With these instructions it is no problem to open cones and free seeds from their shells.

Pine nuts

If you buy a pine cone in stores, it usually comes from the Italian stone pine. This is the actual pine tree, which is of economic importance because of its seeds. There are other types of pine that produce edible seeds. To crack a cone, you don't necessarily have to know the original type. However, knowing about the tree species can provide you with valuable information on how to free the pips from their shells later. There are conifers that produce particularly soft kernels. In other species, the seed coat is extremely hard and robust.

• Italian stone pines develop hard-shelled seeds
• Mexican pinyons produce buttery seeds that are surrounded by a hard shell
• White pines from America have soft-shelled seeds
• Nut pine has large kernels that are easy to crack and taste sweet and fruity

Ripe pine cones open in nature when exposed to heat. The cones slowly dry out, causing the scales to crack open. You can put your cone on the heater and wait. However, this method usually takes several weeks and by then the pine nuts can be spoiled long ago. You can recognize inedible kernels by a musty smell and grayish discoloration. The opening process is faster if you place the fruit right next to a fireplace. You can enjoy the sweet and nutty kernels on the same evening.

Open the pine cones

If you neither own a fireplace nor want to wait until the seeds are inedible, you can open the cones with the help of heat. There is no guarantee that the pine cones can later be used for decoration purposes. For such use, you need to take care of uniform drying and repeatedly moisten the cone. As a result, the lignified tissue remains elastic and does not spring off completely.

instructions

Prepare the oven

In the oven, the cones pop open after a few minutes when it has been set to 60 to 80 degrees Celsius. The individual scales detach with loud cracking noises so that the light-colored cores become visible. The cones should not be left out of sight, however, because the cones open differently depending on the degree of dryness. As soon as the spigot is fully open, you can switch off the oven.

Let the cones cool down

The pine cones are very hot after this method and should not be touched directly. Leave the fruit in the oven for half an hour with the door open. You can then touch it and continue treating it without the risk of burns.

Dissolve cores

Very few kernels can be loosened by simply shaking them. Often the individuals sit down Seeds firmly between the segments. You can try to pull out each core one at a time with your finger. This elaborate work is necessary if you want to use the cone for decoration later. Often so many flakes have already loosened due to the cracking in the oven that the remaining fruit only looks bare. In this case, you can disassemble the cone with a knife to get the coveted cores.

Remove the seed coat

The approximately two centimeters long kernels are surrounded by a hard seed coat. If you haven't bought a pine cone but a bag with what appears to be pine nuts, the seeds could also come from other pines. First find out what type it is. You can then remove the shell from the edible pine nuts using different methods:

• Put the soft kernels in a freezer bag and work with a rolling pin
• crack hard kernels with a nutcracker
• Roast soft or hard kernels dry in the pan and then loosen the shell by hand

tip: Place the pine nut in the notched part of the can opener that is where the two handles join. Squeeze the handles together until the core pops open.

Store pine nuts

The peeled kernels do not keep very long because of their high fat content. They should be kept in sealable jars or bags and consumed within the next few weeks. The seeds can be kept for two to three weeks under dry and cool conditions. However, do not store them in the refrigerator. The moist air can quickly spoil the seeds. In addition, the smells of other foods impair the fine taste.

tip: The kernels are less sensitive when they are surrounded by their protective seed coat. These can be stored in a cool place for two to three months.