Where and on what tree do pine nuts grow?

Edible pine nuts grow on several types of pine, the distribution area of ​​coniferous trees is all over the world. Cedar Siberian pine gives seeds only after 20 years of growth. They ripen for two years, have useful properties. The composition includes proteins, amino acids, fats and a complex of vitamins.

What do pine nuts grow on

In Our Country, seeds are collected not only from the Cedar Siberian pine. The name conditional tree does not apply to cedars. This is a different species, the pine got its name by its resemblance to the cones of the Lebanese cedar. The difference lies in the fact that the cedar seeds are small, unsuitable for food, equipped with small, dense wings (to be carried by the wind).

Collect nuts from three types on which cones grow with seeds suitable for consumption:

1. Pine European.
2. Cedar dwarf.
3. Korean pine.

The Siberian pine is one of the oldest on the planet, it is a symbol of Siberia. An evergreen coniferous tree grows up to 45 m in height. Vegetation is slow, about 1,5 months a year, so the first cones are formed after 20 years.

 The photo shows pine cones where pine nuts grow:

• mature modified shoots have the shape of an elongated oval, narrowed upwards, 10–15 cm long, 7 cm in diameter;
• in the process of ripening purple, then brown;
• the surface consists of hard, diamond-shaped shields up to 1,8 cm;
• scales tightly adjacent to the cone, thickened at the base with dark compacted pigment;
• seeds up to 14 mm long, 9 mm, 250 g approximately 1 thousand seeds;
• elongated, rounded at the base, tapering upwards (ovoid);
• dark brown with brown tint.

Each cone contains up to 120 pcs. pine nuts. Seeds ripen for 15 months, unopened cones fall off only by the autumn of next year. Seed-bearing in the Siberian pine is periodic, the collection is carried out 1 time in 4-6 years.

Where do pine nuts grow

In nature, there are within 20 species of pines, on which cones with seeds suitable for consumption grow. The growth area covers the northern part of the Federation, Asia, Europe, North America.

Where does pine nuts grow in Our Country

In Our Country, the supplier of nuts are three types of coniferous trees:

1. Pine Siberian, occupies the European part, immediately northeast and Eastern Siberia. The main accumulation in the Eurasian taiga.
2. Korean pinewhich is native to Japan. In Our Country, it grows in the Far East in the Khabarovsk Territory, the Amur Region, Primorye. It reaches a height of 60 m, modified shoots are large, up to 1 cones are formed on 500 tree with a good filling with seeds (150 pcs.). Seeding 1 time in 4 years. In the wild, it fully produces cones for 10–15 years.
3. Cedar elfin – a close relative of the Siberian pine. A low-growing shrub has spread from the north of Eurasia to the Arctic Circle. Grows on flat terrain and mountain slopes. It can be found in the subpolar regions in Chukotka, the southern border lies near the Khabarovsk Territory. The cones are small in size, the nuts are not inferior in weight to the Siberian cedar. It enters the seed-bearing phase after 20 years of growth, forms formations at the end of the shoot every 3 years. Gives seeds without age limit (up to 200 years).

The period of seed ripening in all varieties is the same, 2 years pass from the formation of cones to falling off.

In the world

In Asia: In Japan and northeast China, nuts are harvested from the Korean pine. Gerard’s pine is found in the Himalayas and produces edible seeds. In China, nuts also grow on the Chinese white pine, they are smaller in size and inferior in energy value to the seeds of the Siberian cedar. In Afghanistan – Bunge Pine (White Bark Pine).

In Europe, pine nuts are harvested from the following pines:

1. Stone (Pinia), Mediterranean distribution area, from the Iberian Peninsula to Asia Minor.
2. European, grows in the Alps, Carpathians in the southern part of France.
3. Swiss has spread from Canada to Maine and Vermont (USA).
4. In North America, the supplier of nuts is Piñon Pine.

When are pine nuts harvested?

The season for collecting pine nuts is focused on the Siberian pine. Collection begins in early or mid-September. Dates depend on the weather of the summer season. A favorable time for ripening and easy shedding of cones is a humid summer. In drought, they are firmly fixed to the branch with the help of resin, they fall off badly.

It is impossible to shoot down immature seeds, as the food base of birds and taiga animals is damaged. Late collection is limited to the hunting season. The harvesting of nuts ends at the first snowfall, approximately at the end of October. The time allotted for fishing is approximately 1,5 months. Spring harvest takes place from April to May, fallen fruits are harvested, the effectiveness of spring harvesting is much lower.

How are pine nuts harvested?

The process of collecting pine nuts is quite laborious. It is carried out in several stages. An artel is assembled from several people with different functional loads. The scouts are the first to leave for the taiga, followed by the rest of the brigade. They are in the fishery for a week: they collect cones, clean them, and extract pine nuts.

The collection is carried out in several ways:

1. Already fallen cones are picked up that the animals have not taken away. The method is unproductive, the cones fall unevenly, most of them remain on the pine.
2. In the artel there is always a person who climbs trees. He climbs a tree, using a long pole with a hook at the end, he knocks down cones, they are collected below.
3. They climb a tree with the help of special devices on shoes in the form of long spikes (claws). This method is less dangerous, but requires certain skills.
4. The most time-consuming type of fishing is knocking down with a log hammer. This device with a long handle and a sledgehammer at the end weighs 50 kg. He is attached to a tree trunk, with the help of ropes he is taken back, released. From the impact, the tree shakes, the cones come off in a continuous stream.

Collect the material in bags and take it to the parking lot for further cleaning.

How is it processed after collection

Before leaving for the taiga, they prepare the equipment necessary for obtaining pine nuts. Processing is carried out in the following way:

1. Cones are crushed in a box with a shaft built inside, having a surface in the form of a grater. The bottom of the device is slatted. At the bottom, under the crusher, a fabric or cellophane is spread.
2. Pine nuts are separated from debris using a sieve with large cells, sieved again through small ones. Cleaning can be carried out by discarding, fragments of debris are lighter, they are discarded further, the seeds are showered in one place.
3. If the camp is located near a reservoir, cleaning can be done with water. For this purpose, stagnant water or a river with a slow current is suitable. On the shallows, at the bottom of the river, a film is stretched, fixed with stones, seeds are poured into the middle in a thin layer. Debris and shields will be carried away by the current or they will rise to the surface. The method is less laborious, but the pine nuts will take longer to dry.
4. After separation from debris, pine nuts are dried. A sheet of metal is placed over the fire, seeds are poured onto it, dried, constantly stirring. Then they are poured into one pile in the corner of the tent, the bags are not used before transportation.

Pine seeds collected in a heap are constantly stirred. After transportation, they are scattered in a thin layer to evaporate the remaining moisture. When the year is lean and the time spent in the taiga will be short. The material is collected in bags, taken home and cleaned on site.

Conclusion

Pine nuts grow all over the world. There are several varieties of pine trees that produce edible seeds. The best nuts in terms of chemical composition and energy value grow on the Siberian pine, but in terms of the content of active substances, Cedar elfin is in no way inferior.