Harvesting Chilgoza Nuts

Pinyon nut harvesting takes place in the early fall. However, for many pinyon nut gatherers, harvesting is an activity that begins as much as two years before the cones are ready to release their seeds. During the spring, buyers and harvesters scout the countryside, looking for concentrations of pinyon trees heavily laden with maturing cones. Some buyers rent planes and helicopters to scout out areas with commercially viable cone crops. During the fall harvest season, pickers and buyers also keep their eyes open for places where a large number of trees bear first-year cones that may mature the following fall if suitable moisture and temperature conditions occur the next spring and summer. Pickers and buyers are always thinking in terms of pinyon’s multi-year fruiting cycle and the phases associated with that cycle. They must also think regionally, as well as locally, since the location of commercially viable concentrations of pinyon nuts shifts across the landscape from year to year.

Pickers gather pine nuts in several ways. Some, including many who pick commercially, harvest green cones still on the tree. Most birds and mammals cannot easily open the tightly closed scales of the green cones. However, pinyon jays and Clark’s nutcrackers are able to extract seeds from green cones, so pickers who wish to compete successfully need to be at the harvesting sites as soon as possible after the cones have ripened. Once the cones turn brown, their scales open up, exposing the seeds to the elements and seed-eating mammals and birds. Seeds in the opened cones eventually fall to the ground, a process that a strong wind, rain, or snow storm will accelerate. Once the seeds are scattered on the ground, birds and small mammals quickly consume them, making the harvest less profitable for human gatherers.

Green cone pickers use ladders to climb the trees to remove cones when they are still green and haven’t yet released their seeds. Green cone pickers also use a hooked pole to pull down branches far enough to where they can remove the cones from the tree. Harvesting the resinous green cones is sticky, difficult work and very time-consuming. Brown cone, or “dry picking” takes place a little later in the season once the cones have dried, but have not yet released their seeds or fallen to the ground. The seeds can be removed from the brown cones by hitting the cones over a blanket or screen to catch the seeds. Brown cones are easier to harvest, but the chances are greater that other seed predators will have removed a large portion of the seeds.

Pickers who aren’t picking commercially, as well as some commercial pickers, often gather seeds directly from the ground, particularly in bumper crop years when seeds are so abundant that birds and mammals are unable to gather most of the seeds before human harvesters arrive. Some pickers rake or sweep up the seeds, and then run them through a screen to sift the seeds from the litter (Little 1993). Others pickers gather seeds from packrat middens, a practice which is more efficient than picking up individual seeds that have fallen to the ground and less messy than picking green cones. However, seeds from middens are more likely to have rodent fecal matter on the shells, which increases the risk of spreading rodent-borne diseases, such as hanta virus.

Very few pickers use mechanical harvesters like those used to harvest pistachios and walnuts. Most commercial nut harvesting machines are designed to shake the trees and to operate on relatively flat land and in groves where trees are grown at regular spacings (Mexal 1993). Pinyon trees have shallow lateral root systems, and the likelihood of damaging a tree when mechanically shaking it is high (Mexal 1993). Additionally, most pinyon trees are irregularly spaced, and many grow on slopes too steep for the use of most types of mechanical harvesters to be practical (Mexal 1993). Lastly, prices of the most commonly used types of mechanical harvesters-in excess of $100,000-are prohibitive for most pickers and buyers. One broker we talked with had experimented with using a portable harvesting machine developed for harvesting other types of tree nuts. This machine creates a vacuum to suck loose nuts into a carrying bag.

However, the resinous cones tend to gum up the machine and the broker found that it was faster to pick by hand.

Processing Pinyon Nuts:

Pinyon nuts require several processing steps before they are ready to eat. The amount of initial processing that goes into readying the nuts for the market or home use depends on whether the pickers gathered green cones, brown cones, fallen seeds, or seeds taken from rodent caches. It also depends on whether the nuts are destined to be sold unshelled or shelled. In larger-scale picking operations, harvesters process the cones at the picking site. Green cones: Green cones must first be dried either in a drying machine or in the sun to release the brackets that hold in the seeds. Once the green cones are sufficiently dry, the processing is the same as for brown cones.

Brown cones: Brown cones are shaken to release the nuts, often by using a tumbling machine equipped with screens sized so that the nuts will fall through into one area and the cones through another. Once the seeds have been extracted, they are sorted by machine or by hand to remove empty shells and poor quality seeds. After extracting the nuts, most commercial operators dry the nuts to reduce their moisture content, a process which greatly prolongs their shelf life. The dried nuts are then run through a milling station to remove the kernel from its hard outer shell.

• Seeds from rodent caches: Seeds gathered from the ground or from rodent middens must be thoroughly washed while still in the shell before they can be processed further. Some dealers and brokers soak the unshelled pinyon nuts in brine, and sell them either raw or toasted. For small-scale or home consumption, buyers recommend using a mallet or rolling pin to remove pinyon nut shells (Benner 1988).

Pinyon nut storage:

All types of pinyon nuts are best stored in a cool, dry environment. Fresh unshelled pinyon nuts will maintain their flavor and texture for a year or more if kept dry and refrigerated at temperatures between -5 to +2°C (Ciesla 1998). Because of their high fat content, fresh shelled pinyon nuts can become rancid in a matter of days or weeks, depending on the temperature and humidity (Ciesla 1998). If dried to the point where all or most of their moisture is eliminated, both shelled and unshelled nuts will keep much longer. Unshelled nuts will keep for three years or more if dried and stored in very dry, cool conditions (Woodruff 1967). A buyer or broker can count on shrinkage of roughly 20 percent for nuts stored over several months (Little 1977).

Pinyon Nut Products:

An evening of internet surfing reveals the existence of many products based partially or entirely on pinyon nuts. A description of some of the major products produced from pinyon nuts, as well as products that pinyon nuts are not yet used for, but for which market potential exists, is provided below.

Pinyon nuts – whole or pieces:

• Human food: The bulk of the Southwest’s pinyon nuts are sold as whole nuts for human consumption. Pinyon nuts are sold fresh and dried, shelled and unshelled, and raw and roasted. Some pinyon nut sellers soak unshelled nuts in brine to give them a salty taste; others sell shelled nuts coated with chiles or chocolate. Whole nuts and pieces are incorporated into candies, cookies, and sauces, such as pesto. Whole pinyon nuts are also used as garnishes on cooked foods, such as rice and pasta dishes, or on raw foods, such as salads. When eaten as a snack food, the flavors and textures of Colorado pinyon and singleleaf pinyon nuts are readily distinguishable from each other and from the flavors and textures of the three major types of imported pine nuts.

Used as an ingredient in confections and sauces, however, few consumers can detect the difference between different varieties of pine nuts. Since the price of pinyon nuts is generally much higher than that of imported pine nut varieties, the bulk of the pinyon harvest goes into high-end snack food and regional specialty food markets.

Pet food:

Some pet supply stores offer pinyon nuts in pet food mixes or as a stand-alone product. Small nuts are sold as feed for small parrot-like species such as lovebirds or finches; medium sized nuts are suggested for parrots, cockatoos and macaws. Larger fresh shelled and unshelled pinyon nuts are marketed as treats for pet squirrels, chinchillas, and other small rodents.

Ecosystem restoration and landscaping:

A small market in pinyon seeds has long existed for the nursery and landscaping market. In the past decade, federal and state initiatives to restore native ecosystems have created an expanding market for pinyon seeds suitable for growing seedlings destined for landscaping or restoration projects. Pinyon oil: Although pinyon nut oil is rarely seen in the contemporary United States, pine nut is commonly used for cooking and as a medicinal agent in the Mediterranean, Russia, and Korea (Sharashkin and Gold 2004). Manufacturers of beauty, wood finishing, and leather care products include pine nut oil in some products (Sharashkin and Gold 2004). In 2005, pine nut oil received an additional boost in the health products market when Lipid Nutrition began selling PinnoThin, an appetite suppressant based on oils from the Korean pine nut.

The active ingredient PinnoThin is pinolenic acid, one of the major fatty acids found in Korean pine nuts. Pinolenic prompts the release of cholecystokin, a hormone that regulates the production of appetite suppressing enzymes in the pancreas (Tuttle 2007). Pinolenic acid may also have other health benefits, such as reducing blood pressure and cholesterol levels (Tuttle 2007). Seeds from both Colorado pinyon and singleleaf pinyon contain pinolenic acid, as well as a variety of other fatty acids known to have health promoting qualities.

Pinyon flour :

Many Native American cultures made flour from pinyon nuts by parching them thoroughly to remove any moisture, and then grinding them into a coarse meal or flour. Pinyon flour is also a by-product of the pinyon oil manufacturing process. Pinyon meal and flour are used to make many of the same products that can be made with other types of flour. Pine nut meal can be mixed with water and prepared as a mush or gruel, similar to oatmeal. It makes very nutritious soups, and serves as a thickening agent for sauces. Very finely ground pine nut flour is used to make pastries, pancakes, and other culinary preparations calling for flour.

Pinyon picking experiences:

Over the past two decades, a strong market for wild food gathering and slow food experiences has emerged in many industrialized countries, including the United States. We did not find any of these types of activities taking place around the pinyon nut harvest in the Southwest. However, a recent rural economic development effort in the pine nut producing region of Korea provides a model for structuring a similar effort around the pinyon industry in the Southwest. In Korea, pine nuts are a traditional ingredient in a number of Korean dishes, including juk jaht, a gruel made from rice and pine nuts and served to children, the elderly, and the sick. Juk jaht is viewed as a fortifying food because of the medicinal and nutritional properties of pine nuts.

To capitalize on this tradition, the Korean forest villages of Pocheon Gidongsanchon and Gapyeong Bandibul recently initiated a fee-for-service program in which visitors can participate for a day in the annual pine nut harvest from September to November (Information Network Village Central Council 2002). Gapyeong County, where these pine nut experiences take place, produces 40 percent of Korea’s pine nut harvest. Interested visitors can also tour local pine nut processing sites, assist with cracking and shelling pine nuts in the plants, and learn how to prepare dishes made with pine nuts. The pine nut experience is one of a linked set of “temple” or “slow” food experiences offered through a national network of rural villages. The program’s purpose is to provide rural residents with income earning opportunities based on traditional farming and foraging activities. The villages also sponsor an annual “Miss Pine Nut” festival as a form of public relations and marketing for their pine nut products.

Pine Nut Commerce:

Global commerce in pine nuts

Seeds from three types of pines-the stone pine (P. pinea), Korean pine (P. koraiensis), and Chilgoza pine (P. gerardiana)-have been widely traded in international markets for many years (Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) 1995). Siberian pine seeds (Pinus sibirica) have recently entered international markets in large quantities as well (Sarashkin and Gold 2004). Stone pine nuts that enter the international market are harvested primarily from domesticated trees; nuts from the other species of pines are mostly harvested from wild trees (Ciesla 1998). Table 5 provides information about source countries and size of nuts for six types of pine nuts traded on international markets.

China, which produces and exports seeds of the Korean pine, is the world’s largest exporter of pine nuts. However, a substantial percentage of China’s pine nut exports originate in Mongolia, Korea and Russia (Marsanta Bulletin 2006). These countries ship unshelled pine nuts to China, where they are dried and shelled by hand (Marsanta Foods Limited 2006). Spain, Portugal, and Italy have for many decades been the primary exporters of seeds from the stone pine, which grows throughout the Mediterranean basin (Ciesla 1998). Turkey emerged as a strong competitor in the stone pine market during the 1990s. The Turkish government invested heavily in improving existing plantations of Italian stone pine in state- owned forests and providing economic development assistance to villagers in pine nut producing regions (Melekber 2004). However, despite increased export production Turkey remains a net importer of pine nuts. Most of its imported pine nuts come from China, Pakistan,and Afghanistan (Melekber 2004).

Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India export seeds from the Chilgoza pine, which grows in mountainous areas of those countries, as well as in Tibet (Ciesla 1998). In Afghanistan, the Chilgoza pine is cultivated for its nuts, but elsewhere its nuts are harvested from wild trees. Until the 1980s, Siberian pine nuts were used and traded primarily within Russia. However, when trade relations between China and the United States improved, Siberian pine nuts harvested in Russia and processed in China began to enter the international market in large quantities. Recent studies indicating that Siberian pine oil is an appetite suppressant have sparked additional interest on the international market for Siberian pine nuts (Sharashkin and Gold 2004).

For all practical purposes, pinyon nuts are not traded in international markets: exports from the United States all varieties of shelled and in-shell pine nuts are so low that the Foreign Agricultural Service does not include them in its export tracking database (USDA,FAS 2007). The U.S. exports small quantities of prepared pine nut products, mostly to Canada, Singapore, and Mexico (see Tables 6 and 7). U.S. trade data lumps all pine nuts into one category, and therefore it cannot be used to determine what percentage of the value or quantity of pine nut product exports are derived from pinyon nuts. Prices and demand for pine nuts in countries that import or export pine nuts are influenced by natural and political events taking place in major exporting countries.

For example, in 2006, the Mongolian government refused to issue export permits on 3000 metric tons of pine nuts in an effort to force pine nut traders to pay an export tax on their product, driving world pine nut prices to an abnormally high level (Marsanta Foods Limited 2006). Pine nut crops in Asia and Europe follow a cyclical pattern similar to that of pinyon nut crops. The Chilgoza pine has a commercial crop roughly every 5 years (Melekber 2004). Italian stone pine seed production also fluctuates, but cultivators have dampened its cycle through centuries of genetic selection aimed at producing prolific and frequent seed bearing trees (Fady et al. 2004).

A poor seed crop of Korean pine increases demand for Italian stone pine and Chilgoza pine seeds, as evidenced by the increase in imports to the U.S. from Spain, Portugal, Pakistan, and Turkey during years when imports from China are substantially lower than normal (see Figures 5a and 5b). Prices of imported pine nuts in the United States can rise significantly if insufficient product is available from regions other than China to make up the shortfall. Poor crops of Italian stone pine and Chilgoza pine tend to have less impact than Chinese imports on pine nut prices in the United States because they represent a much smaller percentage of total supply on the market.

Pine nut imports to the United States: Sources, quantities, values2 China (including Hong Kong) is by far the single biggest exporter of pine nuts, in-shell and shelled, to the United States. From 1989 to 2006, China accounted for 84 percent of the total quantity of in-shell pine nut imports to the U.S. (see Tables 8 and 9). Portugal accounted for 5.3 percent of the in-shell imports, and Turkey for another 5 percent. Afghanistan, Pakistan, South Korea, and Spain contributed the bulk of the rest of the in-shell imports. China’s contribution to shelled pine nut imports was even greater – 92 percent of the total quantity brought in to the United States (see Tables 10 and 11). Spain was the next largest importer of shelled pine nuts (2 percent), followed by Portugal (1.9 percent), Pakistan (1.8 percent), and Turkey (1.6 percent).

Annual total imports of in-shell pine nuts have risen fairly steadily over the past 17 years. They increased from an average of 1086 metric tons between 1989 and 1992 to 4024 metric tons between 2003 and 2006-roughly a fourfold increase. The total value of in-shell imports rose from an average of $9.8 million per year between 1989 and 1992 to $39 million per year between 2003 and 2006. The annual average value of shelled pine nut imports during this same period increased only very slightly, from $9300/metric ton to $9750/metric ton.

Authors:

Rebecca McLain

Penny Frazier