Removing from cones and peeling pine nuts at home is quite difficult. The main problem is that for these purposes there is no special equipment, and the process itself is carried out by removing the resin on the cones. How to do it right, read below.
How to get rid of pine cones
To get nuts from cones, they need to be properly processed. The first step is to get rid of the tar. The goal can only be achieved through heat treatment, or rather cooking. There are no other ways to remove the resin.
Important! Process cooking is best done in the open air and use a container that is "not a pity." The fact is that coniferous vapors from an enclosed space are very difficult to weather, unless you have a high-quality range hood in the kitchen.
Step-by-step instruction:
- Put the cones in a suitable pan.
- To fill with water. Submerge a layer of hay or freshly cut grass in a liquid - this technique will help save the cones from excess resin.
- After boiling the liquid, reduce the heat and cook for 30–40 minutes, but no more.
- Remove the container with cones from the fire. Remove them from boiling water and place them on paper towels for cooling. After this manipulation, it will be possible to easily release the nuts.
Removing tar from hands after brushing cones
When the treatment is done, the nuts are peeled, another problem remains - the resin on the skin of the hands. You can remove it in several ways. The first involves the use of vegetable oil. This option is suitable for both adults and children, because the probability of various injuries during the procedure is practically excluded.
Step-by-step instructions for removing tar from the skin with oil (you can take any vegetable that is at hand):
- Soak a cotton swab with oil.
- Gently massage the oil into the skin, where there are impurities, for 15-30 minutes. It all depends on the size of the surface to be treated.
- Wash hands with soap under hot water (about + 40 ° C).
Similarly, the procedure using ethanol. Instead, you can take vodka. Only rubbing time will be less - from 5 to 15 minutes. For gentle children's skin, this approach is unlikely to be suitable, since mechanical grinding in combination with alcohol can cause severe irritation and even burns.
Important! After removing the tar from the skin of the hands through the use of alcohol-containing compounds, be sure to lubricate your hands with a nourishing cream or almond essential oil after the procedure.
Tar tar can be removed with citric acid. To do this, a cotton pad is moistened in water, then lowered into a "lemon" and gently clean the skin surface. Movements must be made from the outer borders of the spot to its center. Immediately after elimination of contamination, hands are washed with hot water and soap. For children, this method is not suitable, because it can cause serious skin irritation. Also, do not resort to it if there are injuries or microcracks on the surface of the dermis.
How to get pine nuts from cones
Cedar is a rather rare plant, so buyers usually see expensive nuts when they are already peeled. However, if it is possible to get a cone, then it does not hinder to get acquainted with the information on how to properly remove seeds from it. At this stage, it is better to use gloves so as not to look for a way to wash the resin from the skin of the hands. If the cones are ripe, then you will not have to make much effort. It is enough to knock it on the wall of the pan and some of the fruit will spill out on its own.
But the preferred option described above, involving the heat treatment of cones. Firstly, all the resin will be removed immediately, and secondly, after that, the nuts themselves will not have to be further processed in order to soften the shell. After cooking, it will become thin and easy to remove.
Did you know? The highest cedar is the Himalayan. In height, it reaches 50 m.
When the cone is peeled and the nuts are collected, you need to remove the shell to get to the tasty kernel. This can be done using improvised home tools. To facilitate your work will help additional processing in order to soften the shell.
Video: Pine nut mining
Nut pretreatment options before cleaning:
- Submerge the nuts for 20 minutes in boiling water, then put on a towel, let the water drain and proceed to peeling.
- Fold the product in a plastic bag, release air from it, tie. Put in the freezer for 2-3 hours. After the specified time, remove the nuts, peel. When using this method, the shelf life of the processed fruit will be no more than 1 week.
- Preheat the oven to + 150 ° C. Lay nuts on a baking sheet, withstand at the indicated temperature for about 15 minutes, periodically monitoring the process. If the nuts get a golden color earlier, then they should be immediately removed from the oven, otherwise the kernel will be tasteless.
- Put nuts in a hot frying pan and fry for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Then immediately transfer the product to a vessel with ice water for 1 minute. Fold in a colander, drain, spread on a paper towel.
By choosing one of the above methods, peeling nuts is very simple. The easiest way to put them in a bag, and then remove air from the package and tie. Then you should go along the surface of the bag with a rolling pin, as if you were rolling out the dough. After that, you can untie the bag, take out the contents, sift it from the shell and enjoy the delicious cedar kernels.
Did you know? In dishes made of cedar wood, milk does not turn sour for a long time.
To clean pine cones to get nuts is a rather difficult task. But the result is worth it. The nutty delicate aroma and taste will leave an unforgettable impression.
