How to peel a pine nut from the shell at home: methods and recommendations

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Pine nuts are not only tasty, but also a very useful product for our body. The composition contains a large number of different useful substances and elements. In addition, pine nuts have a large energy reserve that every person needs. That is why, when eating this product, you need to know how to peel a pine nut from the shell. We will talk about this in more detail in this article.

Types of processing

Speaking about how to peel a pine nut from the shell, you should pay attention to the fact that on an industrial scale this product is processed using special equipment. But what to do at home? You can process the cone yourself by removing the nuts from there and peeling them from the shell. For thosetargets, you can use several methods. Considering how to peel a pine nut from the shell, it should be noted that each method is very effective and safe, so you can do it yourself at home. These should include:

1. Pine nuts can be processed with a sieve.
2. If you have a large amount of this product, you can use a grater and fork to process the cones.
3. If you don't know how to shell a pine nut, you can use a sudden temperature change.
4. Some use water for this purpose.

And if you want to improve the taste of the product, then you can fry the nuts a little or roast them. You can do this using an oven, a frying pan or a Russian oven.

Tools

So, we continue to consider how to peel pine nuts from the shell. Before introducing you to the purification process, it should be noted that the harvest begins after August 20th. For this, cones are collected in advance in cedar forests. With a good harvest, when mature cones fall from the trees to the ground under the influence of the wind, about 10 bags of nuts can be harvested per day.

So, how to peel pine nuts from the shell? What tools will be needed for this? You can make your own equipment with which you can process cones:

1. Shishkoterka. This device has the shape of a square deep iron box without a bottom. Insidethere is a roller with spikes. This grater has a handle on the outside. This device works on the principle of a meat grinder. To do this, you need to throw 1-2 buckets of pine cones into the box, twist them. The cones break, fall along with the nuts into a bag specially hung and prepared in advance.
2. Sita. For the next step in shelling a pine nut, you will need a sieve of two sizes. With their help, pine nuts are cleaned of husks and debris. The sieves will differ from each other by the diameter of the hole. In a sieve with large holes, primary processing is carried out, and with the help of a fine sieve, nuts are processed even more thoroughly, being cleaned of debris. Cones after the grater must be thrown initially on a large sieve. The nuts that remain in the product should fall onto a plastic bag or film, which is pre-spread under the sieve. After that, the procedure is repeated, but on another product, with the smallest holes. This method of processing as a result will provide you with clean nuts without debris and husks.
3. Rubel. How to peel pine nuts from the shell further? At the next stage of cleansing, you will need a rubel, which is a tool that looks like a simple washboard. With this tool, you can peel pine nuts very quickly. The cones are stacked on a rubel, they are pressed through from above by a board that has a handle. With small and quick pressure, the cone rubs between two surfaces. As a result, the nuts are separated, after which they must be cleaned of debris.

In addition, the technology of shelling pine nuts also involves the use of pliers, a hammer, a garlic press. These tools are used if you need to clean the bumps.

At home

And how to get pine nuts out of the shell at home? This will depend on how much product you want to clean. If you have purchased several cones from the market and want to enjoy this delicacy, then you will not need any professional equipment. To do this, you do not need to acquire special devices for cleaning pine nuts from the shell. The whole process will be very simple and also fast.

Low Volume Technique

If you are going to shell a small amount of pine cones, you can use the method without any special tools and equipment to shell pine nuts. To do this, you only need improvised means. This includes heavy objects. You can also apply a temperature change or plain water. Let's consider these methods separately.

Boiling cones

Cones must be placed in any container, pour water. When they boil, it is necessary to drain the water, and cool the cones. Thanks to hot water, the scales become soft, the nuts are quite easy to get. In addition, this method helps to get rid of the resin that sticks to the hands.

Manual peeling

This treatment will require a simple household bucket, as well as gloves. You will need two buckets: for garbage, as well as a clean walnut. The cone must be taken with both hands, simultaneously twisted in opposite directions. As a result of this, it breaks, nuts fly out of there.

At the stake

This processing is very convenient if people are somewhere in nature. To do this, in a dying fire, when there are only coals left, you need to throw cones, then bake them like a simple potato. In time, this should take no more than 10 minutes. The resin should burn off and the bud should become softer, after which it will be easy to pull the nuts out.

Now let's look at how you can peel pine nuts from the shell.

Change of temperature regime

Peeled prepared nuts should be placed in the freezer for 20 minutes. After that, they are poured into a container, where boiling water is poured in advance. It is necessary to keep the nuts in the liquid for 5 minutes, then discard through a colander. The product is slightly dried, after which you can peel the nuts with your fingers. This method significantly softens the shell, it becomes the most elastic, soft, easily crushed. In addition, this method is quite simple.

Soaking in water

Pre-prepared nuts should be filled with water, left for several hours, then drained and cleaned. To speed up this process, pour boiling water over the nuts.

Quick cooling and heating

The temperature regime can be applied in the opposite direction. To do this, first, nuts are heated in a pan, and thenfall into ice water. Nuts should be in the liquid for several hours. After that, the water must be drained through a colander.

Freezer

You can also soften the shell of pine nuts using the freezer. They are laid out for this in packages, after which they are sent to the freezer for about a couple of hours so that the product freezes well. After that, they must be pulled out and rolled out with a simple rolling pin on the table, but not removed from the package. As a rule, the shell cracks, and the kernels are easy to get.

Handy tools

This can include some heavy objects, such as a wrench, hammer, pliers. If you decide to use this method of peeling nuts, then you do not need to beat them. It is only necessary to press on the nut with a hard object so that a crack appears on the shell, after which it is peeled off with your hands.

Practical Tips

You can process nuts in absolutely different ways. The main condition is that the method should be convenient for you. It should also be remembered that the purified product deteriorates very quickly, so it is recommended to clean the nuts immediately before eating them. Consider useful tips and tricks:

1. Due to the high content of fatty substances in nuts, long-term storage will not be appropriate for peeled kernels. The fact is that over time, this product acquires a bitter aftertaste, while losing all its beneficial properties for the body.
2. WoWhen buying pine nuts, you should make sure that their expiration date has not yet expired.
3. After purchasing nuts in a store or after processing, they should be washed in warm water, then dried a little. This must be done in order to remove fine dust from the shell. In addition, safety and cleanliness are essential before eating food.
4. If you processed nuts with water, then they should be dried thoroughly. It is advisable to do this outdoors or in a well-ventilated, warm room. For the most uniform drying, it is recommended to periodically turn the nuts over.
5. Never store nuts when wet as they will become moldy.
6. Please note that not only the kernels, but also the shell itself contains vitamins, trace elements, and other useful substances. You can dry such waste raw materials, and then use it for the preparation of various medicinal tinctures, inhalations and lotions. Such home remedies have a very pleasant taste, contain vitamins of group E, B, as well as resins and fatty acids. Such compounds are used for the treatment of colds, rheumatism, and other diseases of the joints.
7. To prevent the nuts from rolling on the surface of the table during processing, they must be placed in the hole of the wrench with a large diameter. After that, using a hammer or rolling pin, gently crack the shell, cleaning it with your hands from the remnants.
8. If you are going to extract the kernels from the cones in large quantities, then doyou need to wear gloves. This way you will avoid sticking to the hands of unpleasant resin.
9. Gutted buds, waste products, and flakes can be used as a fertilizer for growing indoor plants, as well as for seedlings in the garden. In addition, these wastes are used in the field of cosmetology for baths, as well as hair rinse.

In conclusion, it is worth noting that cedar kernels are used for food both raw and fried. In addition, they can be used in cooking to make a variety of dishes. In folk medicine, you can find recipes for a honey-nut mixture, which is taken in the morning on an empty stomach to replenish your body with energy, as well as useful vitamins and substances.