Pine nuts are rightly considered a delicacy loved by both adults and children. To delight yourself with a useful product, you need to know about proper and long-term storage. How to dry and clean this valuable nut at home, preventing its damage - further in the article.
How to prepare pine nuts for storage
Before sending pine nuts for storage, they must first be prepared for this. When buying, you should choose nuts of good quality, so the shelf life will increase significantly.
To do this, you need:
- to take whole grains in the shell without any spots, without an external smell, not overdried, dense;
- peeled nuts should be light in color, without mold, without a specific smell.
Only high-quality products can last longer, will be tasty and will not bring any harm to human health.
Important! The ripening period of pine nuts falls in September - October, when the cones themselves fall to the ground.
How to Dry Pine Nuts
There are several ways to dry nuts: fry them, use a dryer, using the old method of drying in attics or in stoves.
Each of these methods is quite effective and has its own nuances, namely:
- roasting carried out at home in a conventional oven (or in a skillet). To do this, heat the oven to a temperature of 120 ° C and hold nuts in it for about half an hour. Fry for 5-10 minutes in a pan, stirring constantly;
- in the dryer, pre-loading it with the product, it is necessary to dry for 5-6 hours;
- in the attic or in the sun the nuts must be spread out in a uniform thin layer and dried until fully cooked, making sure that moisture does not enter. Stoves play the same role as ovens, the only difference is that you need to light a fire, wait until the coals remain, and on the sieve set above, dry the product.
How to peel
Shelling cedar kernels is not a big deal.
Did you know? From one adult cedar, you can get up to 50 kg of pure nuts per year.
This procedure is done by the following methods:
- heat - Pour the prepared nuts into a dry pan or baking sheet. Fry for 15-20 minutes over high heat, stirring constantly, cool the nuts. In the oven, dry the product at a temperature of 110–120 ° C for 10–15 minutes. Peel roasted nuts with your fingers or compress with a rolling pin;
- soaking in hot water - completely fill the nuts with boiling water for 20-30 minutes, drain the water, dry the product. As a result, the shell softens and is easily removed by hand;
- temperature difference - First you need to warm the nuts thoroughly, and then substitute them under cold water. Because of this effect, the shell itself cracks and is easily detached by the fingers. With this method, quick spoilage of products due to moisture on the kernels of nuts is possible;
- freezing - Put the nuts in the bag into the freezer. Hold them there for several hours and remove. Frozen shells become fragile. A packet can be held under pressure with a rolling pin, monitoring the integrity of the cores. The disadvantage of this method is that both the kernels and shells are mixed in a package, and later they need to be separated from each other;
- use of special devices - crushers (gasoline, electric, etc.) are used on an industrial scale. At home, they are perfect: a hammer, pliers, a garlic press, a rolling pin, etc. This method is somewhat traumatic and takes a lot of time.
Video: how to clean pine nuts
Storage conditions for nuts
Pine nuts, like other products, begin to deteriorate after a short time.
But, to increase the shelf life, you need to adhere to some conditions and recommendations:
- only high quality products need to be selected;
- optimal storage rooms are a cellar, pantry, basement, refrigerator;
- nuts should be kept in hermetically sealed containers;
- You can store uncleaned cones, kernels in the shell and without it.
Where to store pine nuts
Storage for pine nuts must comply with the following requirements:
- lack of light;
- optimal temperature - no more than + 18 ° С;
- humidity within 55-60%.
A suitable place in the apartment for storing pine nuts is a refrigerator, as well as a cool, dry balcony or pantry.
What to store
For the best preservation of forest products and preservation of nutritional properties, they must be kept in such containers:
- glass jars;
- ceramic containers;
- breathable bags;
- plastic bags.
The main criterion for a special container is its complete tightness, which does not allow water and light to appear on the products contained inside.
Important! In order to avoid spoilage of products, they should be regularly inspected and discarded spoiled.
Do pine nuts spoil
If you do not adhere to the correct storage requirements for nuts, they can go bad very soon. First, the appearance (color) changes, then an unpleasant odor, mold appears, and a bitter aftertaste becomes. This product is not allowed to eat, as it becomes hazardous to health.
How many nuts are stored
If all storage requirements are met, the shelf life of the nuts will be different, depending on whether they are shelled or not. And also the container in which the product is stored plays an important role in this. So, for example, roasted nuts are not stored for a long time, since the oils that they emit during frying will very quickly give the kernels a bitter taste. They are recommended to be used immediately.
Did you know? Cedar oil is used in the technical industries for the manufacture of high-quality optics.
In shell
In shell nuts remain for about six months, no longer. To do this, they should be kept in a special container, adhering to regular ventilation, temperature routines and the level of humidity in the room.
Peeled
Purified kernels can be stored for about 1 year. They must be in the refrigerator, in tightly sealed containers. Or, to increase their safety, they must be placed in the freezer.
Pine nuts loved by many will be able to bring pleasure to their taste for a long time. The main condition for this is their proper storage, a competent and responsible approach to this issue.
