- Type
- Trees & Vines
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Season
- Fall
- Sowing
- Plant a sapling
Korean Pine Nut
Pinus koraiensis
Unsaturated fat, magnesium · the seed inside a Korean pine cone
Pine nuts are the seeds held inside the cones of the Korean pine. A single cone holds roughly 80 to 100 of them, and each has to be shelled by hand. In Korea the main producing areas are Gapyeong in Gyeonggi and Hongcheon in Gangwon, with harvest in September and October. The tree passes twenty metres, so this is not something anyone grows in a city; you meet it as shelled kernels at the market. The Donguibogam noted it grew deep in the mountains and that the shell was removed before eating.
Year-Round Calendar
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Where It Grows
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Main producer
Gathered from the forests around the Changbai Mountains in Heilongjiang and Jilin, and accounting for a large share of the world pine nut trade. Harvest September, October
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Main producer
Wild cones are gathered from the old-growth forests of Primorsky Krai and Khabarovsk. Harvest September, October
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Major producer
Gathered from planted forests in Gapyeong in Gyeonggi, and Hongcheon and Inje in Gangwon. Harvest September, October
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- Wild population Grows wild in the forests around Mount Paektu and the Kaema Plateau.
Its native range is the cool-temperate forest spanning the Korean Peninsula, northeastern China and the Russian Far East; because no single country defines it, no place-of-origin row has been set. In China and Russia much of the crop is gathered from wild forest, while in Korea much of it comes from planted forest. The pine nuts sold in Europe and the Middle East are not from the Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis) but are the seeds of other pines, such as the Italian stone pine (Pinus pinea), so they are not shaded on the same map.
- Optimum
- 10~20℃
- Range
- 0~25℃
- Hardiness
- Hardy
- Day length
- Not applicable
A conifer of the cool-temperate forest, where summers are cool and winters long. It endures cold of nearly −40℃, but pays for that with a weakness to heat: it will not grow in the southern lowlands, and the lower the latitude, the higher up the mountains it climbs. It likes well-drained sandy loam and roots deeply.
Harvested 15–20 years after planting. From planting a sapling to the first cones takes some fifteen to twenty years, and the heavy bearers are trees over thirty years old. The year of planting and the year of harvest lie far apart, and haegeori — alternate bearing, in which heavy and light crops swing from year to year — is pronounced.
In Korea Mountain areas
It is planted on high-altitude mountain land where summers are cool. Gapyeong in Gyeonggi and Hongcheon and Inje in Gangwon are the main growing areas, and in September–October pickers climb the trees to take the cones. In the southern lowlands the summer heat is too much for it.
How to grow
- Light
- For open ground only; it is not a pot plant. It suits a bright, cool upland site.
- Soil and depth
- For open ground only. It prefers free-draining sandy ground and roots deeply, so a pot will not hold it for more than a few years.
- Spacing
- Five to six metres in the ground. Pot culture is effectively impossible, and bonsai specimens will not produce nuts.
- Watering
- Water for the first two or three years after planting. After that rainfall suffices, and it actively dislikes standing water.
- Feeding
- Compost at planting is enough. Heavy fertiliser produces soft, weak growth.
- Harvest
- September into October. Climb and pick while the cones are still firm, before they dry fully brown. Left to fall, squirrels get there first.
What makes the difference. This will not work in a pot; buying is the realistic route. Choose plump kernels with a pointed tip and a milky colour. Yellowing or visible oil means they have turned. Shelled pine nuts keep about a month refrigerated and six months frozen. Pull off the pointed brown cap before use, or it adds bitterness.
Why this one is harder. A mature tree is 20 to 30 metres. It takes 15 to 20 years to bear, and harvest means working high in the canopy.
Common problems
- Pine needle gall midge You will see Swelling at the base of the needles, shortened needles, and early needle drop. What to do Gather and burn affected needles; leave large trees to a professional treatment.
- Korean pine sawfly You will see Needles turning brown and disappearing in clumps over summer. What to do The larvae drop into the soil, so strip back the leaf litter under the tree.
- Squirrels and chipmunks You will see Whole cones vanishing before they ripen, leaving only scale fragments. What to do There is no reliable barrier, so the practical answer is harvesting earlier.
This page describes how a crop is grown and used. It does not claim health effects for any food, nor is it intended to prevent or treat disease. Component and study notes are references only and do not mean the same result occurs in people. Consult a medical professional about health concerns.
Health Benefits
What the Donguibogam records. The Donguibogam lists pine nuts in its fruit section as 海松子 (haesongja). It gives them a slightly warm nature, a sweet taste and no toxicity. It notes that although found in many places they grow deep in the mountains, that the tree resembles a pine or arborvitae and the seed looks like a melon seed, and that the shell is removed before the kernel is used. This is a historical medical record and differs from modern judgement.
What studies have observed. This research used pine nut oil and pinolenic acid preparations, which is not the same as eating the nuts themselves. Small trials have reported changes in appetite-related hormone markers, but participant numbers were low and the results inconsistent. It does not reach the point where it can be restated as an effect on weight control.
Nutrition
- Fat (About 68 g per 100 g, mostly unsaturated) — One of the highest fat ratios among nuts
- Pinolenic acid (A fatty acid characteristically abundant in pine nuts) — Almost absent from other nuts
- Protein (About 14 g per 100 g) — A plant protein source
- Magnesium (About 250 mg per 100 g) — High among nuts
Fat and calories Pine nuts run about 670 kcal per 100 g, more than two bowls of rice. A tablespoon is roughly 10 g, so about 67 kcal, and using them as a garnish of a few kernels is the easiest way to keep the amount in check. All that fat is also why they go rancid quickly.
Magnesium At around 250 mg per 100 g, pine nuts sit high among nuts for magnesium. A tablespoon delivers roughly 25 mg, which is not a meaningful side dish's worth. You only get a real amount in something like pine nut porridge, where they are the main ingredient. The calories arrive on the same terms.
Rancidity The fat is largely unsaturated, which makes it vulnerable to air and light. Left at room temperature they turn rancid inside a month. Keep them sealed in the refrigerator, or the freezer for longer storage. A bitter taste or a sour smell means they have gone, and they should be discarded.
Pairings
○ Pine nut porridge — Soaked rice and pine nuts ground together and simmered. The fat in the nuts gives the porridge its texture. Boil it long and the oil separates, so keep the heat low, stir, and finish quickly.
○ As a garnish on vegetables or cold dishes — Finely chopped pine nuts add a toasted note. Chop them on a sheet of paper so the oil does not soak into the board. Chopping ahead speeds up rancidity, so do it as you serve.
○ Sujeonggwa and sikhye — A few kernels floated on top are enough for the aroma. Added early they absorb liquid and sink, so put them on at the moment of serving. Pull off the brown tips first.
△ Nut allergy - a declarable allergen — Pine nut is a declarable allergen in Korea, named on processed food labels by law, and anyone allergic to it should not eat it. Botanically they are pine seeds rather than tree nuts, but allergy to pine nuts alone has been reported. Read the allergen line on the label of processed foods first. Introduce them to a child in small amounts and watch for a reaction. Dishes where they are the main ingredient, like pine nut porridge, deserve extra care.
△ Pine mouth — A metallic or bitter taste that appears a day or two after eating pine nuts and lingers for several days has been reported. It is associated mainly with seeds from particular pine species and usually resolves on its own within one to two weeks. Reports cluster around cheap nuts of unclear origin.
△ Old stock — The high fat content makes them go off fast. Rancid pine nuts are not only unpleasant; they carry increased oxidation products. Store them chilled or frozen, and discard any that have yellowed.
Varieties
- Korean pine (Sapling) — Nearly all Korean pine nuts. Long kernels with a rich, nutty taste.
- Japanese white pine (Sapling) — Planted as a garden tree and for bonsai. Seeds are small and rarely eaten.
- Dwarf Siberian pine (Sapling) — Grows prostrate at high altitude. Small seeds.
Source: Donguibogam, Fruit Section (海松子) · Rural Development Administration (nongsaro.go.kr)