Page 196 - The Forager’s Guide to Wild Foods

Pine (White), Pinus

strobus (PINACEAE)

WHITE PINE is a large evergreen conifer, growing to
150 ft. (45m), with a pyramidal crown that grows irreg-
ular with age. All true pines are edible, though not all
are palatable.
FLOWER AND FRUIT: Yellow male catkins to 0.4-0.6
inches (1-1.5cm) long are borne in clusters. Light-green
female flowers give way to seed-bearing cones to 8 inch-
es (20cm) long.
LEAF: Measuring 3-5 inches (8-13cm) long, pale green
needles are flexible and soft to the touch. They grow in F. D. Richards, CC-BY-SA-2.0 sciondriver at Flickr, CC-BY-2.0
bundles of 5, falling off after 2-3 years. flour. All year-round needles can be used for a vita-
EDIBLE PARTS: young shoots, juvenile male cones, nee- min C-rich tea.
dles, inner bark PINE SHOOT SYRUP: Ingredients: 2 parts young

KEY MEDICINAL USES: This plant is an antiseptic, de- pine shoots, 1 part sugar. Layer shoots and sugar in a
mulcent, and expectorant. Resin can be applied to cuts jar. Let sit for a week.
and inflammations. WARNING: Resin and wood of various pine species
HOW TO HARVEST AND EAT: In spring, tender new have been known to cause dermatitis in some indi-
growth shoots can be harvested and cooked. You can viduals.
use the juvenile male cones for flavoring, or boil them as POISONOUS LOOK-ALIKES: American Yew, Taxus
survival fare. Inner bark can be dried and ground into canadensis; Yew Pine, Podocarpus macrophyllus

Pinyon Pine, Pinus
edulis (PINACEAE)

TWO-NEEDLE PINYON PINE is an evergreen conifer
with a height of 10-40 ft. (3-12m) and grey-brown, ir-
regularly furrowed bark. Closely related edible species
are the Single-leaf Pinyon, P. monophylla, Mexican Pin-

yon, P. cembroides, and Digger Pine, P. sabiniana.
FLOWER AND FRUIT: The resinous seed cones are 1.5 to
2 inches (3.5-5cm) long. They have a pale yellow to rusty
coloration and occur on short stalks in clusters of 2-3.

LEAF: Dark green needles are 0.5-2 inches (1.5-5cm)
Curtis Clark, CC-BY-SA-2.5
long, occurring in bundles of 2. Each needle has 2-3 sides
with either smooth or finely serrated margins. eat them raw. They produce an excellent nut-butter.
The inner bark, harvested in the spring, can be dried
EDIBLE PARTS: seeds (pine nuts), inner bark
and ground into flour.
KEY MEDICINAL USES: Resin is antiseptic, expecto-
TOASTED PINYON NUTS: Heat the skillet. Cover its
rant, and diuretic.
surface with a layer of nuts. Sprinkle with a few ta-
HOW TO HARVEST AND EAT: The best time to harvest
blespoons of salt-water and cook on high until nuts
pinyon pine nuts is at the very beginning of September.
begin to pop.
Put on some gardening gloves to prevent your hands
WARNING: Resin and wood of various pine species
from getting caked with the cones’ glue-like pitch, and
have been known to cause dermatitis in some indi-
collect the cones from the trees while they are still
viduals.
green. Spread the cones out on a flat surface and wait
about 3 weeks for them to open. Then pick out the de- POISONOUS LOOK-ALIKES: American Yew, Taxus
licious seeds. You can roast pine nuts in their shells or canadensis; Yew Pine, Podocarpus macrophyllus
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