Pine nuts are a great ingredient for adding a crunchy, buttery touch to any pasta or salad. If you don't want to pay more for roasted pine nuts, know that you can prepare them at home. Toast the peeled pine nuts gently in the oven or on the stove until they have a uniform brownish color. Another option is to roast them in the shell. To do this, heat the pine nuts in the oven or microwave until the shells break and remove the inner part of the seeds.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Toasting Peeled Pine Nuts in the Oven
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 190 °C and distribute the pine nuts on a baking sheet
Prefer a roasting pan with edges so that the pine nuts do not slip. Put all the seeds you want to roast on the baking sheet and set aside while the oven heats up.
Distribute the pine nuts in a single layer so that they roast evenly
Step 2. Roast the pine nuts for five to ten minutes
Place the pan in the preheated oven and roast the pine nuts until they smell. After five minutes, shake them so that they toast more evenly.
Step 3. Remove the pine nuts from the fire when they are golden
Pay close attention to the color of the pine nuts. Take them out of the oven when they are brown and have a brownish smell.
The pine nuts will continue to cook even after being taken out of the oven
Step 4. Cool the pine nuts in a cold baking dish
To prevent the pine nuts from burning, place them in a clean, edged, cold baking dish. This will make them not over the point.
Tip:
Avoid placing the pine nuts piled up in a bowl to cool. They will eventually retain moisture, which will make them take longer to cool down.
Step 5. Store pine nuts in a lidded container for up to one week
Once the pine nuts are cool, transfer them to a container with a lid and store them in the cupboard, out of direct sunlight. To fully enjoy the taste of the seeds, eat them in at most a week.
To keep pine nuts longer, refrigerate or freeze them in a lidded container for three to six months
Method 2 of 4: Roasting Peeled Pine Nuts on the Stove
Step 1. Place the pine nuts in a dry skillet
Place the skillet over the stove top and place all the pine nuts you want to roast in it, spread out in a single layer. If you want to roast a large amount of pine nuts, you may need to prepare them in small portions.
Using a frying pan is one of the quickest ways to roast a small amount of pine nuts
Step 2. Light the fire on medium low temperature and heat for three minutes
Stir the pine nuts frequently so they don't burn. If you prefer, gently move the pan in circles to move the pine nuts around.
Did you know?
Toasting pine nuts on the stove is much simpler, but the fruits will cook more evenly if cooked in the oven.
Step 3. Remove the pine nuts from the fire when they are golden
They'll keep cooking even after you take them off the heat, so transfer them to a plate or a baking sheet to make them cool more quickly.
Step 4. Store pine nuts for up to a week in a lidded container
Put the cold pine nuts in a container with a lid and keep them at room temperature. Store them out of direct sunlight so they don't go rancid.
To keep them longer, freeze or refrigerate them for three to six months in a container with a lid
Method 3 of 4: Roasting pine nuts in the oven
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C and wash the pine nuts with their shells still on
Put as many as you can in a sieve or a colander and wash them with cold water. Discard any cracked or faded pine nuts.
You can find shelled pine nuts on the internet, in grocery stores and in natural food stores
Step 2. Soak the pine nuts in a saline solution for 30 minutes to taste
To make the pine nuts more salty, similar to salted sunflower seeds, dissolve ¼ cup (60 g) of sea salt in two cups (470 ml) of water. Then put the pine nuts in the mixture, stir and let them soak while the oven heats up.
Skip this step if you don't want to salt the pine nuts
Step 3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and distribute the pine nuts inside
Cover a baking sheet with a layer of baking paper. If you have soaked the pine nuts, dry them first. Then spread them on the baking sheet in a single layer.
If you don't have baking paper, toast the pine nuts directly on the bottom of the baking sheet
Step 4. Roast the pine nuts for 10 to 20 minutes
Place the pan in the oven and roast the pine nuts until they start to pop. Stir them after 10 minutes and return them to the oven for another 10 minutes if they haven't popped yet.
If you have soaked the pine nuts in salt, it may take up to 30 minutes to be ready
Did you know?
The time needed to roast the pine nuts will depend on the size and moisture level of the fruit.
Step 5. Cool the pine nuts for 20 minutes
Turn off the heat and remove the pine nuts from the oven. Place them on a cold baking sheet or lift up the parchment paper and place the pine nuts on a cooling rack. Allow them to cool down completely.
Cool pine nuts in a single layer
Step 6. Peel the pine nuts with a rolling pin
Spread the cold pine nuts on a clean dish towel. Then fold the cloth in half to cover them and press them down with a rolling pin until you hear the husks break. When finished, open the dish towel and remove the roasted pine nuts from the shells.
Enjoy the roasted pine nuts immediately or store them in a lidded container at room temperature for a week or in the refrigerator for up to six months
Method 4 of 4: Microwave roasting shelled pine nuts
Step 1. Wash the pine nuts still in their shell and put them in a microwave-safe bowl
Put as many pine nuts as you can in a sieve or a colander and wash them with cold water. Then transfer them to a microwave-safe bowl.
- Discard seeds that are faded, soft or cracked.
- Do not dry the pine nuts. Moisture will cause them to give off steam in the microwave.
Tip:
To salt the pine nuts, sprinkle the desired amount of sea salt over them.
Step 2. Microwave the pine nuts for six minutes
Place the uncovered bowl in the microwave and heat the pine nuts for four minutes, until they are hot and start to cook. Then stir them carefully and return them to the oven for another two minutes.
Use kitchen gloves to pick up the hot pot
Step 3. Heat the pine nuts at one minute intervals
Heat the pine nuts in the microwave until you start to smell a scent of roasted chestnuts. Take one of the pine nuts out of the oven and open it to see how it looks inside. The pine nuts will be on point when they are lightly browned.
If the pine nuts are still white or beige, heat them a little more
Step 4. Take the pine nuts from the microwave and place them to cool on a plate or baking sheet
With gloved hands, take the hot bowl out of the microwave and spread the roasted pine nuts on a plate, distributing them in a single layer so they cool more quickly.
The pine nuts will take longer to cool if left in the bowl and still run the risk of becoming soft
Step 5. Break the shells with a rolling pin
Place a clean dish towel on the kitchen counter and turn the cold pine nuts over it. Then fold the cloth and roll a rolling pin over the pine nuts. The husks will break off, allowing you to remove the roasted flesh from the seeds without any problems.