Pine Nut (or Stone Pine)
(Pinus pinea)
The common name of Stone Pine alludes to the seed's appearance as they look like hard little pebbles - the actual 'pine nut' kernal is enclosed within the shell. The seeds are covered in a black soot which is washed off before they are cracked open. The kernel is encased in a brown papery sheath and this has to be removed too. At the moment we crack them by hand, so until we find a suitable commercial nut cracker our output remains on a small scale. A labour well worth it though, once you taste a truly fresh pine nut for the first time. A milky texture with a pine resin undertone; sweet yet also savoury. The empty cones are great fire-starters for the Rayburn - dense & packed with resin, they burn particularly hot.
Pine Nut Gelato
Adapted from Linda Tubby's "Ices Italia"
Place in non-stick pot 400ml milk, 150ml cream and � cup honeyChoose a honey with some character as its flavour is a critical component - we used Kamahi
Simmer just until bubbles appear around the edges of the pot, no more, then remove from heat. Whisk 4 yolks in a bowl, pour in the hot milk mix to combine. Rinse out the pot then return all to it.
Cook out 8-10 minutes stirring constantly till the foam disappears from the surface (75 deg max) - no more than this or it will curdle. Cool. Process 200-300gr lightly toasted pine nuts with a little of the custard till smooth then add the rest to combine. Churn in icecream maker.
While you can make gelato ahead of time it really tastes best fresh - start the process mid-afternoon to have it in perfect condition for the same evening. Our pine nuts are literally fresh from the tree, so fresh in fact that their faintly resinous flavour infuses this gelato enigmatically.
Harvesting and Curing
The cone takes 3 years to ripen: forming in Spring the first year, they are then ready to harvest in the third year. The cones are gathered regularly and laid out in the sun to expose the seeds within.
