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How to Harvest Blue Spruce Nuts

Spruce is a term referring to evergreen, coniferous trees that belong to the genus Picea and the pine family. Certain spruce species have edible seeds, also known as nuts, which are used for cooking -- adding flavor to pesto sauce and other tasty recipes. Blue spruce nuts can be harvested from several species of blue-colored pine trees including the pinon pine, Siberian pine, Swiss stone pine or the pinus pumila. The harvesting process is fairly simple, provided you have the right gear and perform this activity during the right time of the year.

Things You'll Need

Ladder
Gloves
Hat
Bag or basket
Burlap sac

Instructions

- 1
  Identify areas with pine trees that produce blue spruce nuts, and plan a trip in late summer or early autumn. September and October are ideal months for harvesting pine nuts. Certain species of young pine trees such as the Swiss stone pine or the Siberian pine won't start to bear cones until the age of 5 to 8 years, so you should look for older trees that have cones and produce nuts. Inquire at a Bureau of Land Management (blm.gov) office if you are unable to identify the areas with pine trees that produce blue spruce nuts.
- 2
  Place a ladder securely against the tree, climb the ladder, and collect cones in a bag or basket. Or if there are many trees in the area, you may be able to harvest enough nuts from the lower branches and skip the ladder, depending on your needs. Wear gloves to prevent getting sticky sap on your fingers, and protect your hair by wearing a hat.
- 3
  Shake the pine cones if they are open -- indicating they're ripe -- and the nuts will fall out. If the cones are unripe, they will be closed and the nuts won't fall out.
- 4
  Gather the unripe cones in a burlap sack. Place the sack in the sun for several days, until they are dry and start to open. Turn the sack each day to heat the cones evenly.

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