Thread: The Pine Nut Crisis

Mark Thorson wrote:
> I recently noticed that Trader Joe's no longer
> has pine nuts. I was buying them there because
> they were much cheaper than Whole Foods.
>
> Today I heard on National Public Radio about
> a taste disorder termed "pine mouth", which
> is an adverse reaction to eating pine nuts.
> It was speculated this was caused either by
> rancid pine nuts or Chinese pine nuts from
> two species of trees not known to produce
> edible pine nuts. I don't know if the
> disappearance of pine nuts from Trader Joe's
> is related to this.
>
> Apparently, this phenomenon has been known
> for some time.
>
> http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1184261
>
> On a related note, the Korean cooking show
> Cooking Time recently recommended washing pine
> nuts, saying the fat in pine nuts absorbs dust
> from the air. I no longer try to make sense
> of anything they say. Watching that show is
> like watching the religious broadcasts of the
> late Dr. Gene Scott. I watch it because it's
> so wacky.

Interesting about TJ's. I seem to recall that they had stopped
getting items from China (unless they were components in something
else).

--
Jean B.

"Jean B." wrote:
>
> Interesting about TJ's. I seem to recall that they had stopped
> getting items from China (unless they were components in something
> else).

Yes, they did. And pine nuts were still available
after that. I don't remember for sure, but I think
their pine nuts were from Peru, shortly before they
were discontinued.

It could be after the massive almond crisis, they
decided to phase-out nuts that had any safety issue,
and pine nuts would qualify for that, in spades.

Either that, or maybe they were watching Cooking Time.

Yep, made pesto last week and was surprised to find no pine nuts at TJs.
And my local grocery store wants 10 bucks for a couple ounces. So I settled
on sunflower seeds. Close, but not quite the same.

Paul

On 2010-07-05, Mark Thorson <[email protected]> wrote:
> they were much cheaper than Whole Foods.

Who isn't?

> late Dr. Gene Scott. I watch it because it's
> so wacky.

That bizarro nutbag finally kicked the bucket? He had that same
slow-down-to-look fascination as a bad car accident.

nb

"notbob" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:GRqYn.14803$[email protected]..
> On 2010-07-05, Mark Thorson <[email protected]> wrote:
>> they were much cheaper than Whole Foods.
>
> Who isn't?
>
>> late Dr. Gene Scott. I watch it because it's
>> so wacky.
>
> That bizarro nutbag finally kicked the bucket? He had that same
> slow-down-to-look fascination as a bad car accident.
>

Looooonggg time ago. His daughter has taken his place.

Paul

"Paul M. Cook" wrote:
>
> "notbob" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:GRqYn.14803$[email protected]..
> > On 2010-07-05, Mark Thorson <[email protected]> wrote:
> >> they were much cheaper than Whole Foods.
> >
> > Who isn't?
> >
> >> late Dr. Gene Scott. I watch it because it's
> >> so wacky.
> >
> > That bizarro nutbag finally kicked the bucket? He had that same
> > slow-down-to-look fascination as a bad car accident.
> >
>
> Looooonggg time ago. His daughter has taken his place.

Daughter? I thought it was that ex-stripper and
porn star girlfriend of his.

On Jul 5, 11:46*am, "Paul M. Cook" <pmc...@gte.net> wrote:
> Yep, made pesto last week and was surprised to find no pine nuts at TJs.
> And my local grocery store wants 10 bucks for a couple ounces. *So I settled
> on sunflower seeds. *Close, but not quite the same.
>

After years of making pesto, trying different nuts, my advice is just
skip the nuts altogether.

On Jul 5, 9:07*pm, Mark Thorson <nos...@sonic.net> wrote:
> "Paul M. Cook" wrote:
>
> > "notbob" <not...@nothome.com> wrote in message
> >news:GRqYn.14803$[email protected]..
> > > On 2010-07-05, Mark Thorson <nos...@sonic.net> wrote:
> > >> they were much cheaper than Whole Foods.
>
> > > Who isn't?
>
> > >> late Dr. Gene Scott. *I watch it because it's
> > >> so wacky.
>
> > > That bizarro nutbag finally kicked the bucket? *He had that same
> > > slow-down-to-look fascination as a bad car accident.
>
> > Looooonggg time ago. *His daughter has taken his place.
>
> Daughter? *I thought it was that ex-stripper and
> porn star girlfriend of his.

Melissa Scott is Dr. Gene's widow. References to her previous career
have been scrubbed from the internet.

spamtrap1888 <[email protected]> wrote:

>After years of making pesto, trying different nuts, my advice is just
>skip the nuts altogether.

Reasonable from a culinary viewpoint, but from a nutritional
viewpoint the nuts are there for protein completion.

Steve

"Paul M. Cook" wrote:
>
> Yep, made pesto last week and was surprised to find no pine nuts at TJs.
> And my local grocery store wants 10 bucks for a couple ounces. So I settled
> on sunflower seeds. Close, but not quite the same.

I recommend Brazil nuts for pesto, followed by walnuts.
Both make a better pesto than pine nuts.

Almonds, hazelnuts, and pecans are not bad, but not nearly
as good as Brazil nuts or walnuts. Cashews make a pesto
with a poor texture -- I'm tempted to say gummy, but that's
the wrong word. I'm not sure there is a word to describe
the texture of cashew pesto.

Mark Thorson <[email protected]> wrote:

>I recommend Brazil nuts for pesto, followed by walnuts.
>Both make a better pesto than pine nuts.

>Almonds, hazelnuts, and pecans are not bad, but not nearly
>as good as Brazil nuts or walnuts.

Where do pine nuts rank relative to almonds/hazelnuts/pecans?

Steve

Steve Pope wrote:
>
> Mark Thorson <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >I recommend Brazil nuts for pesto, followed by walnuts.
> >Both make a better pesto than pine nuts.
>
> >Almonds, hazelnuts, and pecans are not bad, but not nearly
> >as good as Brazil nuts or walnuts.
>
> Where do pine nuts rank relative to almonds/hazelnuts/pecans?

They are better than almonds, hazelnuts, or pecans.

Mark wrote:

> I recommend Brazil nuts for pesto, followed by walnuts.
> Both make a better pesto than pine nuts.
>
> Almonds, hazelnuts, and pecans are not bad, but not nearly
> as good as Brazil nuts or walnuts. Cashews make a pesto
> with a poor texture -- I'm tempted to say gummy, but that's
> the wrong word. I'm not sure there is a word to describe
> the texture of cashew pesto.

I've made a pseudo-Thai pesto before using macadamia nuts. Macadamias seem
well-suited for that kind of preparation because they break down easily, the
same way pine nuts do.

Bob

In article <[email protected]>,
Mark Thorson <[email protected]> wrote:

> "Jean B." wrote:
> >
> > Interesting about TJ's. I seem to recall that they had stopped
> > getting items from China (unless they were components in something
> > else).
>
> Yes, they did. And pine nuts were still available
> after that. I don't remember for sure, but I think
> their pine nuts were from Peru, shortly before they
> were discontinued.
>
> It could be after the massive almond crisis, they
> decided to phase-out nuts that had any safety issue,
> and pine nuts would qualify for that, in spades.

Well, if it was the "pine mouth" thing you mentioned, I don't know that
it was a safety issue, but it sure was annoying -- a sort of bitter,
metallic taste in the back of my throat that went on for a bunch of
days. I used the pine nuts (from TJ's) to make a fish dish that two of
us ate. I got "pine mouth", she didn't.

Isaac

On Tue, 6 Jul 2010 04:28:13 +0000 (UTC), Steve Pope wrote:

> Mark Thorson <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>I recommend Brazil nuts for pesto, followed by walnuts.
>>Both make a better pesto than pine nuts.
>
>>Almonds, hazelnuts, and pecans are not bad, but not nearly
>>as good as Brazil nuts or walnuts.
>
> Where do pine nuts rank relative to almonds/hazelnuts/pecans?

Hmm, Brazil but probably come the closet to the taste and texture
of pine nuts, I would think. Macadamia and candlenuts may work as
well.

http://www.weightlossforall.com/protein-nuts.htm

Looks like Brazil nuts are almost identical to pine nuts in fat
and protein. Hazelnut after that.

Wait a second, did they actually put coconut on that list of
nuts?!?! Might want to check another source. Heh.

-sw

Sqwertz <[email protected]> wrote:

>Looks like Brazil nuts are almost identical to pine nuts in fat
>and protein. Hazelnut after that.

Looking at the USDA site, there is no combination of pine nuts and
wheat that is lysine-complete.

So, scratch the protein completeness theory. Feel free to
just leave the nuts out.

Steve

On Tue, 6 Jul 2010 05:38:35 +0000 (UTC), Steve Pope wrote:

> Sqwertz <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>Looks like Brazil nuts are almost identical to pine nuts in fat
>>and protein. Hazelnut after that.
>
> Looking at the USDA site, there is no combination of pine nuts and
> wheat that is lysine-complete.
>
> So, scratch the protein completeness theory. Feel free to
> just leave the nuts out.

I don't care about that. What if I want them for texture?

-sw

In article <i0t9at$t3f$[email protected]>,
"Paul M. Cook" <[email protected]> wrote:

> Yep, made pesto last week and was surprised to find no pine nuts at TJs.
> And my local grocery store wants 10 bucks for a couple ounces. So I settled
> on sunflower seeds. Close, but not quite the same.
>
> Paul

I wonder if pumpkin seeds would work?
--
Peace! Om

Web Albums: <http://picasaweb.google.com/OMPOmelet>
*Only Irish *coffee provides in a single glass all four *essential food groups: alcohol, caffeine, sugar *and fat. --Alex Levine

In article
<69cd8e5d-bbad-4a1f-[email protected]>,
spamtrap1888 <[email protected]> wrote:

> On Jul 5, 11:46*am, "Paul M. Cook" <pmc...@gte.net> wrote:
> > Yep, made pesto last week and was surprised to find no pine nuts at TJs.
> > And my local grocery store wants 10 bucks for a couple ounces. *So I settled
> > on sunflower seeds. *Close, but not quite the same.
> >
>
> After years of making pesto, trying different nuts, my advice is just
> skip the nuts altogether.

So how would you thicken it? Extra basil? Maybe spinach leaves?
--
Peace! Om

Web Albums: <http://picasaweb.google.com/OMPOmelet>
*Only Irish *coffee provides in a single glass all four *essential food groups: alcohol, caffeine, sugar *and fat. --Alex Levine