How To Roast Pine Nuts? In Pan, Microwave, Oven

How to roast pine nuts? Toast the pine nuts in a hot pan without oil and turn regularly. If they start to discolor, turn more often until they are discolored. Roast them in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes, without oil. Also, turn regularly. And 90 seconds in the microwave.

Pine nuts are delicious in a salad, but they are also used in pesto. Unroasted they are tasty and roasted they taste better. But for which dish do you need roasted pine nuts and for which dish not?

How To Roast Pine Nuts?

Did you know that pine nuts come from the ‘Pine tree’! Right, the pine tree. There are about 20 pine trees from which the seed is harvested. Then it is peeled and the fleece is removed. The major producers are Italy and China; But how can you roast pine nuts?

Should You Roast Pine Nuts?

This question is often asked, should you roast them or not? First, you don’t have to, you can roast them. Pine nuts already have a taste of their own, which I personally like.

You can use them unroasted in a salad or sprinkle them over your pasta. That gives just a little more flavor and the structure of the seeds give your salad just that little bit of a different ‘bite’.

Roasting the pine nuts releases more flavor from the kernels themselves and roasting adds a roast/grill flavor to the kernels. Many people like that, but sometimes you don’t want a roast/grill taste so you use unroasted seeds. You can eat the seeds raw, so it’s really no problem.

Toasting pine nuts is more of a taste preference than it is necessary to do.

To Roast Pesto Pine Nuts Or Not?

You can also make pesto with pine nuts, which is often the case. Pesto can be made in many ways, even without pine nuts. Our blog on ‘ how to make pesto ‘ describes 10 ways to make pesto.

Pine nuts can therefore be an ingredient of pesto. If you process them, it is better to roast them. The delicious griddle/grill flavor gives your pesto just that little bit more flavor. Your pesto will become softer, as it were. Take a moment and toast your pine nuts for your pesto.

Baking Pine Nuts

Baking or roasting pine nuts can be done in three ways, namely:

Pine nuts unshelled, peeled with membrane and the kernel

• in the pan
• in the oven
• in the microwave

You could have come up with the first two yourself, but if you want to do it quickly, you can also use the microwave within 2 minutes. It is fast, but less fun to do. All three are described below.

Roasting Pine Nuts Pan

First toasting pine nuts in a pan. This is also the most commonly used way. What do you need? It’s very simple, a frying pan and your pine nuts. No oil is used because the pine nuts themselves are already very greasy. If you add oil, it will also make roasting more difficult.

Heat your pan on the heat source. The pan must be really hot before you put the pine nuts in the pan. If you put the pine nuts in the pan, turn the setting of your heat source to ‘medium high’.

It takes quite a while before they are roasted, but once they start to discolour they can burn again very quickly. So stick with it!

Shake the pine nuts regularly. If you see that the first seeds are starting to change color and you smell a roasting smell, you shake them more often. In the end I advise you to keep the kernels moving so keep shaking them on the heat source.

When they look nicely toasted, they are ready. This moment is all for you to determine. One likes lightly roasted and the other dark roasted. You really have to decide for yourself if they are ready.

Remove the kernels from the pan and place them on a plate to cool. You can now further process them in your dish.

I also want to give you a tip, if you are roasting anyway, roast more kernels than you need. That way you have a stock for next time. So easy.

Pine Nuts Roasting Oven

You can roast pine nuts very well in the oven. It takes about as long as roasting in a pan. However, it is no better than in a pan. It just depends on what you want to do and where there is room. In your oven or on the hob.

First heat the oven to about 180/190 degrees and remove the baking tray from the oven. Now place a sheet of baking paper on the baking tray and place the pine nuts on it again, spread them a little over the tray.

Place the tray in the oven and bake your pine nuts for 5 to 10 minutes. This time depends on how good your oven is at temperature. So keep an eye on the kernels while baking. You have to do that anyway, because you have to turn the seeds every one and a half to two minutes. This is quite difficult since the oven is hot and the kernels are small.

If the seeds are well roasted in your opinion, remove them from the baking tray and place them on a plate. This stops the cooking process and allows them to cool. You can now use them in your dish.

Pine Nuts Roasting Microwave

We use the microwave as a final way of roasting. It’s actually not roasting but cooking/warming. The temperature in the microwave gives the kernels more flavour, but the roast taste is difficult to match with a microwave.

Place the pine nuts in a bowl of water. Immediately remove the seeds from the water with a slotted spoon and then place them in a paper bag. Close the bag by folding it.

Place the bag in the microwave and turn the power as high as possible, about 1,000 watts. Set the timer to 90 seconds and start roasting.

That’s all. The seeds have gotten more flavor, but you will not match the real roast taste. It is done quickly and sometimes that is also nice.