Why Are Pine Nuts So Expensive?

Pine nuts with their unique aroma are particularly popular in Mediterranean cuisine. Unfortunately, they are really expensive – we explain why and also name alternatives that you can use as a cheap substitute for pine nuts.

What are pine nuts?

Although they look like nuts when shelled and are sometimes referred to as pine nuts, pine nuts belong to the capsule family. These are the peeled kernels from the cones of pine trees. They are whitish to light yellow in color, have a mildly aromatic taste, and are somewhat reminiscent of fir resin. Pine nuts can be part of a healthy diet: fiber, vegetable protein, and high-quality fats make them so valuable.

Surely you know pine nuts as an ingredient for a classic Pesto Genovese. You can also roast the small seeds without fat and use them as a topping for salads or as an ingredient in Arabic dishes. By the way, sweet is also possible – enrich your muesli with unroasted pine nuts, for example. It’s delicious and healthy at the same time.

Tip: Pine nuts should always be eaten as soon as possible so that the aroma is fully developed and they never go rancid.

Pretty expensive

Whoever buys pine nuts for the first time is usually surprised at their high price. Pine nuts currently cost between 6 and 8 euros for 100 grams. Of course, the price depends on whether you choose a branded product or a discounter product and also on the quantity you want to buy. Outstanding qualities from the premium segment sometimes cost 12 euros for 100 grams.

The high price of pine nuts is primarily due to the very complex and labor-intensive harvest. The subsequent processing is also not a piece of cake and is reflected in the price.

Almost luxury

If you prefer to eat organic products and don’t want to do without pine nuts either, you definitely have to dig much deeper into your pocket. Pine nuts harvested on plantations with organic standards cost up to 19 euros per 100 grams if you want to buy really good qualities.

Price: general reasons

Good pine nuts are expensive, so there’s no beating about it. The high price is explained by the following circumstances.

• The temporal component: Especially the pines in the Mediterranean area, which deliver very good qualities, grow extremely slowly up to their maximum height of 25 to 30 meters. The first harvest of the cones, from which the pine nuts are extracted, is only worthwhile after 15, sometimes even after 20 years. In addition, even on “adult” pines, the cones can only be harvested every 3 years.
• The amount of work: without exception, the wild harvest or the harvest on real plantations is done entirely by hand. To do this, the workers have to climb up into the treetops and harvest the pine cones there. The trees are often difficult to access, which makes the work even more dangerous.
• Further processing: Once the cones have been harvested, the next step is just as laborious. The kernels are stuck under the scales of the pine cones and have to be removed. This requires several work steps, which of course increase the costs for us as end users:

Dry the cones in the open air for up to 50 days

Knock out the pine nuts

Removing hard shell and skin

careful sorting of the shelled pine nuts

• The low yields: Only about 10 to a maximum of 15 kilos of pine nuts can be expected per tree per year.

Price: current reasons

As you just read, pine nuts are generally very expensive for a number of reasons. However, due to the still ongoing corona pandemic and inflation in the food sector, prices may rise again in 2022. The long transport routes, for example from Italy, are of course also reflected in the price of pine nuts due to the immense fuel costs. Anyone who buys goods from the Far East must also expect higher prices due to the significantly increased transport costs.

Pine nuts from the Far East

Unfortunately, the country of origin does not necessarily have to be stated on the packaging for pine nuts. If you find cheaper pine nuts in the supermarket, they almost certainly come from Pakistan or China and are of a different variety than the pine trees that grow in the Mediterranean region. These are cheaper because

• the trees grow significantly lower (less effort when harvesting!)
• can be harvested every year and
• the pine nuts are soaked before peeling.

The inferior quality is not only reflected in the appearance of the kernels but especially in their taste. They do not taste as fine and creamy as the kernels from the Mediterranean region, but often have a slightly rancid aroma and are also much less well tolerated by some people. This is due to the fat, which can already be rancid when you buy it.

Tip: We recommend that you buy a few pine nuts that are of very high quality. By the way, the goods from Asia are not much cheaper – but you get a much worse quality.

Substitute products with savings potential

You have a relatively small budget for grocery shopping, but you would like to prepare a recipe that uses pine nuts? Although there is no real equivalent 1:1 substitute for the mild and aromatic-tasting kernels, you can still bring a delicious meal to the table with these alternatives:

• Sunflower seeds: Whether as a topping for your salad or as an ingredient for pesto – sunflower seeds are ideal.
• Walnuts or pecans: These nuts can also be used to prepare a great pesto. And how about caramelized nuts in the salad?
• Pumpkin seeds: The same thing, we would say cheekily…
• Almond kernels: In slivered form, they are a good substitute for pine nuts in sweet dishes, but thanks to their mild taste they also go well in pasta dishes that are actually prepared with pine nuts.

Would you like to treat yourself to something and prepare a delicious dish with aromatic pine nuts? Then take a look at our recipe ideas.