Parts Most Frequently Used: Seeds (Nuts), Resin (Trementina), Needles, Essential Oil, Bark

Flavors/Temps: Seeds (Nuts) – Sweet, Bitter Aftertaste, Warming. Leaves – Aromatic, Sweet, Slightly Sour, Astringing.

Caution: Considered safe.

History/Folklore: The two-needle pinon (Pinus edulis) is the state tree of New Mexico. The Stone Pine (Pinus pinea) is common in Spain and its pine nuts are identified with Mediterranean cuisine. The North American pinon (Pinus edulis), is thought to have been a food source for the earliest Native Americans. Archaeological evidence suggests the trees have been present and harvested for over 12,000 years or more.

The trees produce abundant crops only every two to seven years, averaging a good crop every four years or so. The Pueblo peoples of New Mexico were able to store the nuts for two to three years in underground pits. High in fat content the seeds were a fundamental aspect of early hunter-gatherer diets.

The new growth needles are high in vitamin C and A and make an aromatic fresh lemony tasting tea. The essential oil made from the needles is excellent for treating respiratory disorders, including coughs, bronchitis, flu, sinusitis, and colds.

A simple honey pine syrup for treating coughs can be made by chopping pine needles in a mortar to release their herbal properties and then adding honey. Store the mixture in an airtight jar in a warm dry place for a few weeks. Strain and enjoy!

The resin (also called trementina) from the trees is used in Native American sacred ceremonies to clear the air, heal, balance energies, provide mental strength and support fertility. It can be combined with other incense resins to promote meditation. Pinon nuts are given as a food offering to Apache girls undergoing the Sunrise Ceremony and pinon resin is used by the Pueblo tribes as protection against witchcraft. The resin can be used in perfumes, incense, soaps and lotions. In its fossilized form resin becomes amber.

Resin is alcohol soluble and can also be made into tinctures, using a 1:5 weight to volume ratio of resin to alcohol. In small amounts this tincture can be added to flavor foods, including breads, cookies or mouthwashes. Resin infused oils can be added to beeswax to make lip balm and healing salves. The resin (trementina) is renowned as a salve to heal all sorts of wounds, including abscesses, abrasions, bruises and inflammation. The resin is an important wilderness survival tool because of its ability to treat wounds and injuries.

Pinon bark has been used as a cast to help stabilize broken bones and heal severe wounds needing to be held in place when sutures were not available.

Pinolenic acid found in pinon nuts is being researched for its ability to release high amounts of cholecystokinin (CCK) an appetite-suppressing hormone that can help with weight loss. It also supports healthy cholesterol levels and may have LDL-lowering properties by enhancing the liver’s LDL uptake.