It's Beginning to SMELL a lot like Christmas

I made promises to bring our favorite pine cone south. With snow still blanketing the ground (with promises of more) and temperatures hovering around 40°, the smell of sugar pine cones baking filled the house with wonderfulness which has really made the holidays feel close.

Not only are these gorgeous cones the largest, they are truly my favorite and baking them is quite the tradition here in Tahoe.
Once the sap melts, there is a gorgeous sheen to the cone, making it last forever.  It's a plus that the sap is no longer sticky, too.
Just how do you bake a pine cone?  The biggest tip to remember is that the entire cone must be on aluminum foil.  Any part that hangs over the baking sheet will ooze sap and you will not like what happens the next time you turn on your oven.

Bake at 240° for about 30 minutes, flipping the cone over, midway.  All sap crystals should have disappeared.  What an amazing way to preserve such a beautiful piece of nature's art.
John Muir (1838-1914) called the sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana) the noblest pine, “surpassing all others not merely in size but also in kingly beauty and majesty.” I agree 100%.

posted under |

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Newer Post Older Post Home

Get new Blog Posts to your inbox. Just enter name and email below.

 

We respect your email privacy

Blog Archive


Recent Comments