One hundred years of piñon nuts, a largely forgotten wild food crop from the American Southwest (1850–1950)

Abstract

This is the first paper to intensively examine the history of piñon nuts, the seeds of the piñon pine (Pinus edulis), which Indigenous Americans have harvested in the Four Corners region of the American Southwest for millennia. The history of the piñon nut industry is reconstructed from its inception in the mid-19th century in the New Mexico Territory to its heyday in the early 20th century until consumption began to decline in the mid-20th century. Additionally, this paper provides some suggestions for reviving this iconic Southwestern American food. The commercial harvest of piñon nuts primarily involved Native and Mexican Americans. While the economic benefits of piñon nut harvesting were significant, the work was often dangerous, with reports of deaths due to exposure, accidents, and violence. Piñon nut production varied yearly due to the trees’ masting behavior, where trees produce large seed crops intermittently. Although there was considerable interest in cultivation during the early 20th century, slow growth and delayed nut-bearing limited cultivation efforts. Piñon nuts were popular throughout the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, gaining popularity, especially among immigrant communities in New York. In 1918, Fannie Spitz patented a piñon nut-shelling machine, significantly improving processing efficiency and impacting the industry by enabling quicker and more effective removal of kernels. Shelled piñon nuts were now sold for consumption out of hand and also for use in candy production. Farmers experimented with feeding hogs and chickens piñon nuts. However, this practice did not become widespread due to the availability of cheaper corn. Piñon wood was also valued for its use as firewood and in mining as props, though it had limited application as lumber for railroad ties. At the same time, smaller piñon trees gained popularity as Christmas trees. Piñon resin was chewed and also used medicinally in salves. By the mid-20th century, piñon nuts lost popularity to peanuts (Arachis hypogaea), which were marketed more aggressively and produced in higher quantities at lower prices. The piñon industry has struggled with crop variability, low supply, and high prices. Still, it might be revived with improved marketing, working cooperatively and through the construction of a strategic reserve to ensure a steady supply of piñon nuts every year, through both good and bad harvests.