Nuts

Butter

Pine-nut butter is a soft, spoonable spread made by grinding pine-nut kernels until their abundant oil turns the mass glossy. Good jars taste sweet and resinous with a luxurious softness closer to a finishing paste than a dense peanut butter. Because pine-nut oil is so delicate, separation and rancidity appear quickly if jars sit warm. A light toast before grinding deepens aroma; a dark toast turns bitter and muddy. Spread thinly on toast, loosen into sauces, or fold into pastry creams. Warm gently only— scorching ruins a jar in seconds. Quality butter smells clean and piney; varnish or cardboard means discard. Keep refrigerated. Species of origin still matters: Mediterranean pinoli butter tastes different from bulk Asian-kernel butter. Buy small jars and use them fast.