Pine Nuts are obtained from the cones of certain pine trees. The Stone Pine produces usable cones at fifteen years of age and each cone, which must be manually scaled, contains approximately 100 seeds. Pine nuts are a key ingredient in many authentic Italian dishes (especially pesto), but are also used in Turkish, Balkan, Middle Eastern and Mexican dishes. Toast until lightly golden and sprinkle over grilled vegetables, pasta salads or green salads. They can also be used in candy, cake decorating and cookies such as macaroons.