Pine Pollen Crackers

Male pine cones

It's pine pollen season, so get out and shake your trees. It's easy enough to collect pine pollen by shaking the male cones in a Ziploc bag. You can collect a tablespoon or so in less than 10 minutes. But then what do you do with it?

Pine pollen

Pine pollen is very mild. It has only a slight hint of pine flavor, and a texture somewhat like corn masa. It's easy to add into savory baked goods. Perfect for crackers. You will need:

• 1 cup flour

• 1 tbsp pine pollen

• 4 tbsp cold butter

• 1/4-1/3 cup cold water.

Oven: 400°

To make your crackers, mix the pine pollen and the flour. Stir them together and then cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Add the water a little bit at a time until your dough is the consistency of pie dough. Press or roll it until it is less than 1/4" thick. Place the dough on a cookie sheet, and cut into squares. Prick each square with a fork.

Bake 20-25 minutes until the crackers begin to brown. Serve with cheese or soup, or enjoy them as an afternoon snack. Homemade crackers tend to go stale quickly, so make small batches. To store, cool completely and then keep them in an airtight container.

Want to learn more about foraging? We have several plant walks, camps, and even an online Foraging Class. Check out our upcoming events page.

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