Pine nuts are one of the main ingredients used in most pesto sauce recipes. Pine nuts come from pinyon pine trees . Where do pine nuts come from? I have to be honest I had never given two minutes thought to where pine nuts came from – all I knew was that were hellishly expensive! Apples come from apple trees! I have to be honest I had never given two minutes thought to where pine nuts came from – all I knew was that were hellishly expensive! Then again, shelling any nut is pretty labor intensive. Apparently, they are incredibly difficult to extract. Of course…those delicious little tasty nuts are found in pine cones on pine trees…what a revelation. While all pine trees will produce a pine nut, there are only about 18 species that produce nuts large enough to be of value as human food. No, Brazil nuts come from the Bertholletia excelsa tree. PINE nuts come from PINE cones. Then again, shelling Apparently, they are incredibly difficult to extract. Where do pine nuts come from? Native rules dictate that only the cones that have fallen on the ground can be harvested. Are they really from pines? Where do Pine Nuts Come From? Many species exist, but the Siberian pine is considered to be one of the most valuable. Both apples and Brazil nuts do grow in Brazil. The Long Answer. Of course…those delicious little tasty nuts are found in pine cones on pine trees…what a revelation. If you’ve never had a pine nut, it’s a super small white nut, about a half inch long. The true king of the forest, the pine, was a genuine symbol of grandeur, courage, and boldness. Spain and Italy are the leading exporters of pine nuts. Pine trees produce pine cones, which in turn contain pine nuts. I have personally gone foraging with Native- Americans for them. The traditional pine nut is the seed of stone pines , natives to the Old Country and not widely grown in North America. Answer: Pine nuts, also called pignolia, are the naked seeds of many different species of pine tree. These trees are found in Asia, Europe and North America. Pine nuts—also called pignolia or pignoli nuts—are one of the main ingredients in traditional pesto.These nuts come with a high price tag due to their slow growth and labor-intensive harvesting process. Pine trees produce pine cones, which in turn contain pine nuts. I have pine trees in my backyard but have only just realized I don’t know where pine nuts come from. Pine nuts are an edible seed, found inside pine cones. These tasty seeds are harvested from the tree’s cones and are just one of 20 species of edible pine nuts. I’ve never seen any. These tasty seeds are harvested from the tree’s cones and are just one of 20 species of edible pine nuts. These trees are found in Asia, Europe and North America. The Long Answer. These pines are native to the United States, although other pines with edible pine nuts are native to Europe and Asia, like the European stone pine and the Asian Korean pine. Different species of pine trees grow around the world, resulting in many different types of pine nuts. Learn all about these delicious nuts, how to store them for maximum shelf life, and how to use them in the kitchen.