In the first processing phase the pine cones are loaded into a hopper and then they roll on a closed conveyor belt in a high temperature environment. The heating process softens the pine cone and makes it ready for the shelling inside the grinders. The discarded parts, such as pine cone leaves and dust, are separated from the pine nuts, still in their shells, and expelled to the outside.
The pine nuts inside their shells go through a rotating cylinder at high temperatures and, after resting for 24 hours, are laid down on a sheet (this phase allows the breaking of the outer shells). The vibrating conveyor belts then separate the fruits from the shells.
Over the years the constant research for quality allowed us to refine new techniques. Amongst all processing phases, our strength is the dry-cleaning. During this phase the shelled pine nuts are dried and then washed. The fact that no water is used guarantees a very low bacterial level and, as a result, a unique taste and fragrance.
And here is the final phase, the pine nuts go through three optical sorting machines that select the fruits based on their color and discard any potential foreign object. While the product moves forward on a conveyor belt, an expert operator performs the final quality control and then packages it with care.
The pine cone is a fruit that can be used one hundred percent. In fact, the processing waste is used to feed the several factory boilers or it is sold, in part, as biomass to produce energy.
The considerable improvements we made in this field are the result of the experience of the generations that preceded us and of the sizable investments in technological and productive innovations sustained by us, which makes our products authentic and unique in quality and flavor. Our proprietary dry-cleaning process guarantees a very low bacterial level, while storing the products in cool and dry locations ensures a much longer shelf life.
