1, prepare a hard flat knife or a small knife. Make sure the blade is sharp and clean.

2. Place the pine nuts on a hard, flat surface and gently press one end of the pine nuts with your hand.

3. Using the tip of the knife blade, find a small slit in the other end of the pinecone (the end without the opening). Insert the tip of the knife blade into the slit and gently apply downward pressure to widen the slit.

4. Continue to gently cut along the slit with the tip of the knife blade until you have cut through the entire pine nut shell.

5. Once the pine nut shells have been cut through, use your fingers or a knife to remove the pine nuts from the shells.