Cashews, a nut or not?
I recently read an article published by Marlene Geiger, an extension educator for Iowa State University about cashews. I had no idea how they were grown or harvested. I thought I would share this information since I found it interesting!
I recently read an article published by Marlene Geiger, an extension educator for Iowa State University about cashews. I had no idea how they were grown or harvested. I thought I would share this information since I found it interesting!
Cashews are not really nuts in the true sense, but rather a drupe seed They grow on fruit producing trees which produce a ‘false fruit’ known as the cashew apple. The fruit resembles a small bell pepper being yellow to red in color. At the base of the fruit is a kidney-bean-shaped hard shell with a single seed inside–the cashew nut.
Cashews are gown in many parts of the world with its origin in Brazil. However, Vietnam is the largest producer of cashew nuts followed by India; cashews are a valuable agricultural commodity for both counties.
The cashew nut industry provides vital year-round employment to millions of people, especially women. Extracting the nut from its shell is labor intensive and requires a skilled workforce of which most are women paid meager wages.
Following harvest, the shells are roasted and dried to make extracting the nut easier. Removing the nut from the shell is the most difficult step in processing. It is either done by hand or machine, either way, it is one shell at a time. When done by hand, the workers beat the shell with a mallet in just the right way to release the nut intact.
If mechanical shelling machines are used, the shells are fed into the machines one at a time to split the shells; however, since the shells vary in size and shape, there is breakage, so machines are not a perfect solution. Manual processing is generally favored for nut perfection.
Another concern in cracking the shell, is the reddish-brown oil that oozes from the shell composed of various phenolic lipids. It is an irritant like that found in poison ivy causing skin burns and sores and other health issues if workers come in contact with it. Following splitting, the nuts require tedious peeling and cleaning before moving along to grading, quality control, fumigation, and packaging.
Cashews are rich in nutrients, antioxidants, healthy fats, plant protein, and fiber; they may be used interchangeably with other nuts in a variety of culinary applications, including trail mix, stirfries, granola, nut butter, and nut dairy products. Like most nuts, cashews may also help improve overall health. They have been linked to benefits like weight loss by boosting metabolism, improving blood sugar control, strengthening the immune system, and a contributing to heart health.
Cashews are generally a safe addition to most diets. One should keep in mind that roasted or salted cashews contain added oils or salt. For this reason, it may be best to opt for unsalted, dry roasted instead. People with tree nut allergies should avoid them as they are classified as tree nuts along with Brazil nuts, pecans, pistachios, walnuts and hazelnuts. One serving of cashews is 1 ounce and contains about 18 nuts, 157 calories, and about 9 grams of carbohydrate largely in the form of starch1.
I will continue to enjoy cashews, but with a new and greater appreciation for the people who grow, harvest, and process them. If you would like to schedule a program locally on financial management, nutrition, health and wellness, parenting education, OHCE contact Janis Risley, at the OSU Cooperative Extension Service in Sequoyah County by phone at 918-775-4838 or e-mail at janis.risley@okstate. edu. I am starting a 12-month Pre-Diabetes program beginning Jan. 17 at 5:30, Sallisaw Library. Call to enroll.
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