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In some parts of Brazil, the fruit is also dried and used as a filling for pies and pastries. However, it is sometimes used to make juice, wine, and jam. The cashew apple is not widely consumed because it has a very short shelf life and an astringent taste.
#Cashew apples skin
Inside the skin is a white flesh that surrounds a single, large seed known as the cashew nut. The fruit is about the size of a large plum and has a thick, leathery skin. The tree grows to a height of 20-40 feet (6-12 meters) and produces a small, greenish-yellow fruit that ripens and turns red or yellow when it is fully ripe. The cashew apple is the fruit of the cashew tree, which is native to Brazil. While the cashew apple is safe to eat when properly prepared, it can cause digestive problems if consumed in large amounts. The fruit is also used to flavor drinks and as a decorative element in various dishes. In Brazil, they are sometimes made into a type of wine. The fruit is enclosed in a hard shell that contains a toxic oil, which must be removed before the fruit can be eaten.Ĭashew apples are a popular food in many parts of South America, where they are used to make jams, jellies, and other sweetened products. The tree grows to a height of 20-30 feet (6-9 meters) and produces a small, greenish-yellow fruit that resembles a miniature pear. The cashew apple is the fruit of the cashew tree, which is native to South America. Roast the meat in coconut oil for five minutes before eating.Can You Eat a Cashew Fruit? – Press To Cook
#Cashew apples crack
Crack the nut open to reveal the meat inside. After roasting, wash the nuts with soap and water (Wear gloves!) to remove any residual oil. Place the nuts in an old or disposable pan (now your designated cashew pan, as it may never get fully clean of the dangerous cashew oils).Įither cover the pan with a lid or fill the pan with sand until the nuts are covered– the nuts will spit liquid as they heat up, and you want something to catch or absorb it. To process the nuts, roast them OUTSIDE (never inside, where the fumes can build up and be breathed in). Wear long sleeved clothing, gloves, and goggles to keep the liquid from getting on your skin or in your eyes. USE CAUTION WHEN PROCESSING YOUR CASHEWS. The edible meat of the cashew is surrounded by a shell and a very dangerous, caustic liquid related to poison ivy.
#Cashew apples how to
How to Harvest Cashews SafelyĪfter harvesting cashew nuts, you may want to store them up until you have a decent number, because processing them is a bit of an ordeal. The apples are juicy and tasty and can be eaten immediately. Set the nuts aside– you can store them in a cool, dry place for up to two years. Alternatively, you can wait until the fruit falls to the ground, when you know it’s ripe.Īfter harvesting, twist the nuts off of the apples by hand. Cashew harvesting can take place about two months after the fruit has set, when the apple takes on a pink or red cast and the nut turns gray. The apples and nuts will form in the winter or dry season. Each apple is paired with a single nut, and the visual effect is pretty bizarre. The fruit, called a cashew apple, isn’t really a fruit at all, but is actually the swollen end of the stem just above the cashew nut. When cashew nuts form, they appear growing out of the bottom of a big swollen fruit. Keep reading to learn how to harvest cashews. Growing in the tropics, cashew trees flower and fruit in the winter or dry season, producing a nut that’s much more than a nut and has to be handled with care.
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