- So many fruits grow on the cashew tree
- Harvesting the cashews
- This is how cashew nuts are processed
- Only roasted cashew nuts are suitable for consumption
- tips and tricks
Cashew trees are among the trees with the most unusual fruits. They consist of the cashew apple, which is a pseudofruit, and the cashew nuts, also known as "elephant lice". The harvest lasted several months.
So many fruits grow on the cashew tree
Three years after sowing, cashew trees bear the first fruits. The tree is fully grown when it is eight to ten years old. Then harvests of several hundred kilos of fruit are not uncommon.
In good years, 9,000 kilograms of cashew apples and kernels can be harvested from one hectare of land with cashew trees.
Cashew trees bear fruit until they are 30 years old. After that, they will not produce any more fruit. The largest cashew tree in the world is an exception. It still bears fruit because it has formed many runners.
Harvesting the cashews
Cashew trees are mainly grown in Brazil, India, Thailand and some African countries. The main harvest season for cashew nuts lasts from January to May.
The fruits are picked up when they fall to the ground. Only then are the seeds really ripe. In large plantations, large nets are laid out under the trees for collection.
Cashew fruits should not be left on the ground for long, as the pulp rots quickly and makes the kernels unusable.
This is how cashew nuts are processed
- turn out cores
- dry
- Roast
- remove cuticles
After collecting, the seeds are loosened from the fruit with a vigorous twisting motion. The cashew apples are processed into jam, oil and even wine.
The seeds are then laid out in the sun to dry. They are completely dry when you hear a rustling noise when you shake them.
Only roasted cashew nuts are suitable for consumption
Only the dried and roasted kernels are traded and are also exported to Germany.
Unroasted, the kernels are slightly poisonous and not suitable for consumption.
People with histamine intolerance should be careful when consuming cashew nuts. They contain a lot of histamine, which can cause severe symptoms in those affected.
tips and tricks
Cashew shells are also poisonous. They contain a valuable oil that is collected in special centrifuges. Oil can also be obtained from the kernels by pressing, which is not only tasty but also very healthy.
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