The Cashew

[amazondk]

I took these pictures last week while I was over in Bolivia.  It is dry season there now and the cashews are starting to set fruit.  I did not get any pictures of any ripe ones, but I am sure there will be a lot when I go back in a month.  I used to have a cashew tree that I grew from seed in Fort Lauderdale.  It set fruit a few times, but normally had trouble.  Here in Manaus we get a lot of cahews in the dry months.  Here are a few shots where the stems are not swollen yet and seeds are still not ripe.  You eat the swollen stems or make juice from them and have to roast the seeds to get the nuts out.  They are in a toxic shell.

[metalfan]

WOW those are just super kewl!!!!

I only have one thing like that... I have an Allspice tree. I have never gotten any berries on it though. But its worth it just to go in and rub the leaves and smell that wonderful smell. I was hoping that in the future, when it needed to be pruned, I could use the trimmings to smoke food with (like Jamaican Jerk pork and chicken)

[Really full garden]

Cashews grow very well here and are very tolerant of salty winds and dry conditions.They thrive with heat.The hotter the better.I am highly allergic to the leaves and fruit.When I first came to Guatemala I made the mistake of harvesting some fruit and my face grew to the size of a beachball .I can eat the roasted nuts.I use them in my pesto sauce in place of pine nuts.

                                                                                  Scott

[eastern.nurseries]

Don,

This is a wonderful tree. Nearly all of the world production of the nut is shelled in China by hand. If someone could develop a mechanized process of extraction and curing of the nut it would revolutionize this industry. Australia alone currently consumes 30 million dollars worth of cashews a year. Cashew nut shell liquid is a valuable drying oil used in the manufacture of paints, resins and synthetic fibers. Saint Francis Xavier a Jesuit living in Goa India was the first European to realize the potential of the cashew. He used the gum from the tree to bind bibles which made them immune to attack from insects .

[tipper55]

I'm in Ft. Lauderdale and grew mine from seed as well. Mine set fruit for the first time this year. The flowers have a very sweet smell to them that really attracts the bees too.

[amazondk]

Jon,

There are still a lot of them processed in their native land Northeast Brazil.  The company that is the main producer was purchased I believe by General Foods from the USA a few years ago.  The cashew has a long history as a medicinal plant in Brazil.  The bark is also very useful as a dye and medicine.  The information in this site of the Iracema company claims that they are the largest cashew processor in the world, Iracema Cashews.  Goa would be a natural palce for the cashews entry into India as it was a Portuguese colony.

I think they have some sort of mechanized process here.  Check out the site on production.  They process 70,000 metric tons of nuts per year. And, are 25 percent of the toal Brazilian production.  I buy their nuts and they are of excellent qualtiy.  But, roasting them over an open fire is even better.

dk

[amazondk]

Tipper,

That is a nice looking cashew.  The one I had produced yellow fruit.  I believe the cashew was brought to Amazonia by the immigrants from Northeastern Brazil in the 1800s and early 1900s.  The grow wild along the highways in disturbed areas.

dk

[iwan]

(scottgt @ Jul. 23 2007,17:00)

QUOTE

When I first came to Guatemala I made the mistake of harvesting some fruit and my face grew to the size of a beachball

This brings back real bad memories.  

I still haven't yet learned not to touch unknown plants and especially SE Asian snakes.

[aussiearoids]

Ate the cashew apple in Indonesia , lots grown on Timor . Also had a few trees around Childers , I was surprised to see it there as I had read that it's supposed to be very tropical . I have a seedling tree planted here in Tully now .

Are raw nuts  dangerous to eat ?

[sunshine]

Michael

I believe the raw fresh nuts have an inflammable caustic oil between the nut and shell which  if eaten will cause severe burns to the mouth and lips etc. I read that you should never to try cracking the shells with your teeth. They are roasted (in shell) to drain the oil before shelling. There are some really old trees growing in Mission Beach that were fruiting in the 60's.

[leomx]

when I first collected some nuts from the ground I took them with my bare hand (big mistake) for about 3 mins, a few hours later my palm hand and fingers were "burnt" and swollen.

the yellow fruit tastes like tutti frutti chewing gum.

[amazondk]

You certainly never want to put an unroasted nut in your mouth.  In order to roast them at home you have to burn the shells off.  The key is not to let the fire burn all the nuts.  The oil is quite flamable and and has to be controlled.  The swollen stem, or the fruit is real tart and varies from tree to tree.  Around here they make a juice from the cashew apples.  Or, another way is to slice them, put a little salt on the pieces and drink a shot of cachaça, our local sugar can fire water, and then eat the piece of cashew.  You can skip the salt if you like.  It is sort of like drinking tequila with limes and salt.  

dk

[palmmermaid]

Don,

My friend Betty has one in her yard and it fruits but I will just buy my cashews in the store.  And that cachaca is a wonderful thing!  I had a friend being me a couple of bottles back from Brazil to make caipiranos (sp) and have used both bottles!  What a great summer drink!

And I never thought of using them instead of pine nuts.  Will defintely try that!