How Do Cashews Grow
Packed with loads of energy, cashews are sweet yet crunchy nuts that have many different uses. Cashew nuts are also full of vitamins and minerals that are vital for good health, so they are a very important ingredient to add to your dishes. You may be interested in finding out more about this interesting nut or just want to simply know just how are cashews grown?
Where do Cashews Come From
The cashew nut is native to the Brazil’s Amazon rain forest and is also found originally in the Caribbean. It was then taken all over the world by explorers and now this little nut is mass cultivated in numerous tropical countries everywhere especially Africa and India. As long as they are well watered, in tropical countries cashew trees will grow like weeds. The trees are draught resistant and grow well in sandy soils.
The nut grows on a cashew apple tree and comes from the same plant family as mango and pistachio trees. This impressive tree typically grow as high as 40 feet high in the right conditions. It is an evergreen tree with oval dark green leaves. The cashew apple tree has flowers which are pink and white and pink and very fragrant. The edible nut is found on the end of the trees fruit as an edible kernel known as the cashew. where do cashews grow
Choosing and Using Cashew Nuts
Cashew nuts are available in your local store all year round as they are now such a popular ingredient. You will be able to find salted, raw, salted or sweetened cashew nuts. Most of the time you will be buying shelled nuts which contain creamy and cashew nuts. Good cashew nuts need to be free from mold and cracks and should smell pleasantly fragrant
As soon as you get them home you will need to store your cashew nuts in an airtight container. Perhaps unexpectantly, you really should be keeping your cashews in your refrigerator to preserve them better. Cashew nuts will then stay good to use for up to 6 months.
Grow Your Own Cashew Nuts
If you live in a warm and sunny area then cashew tree can successfully be grown from seeds. If you want to grow your own tree then you will need to start with a matured unshelled nut. Fresh seeds which are picked from the tree need to be dried out for a couple of days in the sunshine and then they need to be soaked overnight in water prior to sowing them. Cashew nut seeds germinate at anytime between 5 days to 2 weeks.
A home grown tree started from seed will take up to 5 years before you get your first cashew nuts from them. You could try buying cashew plants from a nursery to speed up the process. Cashew nut grows best with a temperature of about 80 degrees.
Harvesting Cashew Nuts
Cashew trees will produce their flowers and so the nuts themselves during the dry season and you will be picking your nuts within a few of months of the tree producing flowers. A good indication that they are ready to be picked is when the fruit begins to fall from the tree.
It is simple, if not time consuming to separate the cashew flower from the nut. More often than not the nuts remain intact inside their shells even when they fall from the tree. You can store them for a while until you are ready to roast and dry out your nuts.
Uses for Cashew Nuts
Cashews nuts are wonderful to be enjoyed just as they are as a nutritious snack. And as they can be bought either salted or sweet in packets for you to eat then the choice is up to you. Because cashews are nutty yet pleasantly sweet in taste. They can be savoured as a crushed up salty garnish in numerous types of salads and desserts. Cashew nuts are widely used in baking things such as biscuits and cakes to add a nutty crunch and texture. Cashews nuts are also perfect to add a depth of flavor to savory rice dishes such as curries and pasta sauces.
Healthy Cashew Nuts
Unfortunately, cashew nuts are fairly high in calories. However, they do offer you a lot of dietary fiber and other nutrients which help to protect you from a range of diseases. Nuts are full of heart-friendly fatty acids which are known to go a long way towards lowering cholesterol which can be very harmful.
A handful of cashews every day as part of your regular diet will give you provide enough many healthy minerals and can help to prevent a variety of conditions getting worse. Cashew nuts are an easy way to get your daily quota of minerals such as potassium, iron and zinc. Cashew nuts are also loaded with lots of essential vitamins like vitamin B and thiamine which are crucial for the breakdown of fat and carbohydrates in the food you eat.
Sources:
- How Do Cashews Grow? – worldatlas
- So Cashews Grow Like This, And We Officially Know Nothing – huffpost
