How are cashews harvested – How to harvest Cashews safely?

Ever wonder why you never see cashews sold in their shells? It’s because they actually grow as kidney-shaped fruits. When ripe, they hang from the bases of thick, pear-shaped up stalks called “cashew apples.” And the greatest challenge of cashew harvesting is in knowing how to handle them safely. Our tips explain more about “How are cashews harvested safely?”

About cashew fruit

Cashew fruit, botanically classified as Anacardium occidentale, grows on evergreen trees that can reach fourteen meters in height and belongs to the Anacardiaceae family along with mangos. Cashew fruit is considered to be an “accessory” or “false” fruit, which means it does not encase the seeds of the plant inside the flesh. The “true” fruit is the shell that contains the cashew seed attached to the end of the Cashew apple.

Cashew fruit is often overshadowed in cultivation by the famous seed, mistakenly called a nut in the commercial market, and is discarded due to its highly perishable nature, often left on the ground as animal feed.

In some countries such as Africa, Brazil, and India, there has been a resurgence in reducing food waste, and the fruit has become a secondary source of revenue by processing it into juice. Cashew fruit is also sold at local markets the same day it is harvested for culinary preparations and is commonly used to make jams, syrups, and preserves.

Talk about weird fruits! Ripe cashews protrude from swollen red stems like tiny, grayish-green boxing gloves at the ends of Popeye’s gigantic forearms. The decadently buttery cashew taste we love comes only after they’ve been properly harvested and processed. Until then, exposure to their toxic oils invites a rash of itching, oozing blisters.

About cashew harvesting

When cashew nuts form, they appear growing out of the bottom of big swollen fruit. 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. Each apple is paired with a single nut, and the visual effect is pretty bizarre. 

The cashew apples and nuts will form in the winter or dry season. 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. Alternatively, you can wait until the fruit falls to the ground when you know it’s ripe. 

After harvesting, twist the nuts off of the apples by hand. Set the nuts aside– you can store them in a cool, dry place for up to two years. The apples are juicy and tasty and can be eaten immediately.

When are cashews harvested

In their native tropical range, cashew trees flower and fruit at the beginning of winter’s dry season. After two to three months, they’re ready to harvest if:

• The nuts are about 1 inch long and grayish-green.
• The cashew apples are yellowish-red.
• The apples have begun dropping to the ground.

Yearly, cashew farmers only harvest once, cashew nuts are collected – dried – stored until the seeds are taken to split on demand and then continue to process. However, it is not a newly harvested season that is from new crops, but cashew nuts stored in warehouses are completely capable of germinating. So whether just harvested or long-harvested, cashew nuts are similar.

The first harvest is still superior. The best time to harvest cashew nuts is two months after the fruit has set when the cashew fruit takes on a pink, red, yellow cast or the nut turns gray. Alternatively, you can wait until the fruit falls to the ground when you know it’s ripe.

After harvesting, Proper separation of cashew nuts from cashew apple (use knife). Cashew nuts are harvested in crop season, then sun-dried until the moisture of products is 11% max. Remove and discard immature, diseased, shriveled, and damaged nuts along with any foreign. The Best Time To Harvest Cashew Nuts: about 2 months after the blooming

How are cashews harvested safely?

When ripe, Cashew hang from the bases of thick, pear-shaped up stalks called “cashew apples.” And the greatest challenge of harvesting cashews is in knowing how to handle them safely.

To know how to harvest cashews, at first you need:

• Heavy gloves
• A long-sleeved shirt
• Long pants
• Heavy shoes and socks
• Eye protection
• Collection boxes or baskets

In your protective clothing and gear, gather the fallen fruit in collection containers.  Twist the nuts free from the collected apples and spread them on a flat surface in the sun for four or five days.

After 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 edible meat of the cashew is surrounded by a shell and a very dangerous, caustic liquid related to poison ivy.

• Freeze the nuts overnight and shell them before they thaw. Then wash them thoroughly to remove any traces of oil.
• Cover your clothes with a full-length apron and replace the safety glasses with a clear mask. Heat a pan of oil to 210°F (98.9°C) and drop in the nuts gently so the oil doesn’t spatter. Leave them for just two minutes, then cool them in a container of water, shell and dry them.

Expert gardener’s tip: Because it accumulates traces of oil, never use your cashew-processing equipment for anything else. That said, if there’s any chance of having your cashews professionally processed, go for it!

Use caution when processing your cashews

Wear long-sleeved clothing, gloves, and goggles to keep the liquid from getting on your skin or in your eyes.

Never crack open an unprocessed nut. To process the nuts, roast them OUTSIDE (never inside, where the fumes can build up and be breathed in)

Above is useful information about “How to harvest Cashews safely?”. Because the process of harvesting cashews requires careful and meticulous steps, this nutritious nut has a relatively high cost. However, our Company – Vihaba is ready to provide international customers with cashew products at the most affordable prices.