Cashew tree

Many inhabitants of the planet have probably tasted the amazingly delicious cashew nuts. But few people imagine how they are born and how the tree on which they grow actually looks like. The scientific name of the plant is Cashew (Anacardium, Indian nut). This tree is native to Brazil. Cashews are very fond of light and soil containing a high percentage of nutrients with good drainage. The maximum height that cashews reach is thirty meters. This plant can be safely attributed to centenarians, it can reach the age of one hundred years. They are planted with cashew seeds.

As already noted, under the conditions of the natural environment for this tree, it can reach a height of 30 meters. In other conditions, 13-15 meters. Cashew is an evergreen plant with a short trunk and rather low branches. The Indian walnut is the proud owner of a dense, spreading crown with a diameter of 11-13 meters.

Cashew leaves on the outside may seem artificial, plastic. They are oval or egg-shaped, very dense, leathery. Their length reaches twenty-two centimeters, 15 centimeters wide.

Cashew inflorescences can hardly be called beautiful. The flowers are pale, greenish-pink in color, small, consisting of 5 thin petals with sharp tips, collected in a kind of panicle. The flowering of Indian walnut can be called long (several weeks), the reason is that the flowers do not bloom all at once, but in turn. Depending on climatic conditions, cashews can bloom up to three times a year, this tree has alternating periods of dormancy, vegetation and growth.

Cashew nuts

It is worth dwelling in more detail on the description of the Indian nut fruit. Outwardly, the fruit looks like a yellow or red Bulgarian pepper. The size of the fruit is quite large, the stalk is oval or pear-shaped, six to twelve centimeters long. Under the stalk there is a fibrous pulp - yellow, very juicy with a sour taste, slightly knotting the mouth. This fruit formation is called pseudo-fruit or cashew apple. Countries cultivating Indian walnut harvest about twenty-five thousand tons of such pseudo-fruits per year. They are good for food, they make excellent alcoholic drinks, delicious preserves, jams, juices and compotes. But the same famous cashew nut is located at the end at the end of the stalk or pseudo-fruit.

The nut looks like a comma or a small boxing glove. The fruit is hidden under the double protection of the shells, outer green and smooth, inner rough. It is under these shells that the nut itself is located, its average weight is one and a half grams.

As stated above, the Indian walnut comes from Brazil. There they have been cultivating this fruit tree since time immemorial. Now cashews are grown in about thirty-two countries of the world with a tropical climate.

Cashew Care

Cashews are unpretentious in care. The main thing is warm and nutritious well-drained soil. Loves sun and light, but can grow in partial shade. It survives well in drought and high temperatures, but does not like cold and frost.

The cashew plant is popular in many countries, mostly for its fruits.The peculiarity of cashew nuts is that they are sold exclusively without shells. Because it is poisonous due to the phenolic resin content between the outer shell and the core, which causes burns when in contact with human skin. That is why, before the nuts go on sale, the shells are removed from them and high-quality processing is carried out for the complete disappearance of the poisonous oil.

The fruits are harvested from the tree after they are fully ripe. The process is absolutely simple: ripe fruit is plucked from the tree, the nut is separated from the pseudo-fruit, dried in the sun, then fried on metal sheets, after which the shell is carefully removed.

Application of cashew nuts

Cashew is a very healthy thing, it contains minerals. It is eaten both raw and fried, and is actively used in cooking. Indian nuts are an excellent addition to first and second courses, appetizers and salads, and they are also added to baked goods. Also, a wonderful butter is obtained from it, in no way inferior to peanut butter. Roasted nuts have a sweetish pleasant taste. When frying, salt is added to them to preserve the aroma.

Cashew nuts are truly unique: they are used even for medicinal purposes (they treat anemia, psoriasis, dystrophy, strengthen the immune system). By its composition, the Indian nut is a storehouse of essential nutrients. It contains proteins, starch, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, fats, natural sugars, omega-3 fatty acids. If you eat cashew nuts in moderation and daily, the body will be enriched with all the necessary substances. Cashews have a high calorie content: 630 kcal per 100 grams of product.

The downside to cashews is that it can cause allergies. Therefore, people inclined to it should be especially careful to eat these nuts. The main symptoms are: itching, nausea, swelling, vomiting.

Nowadays, there is a huge selection of cashews on sale: roasted and unroasted nuts, whole and split. What should you pay attention to first of all? Of course, the appearance of the product and its smell. Naturally, there is no need to buy nuts that have a non-marketable look. They should be nice, smooth, without foreign odors. There are several nuances: this way, whole nuts are stored much longer than chopped ones (six months in the refrigerator, a year in the freezer). If the nut is kept warm for a long time, it becomes bitter and may even germinate.

Growing cashews

A fair question arises, is it possible to grow such a useful curiosity at home? The answer is definitely yes. But you have to tinker: it is necessary to create conditions for the tree close to tropical: warm and humid. As noted above, cashews are propagated by seeds, which first need to germinate, for which they need to be placed in a container of water for two days. An important point is that the water with the seeds should be changed twice a day, because poisonous juice seeps out of them, turning the water blue. This procedure is done very carefully with gloves to avoid getting burned.

Planting pots must be prepared in advance. The soil should not be heavy, on the contrary, nutritious and loose. One seed is planted in one pot. The first shoots of cashews will delight in two to three weeks. The pots should be placed in a well-lit area under the sun. It is imperative to monitor the temperature conditions, control the humidity of the air, regularly spray and water the plant. As a top dressing, it is recommended to use any universal one.

The growth of cashews is quite fast, so in the first years after planting, it is worthwhile to carry out procedures for pruning the tree. With good proper care, cashews can begin to bear fruit as early as the second or third year of life. For best yields, pruning is recommended in the fall, leaving only the trunk and skeletal branches.

When harvesting from a tree, all parts of the cashew nut are used for food.The nuts themselves undergo the necessary processing and are sent to various countries for sale. The pseudo-fruit is also used in the food industry. However, unlike the nut itself, it deteriorates very quickly due to the content of a large amount of tannin, therefore it cannot be transported. And you can taste this curiosity only in countries where cashews are directly grown.

In addition to nutritional value, this product carries others: for example, in Africa it is used for tattooing, in Brazil as an aphrodisiac. Cashews are good for treating colds and stomach upsets. In addition, the oil extracted from the shell is used in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. Also, this product is used for the manufacture of varnish, drying oil, rubber. Indian walnut wood is durable and resistant to decay processes, for this reason it is actively used in shipbuilding and furniture production.

Cashews have been cultivated since ancient times by the Tinuca Indians who lived in the territory of modern Brazil. They nicknamed cashews "yellow fruit", which is evident from the appearance.

In general, if you set a goal, then it is quite possible to grow a full-fledged cashew tree in a home greenhouse environment. The main thing is to provide it with proper care, atmosphere and care.