

The stem is the part of the tree tha t supports the tree’s leaves and flowers. The trunk of the cashew tree is usually divided into two sections: the stem and the root. A mature cashew tree can reach up t o 6 – 12 meters in height (in good growing conditions) and has a lifespan of up to 40 – 50 years. These Vietnam varieties of Cashew often produce each beam from 5 to 10 cashew fruits – the rate of kernel rate, raw cashew size, and quite different productivity Trunk Of Cashew Tree:Ĭashew trees are an important commercial crop, providing cashew nuts and cashew apples. How severe your symptoms are may depend on the dose, type of contact, and how your body responds to allergens.Read moreTanzania Produces 206,718 Tons Raw Cashews 2020/21 Crop
#CASHEWS GROW ON TREES SKIN#
Raw cashews in their shell contain urushiol, a toxin that causes a delayed allergic skin reaction similar to that caused by poison ivy. The type and degree of reaction may depend on how much urushiol you’re exposed to and whether you consumed it or had direct skin contact with it. In an older animal study, cashew nutshell extract was fed to rats in varying amounts, resulting in a wide range of symptoms, including licking, scratching, tremors, increased pain sensitivity, mucus secretions, passive behavior, and even death ( 7). While urushiol resides in all parts of the plant, including the roots, stem, and leaves, it also tends to sit in the oil between the cashew shell and nut inside.Ĭoming into contact with urushiol commonly results in allergic contact dermatitis, a delayed skin rash in humans that’s similar to one you might experience after exposure to poison ivy ( 4).Īn urushiol-induced skin rash appears as bumps or patches on the skin that are itchy, inflamed, and may have secretions, potentially even causing an intense burning sensation or localized swelling ( 3).Ī 1982 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention outlined how 7,500 bags of cashews containing urushiol residue were sold along the East Coast as part of a fundraiser, causing around 20% of the purchasers to experience a rash ( 5, 6). Urushiol is a substance found in all members of the Anacardiaceae family of trees, which includes cashews, mango, poison ivy, poison oak, sumac, Peruvian peppers, and pistachios ( 3). Even cashews sold as raw have been roasted once after being carefully harvested and shelled to remove any toxic oil residue.Ĭashews naturally contain a toxin called urushiol. Truly raw cashews are still in their shell, which cannot be eaten. Another round of roasting may also help ensure any remaining urushiol residue is removed before sale.Ĭommercial cashews are then ready for quality checks, packaging, and sale.

#CASHEWS GROW ON TREES FREE#
The raw cashews are then roasted at high heat, either by steaming them in a large rotating drum or vat of boiling oil to remove urushiol remnants before they can be shelled, thoroughly dried, and peeled.Īt this point, these cashews are still often labeled as raw, since they’re free of added flavorings.Ĭashews may be roasted a second time for flavoring purposes if they’re being sold as roasted cashews. These cashews are raw and not sold due to a risk of urushiol exposure.

The cashew nuts, still in their shell, are removed from the ends of the fruits and may be dried in the sun, depending on the manufacturer’s process. The cashew apples, which are edible but highly perishable, are collected. The cashews are ready for harvesting when the cashew apples begin to fall from the tree. The cashews themselves grow inside of gray shells on the ends of those fruits. Mature cashew trees grow red or yellow pear-shaped drupes called cashew apples. As such, they’re classified as a type of tree nut. Cashews grow on cashew trees ( Anacardium occidentale).
