# Cashew fruits, what can I do with them? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 6, 2015, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cashew-fruits-what-can-i-do-with-them/719364 "2015-05-06T07:48:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2015, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cashew-fruits-what-can-i-do-with-them/719364/1 "2015-05-06T07:48:03Z")
Saw a guy sitting against a wall with a tray of cashew fruit for sale(I recognized them from pics) and since I have never seen them in person before or seen them for sale I just had to try it for 1 USD a heap. When I got home my wife said why did you buy that, and went on to explain they are tart and very sour and thats is why this is my first time seeing them for sale. Hey same rules applied to caimite and those were delicious, in my defense. 😛 Anyone have any tips on how to make them edible? ---
**Author:** ![Ramira](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ramira/32/344_2.png) [@Ramira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ramira)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2015, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cashew-fruits-what-can-i-do-with-them/719364/2 "2015-05-06T10:54:07Z")
Tart and sour? That is strange and not true, unless you have locally an odd variety. They are usually sweet. The skin is like the mango, with some aftertaste. You can steam or boil them if the skin is very strong in taste. It is usual to make them into the jams. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2015, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cashew-fruits-what-can-i-do-with-them/719364/3 "2015-05-06T11:20:30Z")
Cashew fruit? According to some locals, you can use them to prepare chow, instead of pineapple, for example. Or add it to it. Chow is, as you know, the local fruit salad, with garlic, culantro, and spices. I love chow! Personally, I blend the fruit with water (and the guavas you dislike, if I have them 😉 ), and strain the mush
 Get some fruit juice or\* suco de cajĂș\*, which is what they do with it in other countries like Brazil. ---
**Author:** ![Saturn\_Dreams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Saturn\_Dreams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saturn_Dreams)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2015, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cashew-fruits-what-can-i-do-with-them/719364/4 "2015-05-06T14:25:53Z")
Make chutney or compote with them. Or maybe feni if you’re adventurous. ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2015, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cashew-fruits-what-can-i-do-with-them/719364/5 "2015-05-06T15:39:01Z")
Whatever you do with it, do it quickly. They ferment almost immediately after picking, which may be why you find them sour. Here’s an [article](http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2015/apr/30/pepsico-explores-a-use-for-the-previously-discarded-cashew-apple) about Pepsi trying to commercialize it in India. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2015, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cashew-fruits-what-can-i-do-with-them/719364/6 "2015-05-06T21:42:16Z")
Yea I just ate them, they were good mildly sweet with a bit of tang. Odd texture though, extremely juicy but the pulp left is so chewy I just sucked it dry and tossed it. Like spongy rubber 90% liquid 10% chewy. No clue what my wife was talking about, she ate one too and said ok this is good. Said the couple of times she tried it before it was like trying to eat a lemon straight. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2015, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cashew-fruits-what-can-i-do-with-them/719364/7 "2015-05-06T21:48:08Z")
> [@KarlGrenze](#): > > Cashew fruit? According to some locals, you can use them to prepare chow, instead of pineapple, for example. Or add it to it. Chow is, as you know, the local fruit salad, with garlic, culantro, and spices. I love chow! > > . I don’t really like pineapple chow much, try the green mango version with salt and pepper(hot pepper). ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2015, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cashew-fruits-what-can-i-do-with-them/719364/8 "2015-05-06T21:57:48Z")
Ugh, they taste like sweetened battery acid to me. They do make an excellent jam, though. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2015, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cashew-fruits-what-can-i-do-with-them/719364/9 "2015-05-06T22:02:59Z")
> [@Saturn\_Dreams](#): > > Or maybe feni if you’re adventurous. Seconded. I tried [feni](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feni_%28liquor%29) for the first time recently and it was delicious. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2015, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cashew-fruits-what-can-i-do-with-them/719364/10 "2015-05-06T22:10:34Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > Ugh, they taste like sweetened battery acid to me. They do make an excellent jam, though. Sounds like you got the same batch my wife tried before. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2015, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cashew-fruits-what-can-i-do-with-them/719364/11 "2015-05-06T22:30:11Z")
> [@grude](#): > > Sounds like you got the same batch my wife tried before. I think that it is an individual taste thing. I also get a similar astringent taste from mangos, which everyone else on the planet seems to love. ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2015, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cashew-fruits-what-can-i-do-with-them/719364/12 "2015-05-06T23:46:33Z")
Here in the Yucatan, we grind the pulp, add water and sugar for a refreshing drink. When in season, they are very cheap. I threw a bunch of the stems on the BBQ to roast the nuts. Horrible smell. I later found out that the shell is toxic. And so was the smoke from the roasting. Don’t do it! ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2015, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cashew-fruits-what-can-i-do-with-them/719364/13 "2015-05-07T02:43:49Z")
Wait, I thought cashew fruit had a high cyanide content. No, I’m not thinking of almond fruit. Or am I? ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2015, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cashew-fruits-what-can-i-do-with-them/719364/14 "2015-05-07T03:25:22Z")
> [@harmonicamoon](#): > > Here in the Yucatan, we grind the pulp, add water and sugar for a refreshing drink. When in season, they are very cheap. > > I threw a bunch of the stems on the BBQ to roast the nuts. Horrible smell. I later found out that the shell is toxic. And so was the smoke from the roasting. Don’t do it! Huh I had saved the nuts and was looking for a way to crack them when your post and my wife told me they are poisonous! Almost whoops:o ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2015, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cashew-fruits-what-can-i-do-with-them/719364/15 "2015-05-07T04:58:46Z")
The nutmeat is edible when cooked. The shell is highly acidic, apparently. [QUOTE=Wikipedia] The true fruit of the cashew tree is a kidney or boxing-glove shaped drupe that grows at the end of the cashew apple. The drupe develops first on the tree, and then the pedicel expands to become the cashew apple. Within the true fruit is a single seed, the cashew nut. Although a nut in the culinary sense, in the botanical sense the nut of the cashew is a seed. The seed is surrounded by a double shell containing an allergenic phenolic resin, anacardic acid, a potent skin irritant chemically related to the better-known allergenic oil urushiol which is also a toxin found in the related poison ivy. Properly roasting cashews destroys the toxin, but it must be done outdoors as the smoke (not unlike that from burning poison ivy) contains urushiol droplets which can cause severe, sometimes life-threatening, reactions by irritating the lungs. People who are allergic to cashew (or poison ivy) urushiols may cross-react to mango or pistachio which are also in the Anacardiaceae family. Some people are allergic to cashew nuts, but cashews are a less frequent allergen than other nuts or peanuts. [/QUOTE] > [@](#): > > The cashew nut can also be harvested in its tender form, when the shell has not hardened and is green in color. The shell is soft and can be cut with a knife and the kernel extracted, but it is still corrosive at this stage, so gloves are required. The kernel can be soaked in turmeric water to get rid of the corrosive material before use. Cashew nuts are also used in Thai and Chinese cuisine, generally in whole form. :eek: > **[Cashew](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cashew)** > > Cashew is the common name of a tropical evergreen tree Anacardium occidentale, in the family Anacardiaceae. It is native to South America and is the source of the cashew nut and the cashew apple, an accessory fruit. The tree can grow as tall as 14 metres (46 feet), but the dwarf cultivars, growing up to 6 m (20 ft), prove more profitable, with earlier maturity and greater yields. The cashew nut is edible and is eaten on its own as a snack, used in recipes, or processed into cashew cheese or ca... ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2015, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cashew-fruits-what-can-i-do-with-them/719364/16 "2015-05-07T11:30:59Z")
Yea, shelling the nuts is the hard process
 If anyone wants to show me how to do it, I have a freezer full of stored nuts. 😉 **even sven** , it may be different mango varieties. My grandparents had a mango tree that delivered the more tart, less sweet type of mangoes, which they and the adults favored (not me). My grandmother then moved to another place that had a sweeter variety, and I ate those gladly. Similar, the mango tree in my backyard is called a julie mango by the locals, and it is sweet sweet deliciously sweet. There is another mango tree nearby, and that one gives the less sweet, more tart. **grude** , I think I’ve had that too, but I loooove pineapple, it’s my favorite fruit. 😃 Point is, you can try to do some chow with those cashews. Also it depends on when they got picked, perhaps your wife got a too ripe batch, while you got a “juuuust right” batch. But yea, try making juice out of it, that’s what others also do!