Tag Archives: Nut

Peanut

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Peanut

Do peanuts drive you absolutely nutty?

  • Peanuts are a type of nut, or botanically a legume, that is popularly eaten across the world, and the plant species is native to South America and as such, the nut is a major part of the cuisine there.
  • The scientific name of the plant peanuts grow on is Arachis hypogaea, and it is from the family Fabaceae, the family of legumes.
  • ‘Peanuts’ are also known as ‘ground nuts’ and are sometimes called ‘goobers’ or ‘goober peas’.
  •  The peanut plant produces yellow flowers, and after they are fertilised, the petals fall off, after which the tip of the stem heads towards the ground and buries itself to produce the nuts, or technically ‘seeds’, in a pod underground.
  • The mesh-like, textured brown pods of peanuts grow to be approximately 3 to 7 centimetres (1 to 3 inches) in length and while the nut is not a ‘nut’ by botanical definition, it is utilised as one in the food industry.

Peanut, Food, Culinary, Brown, Shell, Ten Random Facts, Trivia

  • Although two is most common, between one to four creamy coloured individual peanuts can be found in a pod, and they are covered in brown to red skin that is easily removed; and the nuts usually darken in colour when roasted.
  • China produces the most peanuts in the world, with 17 million tonnes (18.7 million tons) in the 2013 period, of the total world production of 46 million tonnes (50.7 million tons); and while the United States only produced 4% of the world’s total that year, they are the most commonly consumed nut in the country.
  • Peanuts can be eaten raw, roasted, boiled, or salted, but they can also be ground into flour, or have oil extracted from them; used as an ingredient in baking, main dishes, or sauces; and commonly made into a paste to eat on bread or toast.
  • Raw peanuts are extremely high in manganese; very high in fat, niacin, copper, and folate; high in thiamin, vitamin E, protein, magnesium, and phosphorus; and are a good source of iron, potassium, zinc, fibre and vitamin B6, as well as containing other vitamins and minerals
  • Due to the high levels of a wide range of nutrients, peanuts have been used to feed malnourished people in times of famine; though the nuts can cause allergic reactions, as severe as anaphylaxis, and as such, many schools in some countries have banned consumption of the nuts at school.
Bibliography:
Peanut, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peanut
Peanut Facts, 2016, The Peanut Institute, http://www.peanut-institute.org/peanut-facts/
Peanuts, 2016, The World’s Healthiest Foods, http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=101

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Pistachio

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Pistachio

Pistachios do not need a nutcracker – the nut cracking is already done for you!

  • Pistachios are an edible, ovoid nut, encased in a shell, and are native to some Middle Eastern countries, as well as some neighbouring countries in Asia and Europe, and they have been cultivated for thousands of years.
  • The pistachio plant that the nuts grow on, is generally a small tree with the scientific name Pistacia vera, from the family Anacardiaceae, the family of cashews, which also includes mangoes and pink peppercorns; and once ripe, the nuts are shaken from the tree as part of the harvesting process.
  • A single pistachio tree can reach up to 10 metres (33 feet) in height, and can produce approximately 50 kilograms (110 pounds) of nuts over a period of two years, and one year is generally a high yield year, while the other year produces a lower quantity of nuts.
  • Pistachio nuts are small, generally ranging from 1.5 to 2.2 centimetres (0.6 to 0.87 inches) and weighing roughly 1 to 2 grams (0.03 to 0.07 ounces), with the shell intact.
  • When ripe, the hard shell of pistachios will commonly crack and split halfway while still inside the hull, which is removed after harvesting, allowing access to the edible kernel without the use of a nut cracker.

Pistachio, Nut, Shell, Kernal, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Tan, Food, Culinary, Green, Red

  • The shells of pistachios are naturally coloured a pale sandy brown, however they may be artificially coloured green or red, a tradition first begun when hand pickers were used, to disguise any handling damage; while the kernel and its skin is usually a green to purple colour.
  • Generally, pistachios are eaten raw or roasted, often as a snack; are occasionally added to desserts or used in baked goods, or added to icecream or chocolate; and they are commonly purchased already salted.
  • Iran, in the Middle East, was the greatest producer of pistachios in 2013, producing more than half of the world’s annual quantity, with 478,600 tonnes (527,566 tons), while it is said that China is the greatest consumer at 80,000 tonnes (88,185 tons) annually.
  • Along with causing reactions in those people who are allergic to tree nuts, pistachios are susceptible to a mould that can be dangerous to human health, if not harvested quickly and correctly.
  • Pistachios are very high in vitamin B6, thiamine, copper, manganese, phosphorus, protein, fibre and fat, and they contain many other vitamins and minerals.

 

Bibliography:
Pistachio, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pistachio
Pistachio Nuts Benefits, Side Effects, Nutrition Value and Facts, n.d, Seed Guides, http://www.seedguides.info/pistachios/
Some Physical and Mechanical Properties of Pistachio Nut, 2007, National Centre for Agrarian Sciences, http://www.agrojournal.org/13/02-12-07.pdf

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Macadamia Nut

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Macadamia Nut

Don’t be ‘a hard nut’.  Add these macadamia nut facts to your collection.

  • ‘Macadamia nuts’ are also known as ‘macadamias,’ Queensland nuts’, ‘bush nuts’, ‘queen of nuts’, ‘maroochi nuts’, and ‘bauple nuts’.
  • Macadamia nuts are seeds that are from one of four species of macadamia tree, that are all native to Australia, in the eastern parts of northern New South Wales and southern and central Queensland.
  • There are two species of macadamia nut that are poisonous, but the toxin,  cyanogenic glycoside (cyanide), can be removed by parboiling the nut.
  • Macadamia nuts have a very hard, woody, brown shell which reveals a cream coloured nut when cracked open, that turns golden brown when roasted.
  • Macadamia nuts became known to the British by Alan Cunningham, a botanist from England, who discovered them in 1828 in Queensland.

Macadamia, Nut, Food, Culinary, Australia, Ten Random Facts

  • Australia is currently the top producer of macadamia nuts in the world, and the first trees grown, primarily for commercial purposes, were planted in an orchard in the 1880s, near Lismore, New South Wales, Australia.
  • Macadamia nuts are cracked open when the nut is somewhat dehydrated, and to test for its readiness, the nut will usually rattle in the shell when it’s time, due to the nut growing smaller and detaching itself from the shell.
  • Macadamia nuts are very high in thiamine, manganese and fat, and also contain quantities of many other vitamins and minerals.
  • Some people are allergic to macadamia nuts, that can sometimes cause a fatal reaction, and they are also poisonous to dogs.
  • Macadamia nuts are traditionally eaten raw or roasted, as well as being grounded into butter, covered in chocolate and included in nut mixes and baked goods, and the oil from the nuts is sometimes used in skincare products.
Bibliography:
Macadamia, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macadamia
What are macadamia nuts?, n.d, WiseGEEK, http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-macadamia-nuts.htm

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Peanut Butter

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Peanut Butter

Peanuts are spreadable! Try peanut butter.

  • Peanut butter is an edible spread, usually used on bread or toast, made from ground roasted peanuts, generally with the addition of sugar, salt and oil or fat.
  • United States and China are the major exporters of peanut butter, and it is eaten in many countries around the world, being popular in North America, Australia, Netherlands, the United Kingdom and others.
  • The Native American Aztecs and Incas mashed peanuts in to a compound that could be described as the first peanut butter.
  • In 1884, Marcellus Edson, from Canada, patented peanut butter that was made by heating up roasted peanuts, and in the early 1890s, the substance was given to patients who had difficulty chewing food.
  • In the United States, over 340 million kilograms (750 million pounds) of peanut butter is eaten annually, and national Peanut Butter Day is held on 24th of January.

Crunchy Peanut Butter, Homebrand, Scoop, Jar, Bottle, Ten Random Facts, Australia

  • A type of oil, typically vegetable oil, is added to peanut butter to make the product easier to spread.
  • Peanut butter is full of nutrients and is high in protein, vitamin B6, vitamin E, niacin, manganese, magnesium, folate, copper, zinc, phosphorous, and potassium, but it is very high in fats.
  • Peanut butter sandwiches have been banned in many schools due to severe peanut allergies.
  • Peanut butter generally comes in two types, smooth or crunchy, and the crunchy version contains small chunks of peanut in the spread, and can be made into cookies and candy, and eaten with chocolate, cheese or jam.
  • Peanut butter is sometimes known as ‘peanut paste’ and in World War II, it was dubbed ‘monkey butter’.

 

Bibliography:
Brooks S, The Truth about Peanut Butter, 2013, She Knows’ Foods & Recipes, <http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/981321/the-truth-about-peanut-butter>
Peanut Butter, 2013, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peanut_butter>

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Walnut

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Walnut

Abstract shaped walnuts.

  • Walnuts grow on trees with the scientific name ‘Juglans’, of which there are over 20 species, and they belong to the family Juglandaceae, the family of walnuts.
  • Walnut trees are deciduous and grow from 10-40 metres (32-131ft) in height, and can live for a few hundred years, bearing fruit (a green husk) which is not edible but do contain edible seeds, known as walnuts, which are encased in a hard shell.
  • Walnuts are generally dried for two weeks before they are stored or sold, and can easily become mouldy or insect infected if not suitably stored, and if this occurs, the whole batch of nuts must be discarded.
  • Walnut kernels have a bumpy texture, an abstract shape, and are typically a creamy brown colour.
  • Commercial walnuts are usually from Juglans regia trees, known as the ‘English’ or ‘Persian walnut’, and are popular because they have a large kernel and a thin shell, and the ‘black walnut’ is also available commercially, but not as common.

Walnut, Food, Nut, Pile, Ten Random Facts

  • China and USA are the two biggest producers of walnuts, with almost all of the nuts in America, grown in California.
  • Walnuts are a good source of protein, folate and copper; a very good source of omega 3, manganese, magnesium, and phosphorous; contain the highest amount of antioxidants out of all the nuts, and have many beneficial health effects.
  • The US Air Force used to use ground walnut shells to clean parts of their aircraft until a Chinook helicopter crashed, causing deaths, due to the nut’s grit clogging up the machinery.
  • Walnuts can be eaten raw or with salad dishes, vegetable and fruit meals or snacks and desserts or used in baking, and sometimes the oil is extracted and used for various purposes.
  • Depending on the species, walnuts are native to various countries around the world, including Iran, North America and Japan.

 

Bibliography:
Walnut, 2013, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walnut>
Walnuts, 2013, The World’s Healthiest Foods, <http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=99>

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Cashew Nut

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Cashew Nut

Cashew… tree, apple or nut.  NUT!

  • Cashew nuts are native to north east Brazil, South America, although they are now grown in many tropical areas around the world.
  • Cashew nuts grow on 10-15 m (32-50 feet) evergreen trees known as a cashew tree, from the family Anacardiaceae, which is the family of drupe bearing plants.
  • A cashew nut is a seed or kernel, 1.8 – 2.5 cm (0.7 – 1 inch) long, that grows in a kidney shaped fruit called a cashew drupe, which grows at the bottom of an edible accessory fruit called a cashew apple.
  • In 2010, Nigeria was the top producer of cashew nuts, producing 650,000 tonnes (717,000 tons).
  • Whilst in their shell, cashew nuts are surrounded by a toxic oil or resin similar to urushiol called ‘anacardic acid’, which can burn or irritate the skin, and so they are nearly always treated by roasting, boiling or steaming before they are shelled.

Woolworths Select Brand Naturual Cashew Nuts, shelled, kidney shaped, lots, bowl, packet, halve, full, Ten Random Facts, Australia

  • Some people are allergic to cashew nuts as they are to other tree nuts, due to the proteins in the nuts, however others are allergic to them due to the trace irritants similar to ‘urushiol’, which is in poison ivy pistachios and mangos, all of which are related to cashews.
  • Cashew nuts contain many vitamins and minerals, and are a good source of antioxidants and copper, the antioxidants having many great health benefits including decreased likeliness of getting cardiovascular disease.
  • The starch content of cashew nuts is approximately 23%, which is significantly higher than most other nuts, and makes them suitable for thickening sauces.
  • Cashew nuts are eaten ‘raw’ – these have generally been heat treated, roasted, salted and as a spread; added to main meals like salads, stir-fries and curries in the form of a paste, chopped or used whole; and are also used in desserts and cakes.
  • People who have a tendency to get kidney stones or have gallbladder issues may need to avoid or reduce their intake of cashews as they contain oxalates which can make the condition worse.
Bibliography:
Cashew, 2013, Wikipedia, < https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cashew>
Cashews, 2013, The World’s Healthiest Foods, < http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=98>

 

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