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The cashew is peculiar and versatile: It produces not only an edible nut but also a nutritive, edible 'apple' and valuable nut shell oil. The cashew fruit consists of two distinct parts: The first part is the fleshy, pear-shaped stalk, known as the cashew apple which is juicy, thick-skinned, brilliant yellow, red, or scarlet color, and about two to four and one-half inches in length. The cashew fruit actually looks more like a pear than an apple and in many regions of Brazil the cashew apple is referred to as the 'pera.' The second is the grayish-brown, kidney-shaped nut which is about one to one and one-half inches long. It is attached to the lower end of the apple. Cashew nuts are the true fruit, while the cashew apple, about eight to ten times as heavy as the nut, is the swollen stalk, or peduncle, which supports the flower.
The nut shell is smooth, oily and about one-eighth of an inch thick. Its honeycombed, cellular, inner portion contains the cashew nut. The cashew nut kernel is approximately seven-eighths of an inch in length, and is wrapped in a testa or thin brown skin. This is the cashew nut of commerce. The nut shell with its side indentation pointed upward, looks like a heart. The generic name Anacardium means 'shaped like a heart.'
Cashew trees start bearing fruit usually in the third or fourth year and under favorable conditions reach maximum production in about seven years. Although yields vary considerably, a fair, average annual yield from a mature cashew tree is about one hundred to one hundred-fifty pounds of apples and nuts from which twenty pounds of un-hulled nuts and six pounds of kernels can be obtained.
Cashew nuts have been called the poor man's crop but a rich man's food. The World Bank has estimated that at least 97% of world cashew production comes from wild growth and small peasant holdings. At most, systematically planned plantations supply 3%.
The flowering of the cashew tree lasts for two to three months and the fruit matures about two months later. The nut develops first from the cashew flower, while the apple swells later between the nut and the stem. After harvesting, the ripe cashew apple will only keep fresh for about twenty four hours. The nuts however, can be kept for a year or longer if dried.
The nuts should be dried immediately after being harvested. Sun dryings is often carried out on bamboo mats, palm leaves, or specially prepared floors meant for drying. The nuts should be constantly turned and dried for several days until they rattle in the shell.
After drying, cashew kernels are the graded by quality, size and color. Grading of the cashew kernels is carried out in accordance with internationally recognized standards based on size and color. Other cashew classifications include scorched kernels and dessert kernels( the lowest quality). These types are then divided into whole or broken grades and separated into subgroups according to size.
Approximately 60% of cashew kernels are consumed as salted nuts. High priced cashews represent essentially a luxury product for high income groups. In the snack market, cashews must compete with lower priced peanuts as well as chips, crisps, popcorn and other confectionary items. Cashews are more widely used in confectionery nut candies and chocolate bars than in bakery products. Cashews have become one of the most popular dessert nuts behind almonds. They are delicious in their natural state, or in a variety of candied varieties including chocolate covered and honey roasted cashews.