Cashew Nuts Processing stages
Cashew nuts go through processing that makes them an even better version of their natural selves. This is mostly because their natural selves can be very harmful to you. But just like with diamonds there’s a gem underneath.
To get a much deeper look into how raw cashew nuts are processed we need to look into 6 vital cashew nut processing steps. It’ll help you appreciate the value placed on cashew nuts, the health benefits and possibly the pricing too.
1. Drying of the raw cashews
If you’re still stuck on the ‘natural’ cashew being harmful to you. It’s because the cashew starts as an apple. Shaped like pepper, each cashew apple falls on the ground before it is handpicked by farmers (usually women) to remove the single raw cashew that is attached to it.
Drying is done to reduce the amount of moisture in cashew nuts to about 9%. This stops it from forming moulds which then cause rotting.
2. Pre-treatment
A couple more steps are involved here. First, there’s calibration. It’s when the nuts are grouped by size. This is important for selecting the right blade for the shelling machines that comes later in the process. The more precise the blade, the lesser amount of breakages.
After this then it’s off to the warehouse. This just gives the cashew a safe place to be processed throughout the year. It’ll be safe from pathogens and insects. In other words, it just makes sure the cashews are in their best shape throughout the year before processing.
As processing kicks in, the raw cashews are taken out of the warehouse for heat treatment. Heat, generally steam, weakens the tough shell ahead of de-shelling. The steamed cashews are then left to air dry.
3. De-shelling
De-shelling is at the heart of cashew processing. It consists in breaking the raw cashew nutshell to free the kernel, without ever (well, almost ever) splitting the precious whole kernel. Once freed, the kernel makes its way to ovens, where it receives a thermal shock. This process is pivotal to loosening the testa around the kernel.
4. Peeling
Once the kernel is deemed in a peelable state, it is put through peeling machines that use air pressure and friction to blow off the testa…again the utmost precaution is taken to break as little wholes as possible. As cashew kernels have this odd boomerang shape and depending on the peelability of the testa, human intervention becomes key to finish off peeling some kernels. At Cashew Coast, we call our peeling ladies the “undefeatables”!
5. Grading
Peeled cashews are then categorised by size, colour and shape using colour sorters and optical machinery. But there is no better sorter than the human eye and brain, hence a final round of eagle-eyed manual grading completes this process.
Grade classifications are important for compliance with the Association of Food Industries standards.
After the grading process, the final process involves cashews being packed in vacuum sucked Flexi pouches by grades and labelled with a lot code for traceability. The moisture is kept at 4% so that they don’t break whilst in packaging.
So there! All 6 steps of the processing of raw cashew nuts.
At the Cashew Coast, we follow these steps religiously to ensure that all the cashews are safe for consumption, nutritious and are in perfect shape by the time they get into your local grocery store. Our team will tell you how much of a balancing act it is to keep cashews whole during the entire process. Were you aware of these steps?
