Shelled pistachios make holiday baking a breeze
With the baking season well underway, it’s nice to have a bit of convenience to make mixing a bit faster. How marvelous that we now have the ability to purchase pistachio nuts already shelled at such a relatively inexpensive cost at supermarkets. It has certainly increased my use of this favorite by eliminating the need to remove the shell.
In ancient times, pistachios grew wild in the high deserts of the Middle East. Unlike many other plants, pistachio trees are not bee pollinated. Wind carries the pollen from a male tree to the female. In commercial production, one male tree is planted for every 10 female trees.
California produces the largest U.S. crop and harvest started in mid-September. Mechanical harvesters clasp to the tree trunk and give it a quite vigorous shake. This makes the nuts fall into a catching frame so they never touch the ground. It takes less than a minute to harvest each tree.
Pistachio trees are alternate bearing crops, meaning there is a large harvest every other year and smaller crops in the alternating years. Consumers never notice this due to the combined efforts of producers to make sure there is a It began in the 1930s when the nuts were manually harvested and the shells became stained by all the contact. At that time, pistachios were sold in vending machines much like gumballs. In order to cover the stands and make the nuts stand out to consumers, they were dyed red. Less than 20 percent of the crop is still dyed today. steady supply.
If you purchase them in the shell, you’ll need about 8 ounces to equal 2 cups of nutmeats. Also when shopping, look for the shells to be partially open. Those that are completely closed house immature pistachios.
As nice as those bowls of nuts look on the coffee table, pistachios shouldn’t be there. In the open, they will begin to absorb moisture from the air and become soft or soggy. Airtight containers are best and refrigeration increases the shelf life even more. If you do have some that have softened, toast them in a 200degree oven for about 10 minutes to renew the freshness.
Tammy Algood is the author of five cookbooks and can be seen on “Volunteer Gardener” on PBS stations in Tennessee. Follow her at hauteflavor.com