#Cashew tree free#

Even cashews sold as raw have been roasted once after being carefully harvested and shelled to remove any toxic oil residue.Ĭashews naturally contain a toxin called urushiol. Truly raw cashews are still in their shell, which cannot be eaten. Another round of roasting may also help ensure any remaining urushiol residue is removed before sale.Ĭommercial cashews are then ready for quality checks, packaging, and sale.

#Cashew tree free#

The raw cashews are then roasted at high heat, either by steaming them in a large rotating drum or vat of boiling oil to remove urushiol remnants before they can be shelled, thoroughly dried, and peeled.Īt this point, these cashews are still often labeled as raw, since they’re free of added flavorings.Ĭashews may be roasted a second time for flavoring purposes if they’re being sold as roasted cashews. These cashews are raw and not sold due to a risk of urushiol exposure. The cashew nuts, still in their shell, are removed from the ends of the fruits and may be dried in the sun, depending on the manufacturer’s process.

The cashew apples, which are edible but highly perishable, are collected. The cashews are ready for harvesting when the cashew apples begin to fall from the tree. The cashews themselves grow inside of gray shells on the ends of those fruits. Mature cashew trees grow red or yellow pear-shaped drupes called cashew apples. As such, they’re classified as a type of tree nut. Cashews grow on cashew trees ( Anacardium occidentale).