Another one bites the dust.*
Another brilliant idea, that is.
See, the Winn-Dixie had a sale last week on cashews. Two cans for $5. Pretty good price, huh? So, we bought two cans. And we ate two cans.
And I thought, “I wonder if you could grow your own cashews.”
Google!
You can! You can grow your own cashews.
It’s not even that hard, supposedly.
First and most importantly, they are a tropical tree. It probably gets a little too cold for them here. They like temperatures above 50°, but there are ways around that.
Secondly, they like sandy soil. Got that covered.
Third, unlike some trees, they seem to be easy to grow from seeds.
Fourth, not only do they provide cashew nuts, they also grow something called a cashew apple–which is also edible and sounds interesting.
But then. . .
You read a little further. And you find out why cashew nuts are usually so expensive in the stores.
That tasty little seed has a double shell full of a caustic liquid. As in dangerous. As in potentially life-threatening.
It’s related to urushiol, the toxin found in poison ivy.
Processing cashew nuts is arduous and dangerous. Roasting them properly destroys the toxin, but that requires gloves, long sleeves, safety goggles–and I don’t know what all. The smoke contains droplets of the stuff and is extremely irritating to the lungs.
Yikes!
I’m thinking–best to just keep an eye out for those sales at Winn-Dixie. $5 for two cans–definitely a good price!
* Song by Queen band member John Deacon
