In article >, Steve Wertz > wrote:
>On 15 May 2007 07:39:14 -0700, Sheldon wrote:
>> XiaZen wrote:
>>>*I get mine raw and fresh from the local market.
>>
>> You're full of shit. Raw cashew nuts are highly poisonous... IDIOT!
>
>Raw cashew nuts are not poisonous at all. Their shell, is. And
>it's perfectly legit to get them "raw", where they are steamed to
>open them, which destroys any poison residues.

Couple of friends of mine have been working on cashew production
(growing the things) over the past several years. They bring some raw
kernels in for smoko in season. They (the kernels) are not bad to eat
raw, but I prefer them roasted and salted! :-)

The raw kernels are fairly white, but they can get brownish stains
from the oil from the shells due to the low tech shelling procedure
used by these blokes. So one has to be a bit selective when sampling
the things -- you really don't want to eat any of those stained
portions!

One way of handling the things on the domestic scene is to freeze them
before shelling. If you don't try to do too many in one batch this
works okay -- the corrosive oil remains safely frozen in the shells
for awhile, but not for long! My personal recommendation would be to
buy the commercially processed raw kernels rather than stuff around
half the day to glean a few dollars worth yourself! (But I admit
that if I had a couple of cashew trees in the yard, I'd probably be
curious enough to give it a go -- I'm not a cat after all. ;-)

>Stick with me Sheldon, you might actually learn something. But
>you'd still be spouting the same lies since you'll never learn
>anything.

Cheers, Phred.

--
LID