PISTACHIO

The pistachio is a small tree up to 10 m tall, native to mountainous regions Turkmenistan and Western Afghanistan. Archaeological evidence in Turkey suggests the nuts were being used as a food source as early as 7,000BC. More recently pistachio’s have been cultivated in California (first commercial harvest in 1976) and Australia.

Under favourable conditions pistachio trees live and produce for centuries. The trees are inclined to spread and drop, and may initially need staking. The nuts are harvested when the husk or hull becomes fairly loose and a single shaking will bring down the bulk of the matured nuts, which can be caught on a tarp or canvas. A fully mature tree may produce as much as 50 pounds of dry, hulled nuts.

One of the secrets to supplying tasty pistachios is avoiding what is known as “mechanically split” nuts. As the nut grows the mature kernel will burst open the shell naturally. Those kernels that have not matured fully will fail to burst through the shell. This is termed “closed mouth”. These nuts are soaked and cracked manually. They are not as tasty and have smaller kernels. We have physical tests in place to determine such quality parameters ensuring the best possible eating experience for the consumer.

In the UK about 90% of pistachios are consumed as in-shell snacks with the production and demand increasing dramatically in recent years.

Western Commodities

PISTACHIO