Pistachios ripen
in the month of September almost exclusively around the world with the
exception of Australia which harvests in February. In exceptionally hot
summers, harvest may be early (last week of August).
How
to tell when the pistachios are ripe
The hull of the
pistachio is called the epicarp. It is about 1/16 of an inch thick and
adheres tightly to the hard inner shell until the nut is ripe. Take your
thumb and forefinger and squeeze the nut. If the epicarp has separated
from the hard inner shell, the epicarp will easily come apart and can be
peeled off.
Besides the
epicarp coming off easily, the color also changes. The epicarp has a
reddish/yellow color during development. The color lightens in August and
when ripe, it is a rosy, light yellow.
Try to time
harvest when most of the nuts are ripe.
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How
to harvest
The pistachios will
fall off the tree when the branches are given a sharp shake. A rubber
mallet hitting a branch, a fist or mechanical shaker can be used. Put
sheets or tarps under the tree to catch the nuts. You don’t want to nuts
to fall in the dirt (you will lose them or the epicarp will tear).
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How to process
The epicarp should be removed within 24 hours after the nut comes
off the tree. If left on longer, it will start to stain the hard, inner
shell and will also add a bitter flavor to the nutmeat. If you cannot find
the time to remove the epicarp within 24 hours, you can stretch the time
needed by keeping the unhulled nuts under refrigeration.
The hull can be
peeled off by hand or can be removed by abrasive action. Small growers
commonly use an old commercial potato peeler than can rub the epicarp off.
Some growers put the nuts in a sack and roll it around with their feet . .
. dump the nuts and loose epicarp out on a table and sort the nuts from
the hulls.
After removing
the epicarp, the nuts should be washed quickly in cold, clean water.
Remove the nuts from the water and dry.
A drying table
can easily be made. Make a box using 1 x 6’s for the sides, and screen
for the bottom. A lid can be made with 1 x 2’s for the sides and clear
plastic for the top. The box can be set on saw horses (it needs to be up
so the air can circulate). The nuts can be put 3" to 4" deep in
the box, stirring them in the morning and evening. Usually, they dry in 3
to 4 days this way and the flavor is delicious. A 4 x 8 drying box will
hold about 300 pounds of pistachios.
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How
to salt
Should you desire to
salt the nuts, make a super saturated solution of salt and water (stir in
salt until the water is so full of dissolved salt, it will no longer
absorb any more and the salt you add doesn’t go into the solution). Dip
the nuts in the solution. Remove and return to the drying table or put in
oven to roast. Use a low oven (225° F) for 15 to 20 minutes.
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How
to store
Pistachios keep very
well if just a few precautions are taken. In general, the lower the
temperature, the longer the storage life of the nuts. Pistachios can be
held at temperatures up to 68° F without significant quality
deterioration for as long as one year. Prolonged heat turns the oil in any
nut rancid. A cool cabinet, the refrigerator or freezer are all good
storage locations.
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