Our French Cashew, aka Malay Apple, trees are young still...
and although they are now bearing a few fruits...
let me take you down the road just a few hundred feet away...
and to the left of the photo you will see a tree
this is the French Cashew tree which can grow quite tall and thick
(the cow in the photo below, is our Ms. Ruthie Moo-Moo, who was quite curious)
when the French Cashew tree blooms...
well! you get a brilliant bang of hot pink color in your eyes
the flowers are a most curious and interesting puffballs of needle like petals...
that grow along the branches inside the tree and can often be missed until...
they fall to the ground
the needle like flowers develop within a covering of sepals as seen in the left photo below
after the flowers fall, the fruit develops
sometimes the fruit will have creamy yellow stripes with red or...
become fully red in color
the skin develops a waxy feel and look...
the inside is white and crispy, with one marble-like seed in the middle...
that parts from the flesh easily
the flesh has a rose water flavored apple taste to it, so good, it is
and if there is no one to pick all that beautiful fruit on a tree growing wild...
it becomes fodder on the ground
we missed the harvest on this tree because we forgot to look
a few we could save and salvage for our eating pleasure and health
(I'm sorry for the lousy photo below. It was all I had to show the crispy inside)
now let me tell you that this French Cashew, aka Malay Apple...
is not the Cashew Nut fruit
while the French Cashew does not have the nut...
the Cashew Nut is the fruit with the cashew nut on it
did you know the cashew nut grows on the bottom of a fruit?
while these two fruits have a similar look...
the Cashew Nut fruit is different both in taste and texture from the French Cashew
the nut, which is actually the seed, breaks off from the fruit and is encased in a shell...
however, the nut is not edible until it is properly and carefully shelled by a knowlegable person...
to keep the toxic acid from contaminating the cashew
this is a process I leave to one who knows the right way to do this
while the French Cashew (Malay Apple) is crisp and light...
the Cashew Nut fruit has a softer skin...
and a creamy yellow pulp without a seed in the middle (the nut is the seed)
the taste of the Cashew Nut has undertones of mango, raw green pepper...
and a hint of grapefruit
very good in it's own right
Cashew Nut fruit is most often used for making juice
so now...I hope you are not confused
you can look them both up on the web under their names...
and get more info on these wonderful, healthy fruits
and of the Lord, His word says...
Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways.
Nevertheless He left not Himself without witness,
in that He did good,
and gave us rain from heaven,
and fruitful seasons,
filling our hearts with food and gladness.
Acts 14:17
May your day or night be fruitful in the grace of God.
