How to identify a good quality cashew nut?

Most of the users have queries like “How can we identify whether cashew nuts are of good quality?”. Today, in this blog, we will share some great tips to help you check the quality of cashews. You can find fresh, high-quality cashews by following these easy tips. 

Cashews are the most popular dried fruit after almonds. You should purchase these nuts after checking their quality and ensuring they’re not damaged. So, read this blog to know how to identify good quality cashews. 

Here are Tips to Check the Quality of Cashew Nuts:

The quality of raw cashew nuts may be described using a variety of characteristics such as color, shape, brightness, and external appearance. 

Check the Appearance of Cashews

Cashews can lose quality due to environmental factors. Also, these nuts undergo many steps including steaming, cracking shells, separating silk, drying, sorting, and packaging before reaching customers. Cashew kernels can be damaged during these processes. And, you can’t determine the quality of cashews using the naked eye. 

Here are 5 easy methods to find quality cashews based on their appearance: 

• The less damaged the cashew nut kernels are, the higher their quality. So make sure cashew kernels are not damaged.
• Cashew kernels should be clean. 
• The color of cashew kernels should be white, pale ivory, or light ash.
• A larger size of cashew kernels indicates greater quality.
• The long expiry date indicates high quality.

Color of Cashews

The color of cashews also shows their quality grade. You should look for white or cream-colored cashews with no black spots or reddish hues on the kernel surface. White cashew kernels are better quality than burned cashews. 

Size of Cashew Kernels

The quality of the cashew kernels within the shell is what truly matters. While color, shape, and brightness are consistent, the kernel size within the shell fluctuates. Many methods are used to quantify the size of the kernel inside the shell, such as nut count, outturn (kernel output ratio), moisture, and total defective nuts. 

The larger the cashew kernels, the more tasty they are; the more nutrients in the nut kernels, the higher the value. 

• W240 Cashew is a huge, white, entire cashew with no damage that contains between 220 and 240 nuts per pound. 
• W320 Cashew  is the cashew nut kernel with excellent quality, whole nuts with non-damaged, non-split, and white, popular entire cashew that would generate between 300 – 320 pieces per pound.
• W450 Cashew is a tiny, white, whole-grain cashew with 400 to 450 nuts per pound.

Check Smell, Taste, and Texture

Taste and texture determine how excellent grade cashews are. You should taste cashews to know their flavor and texture to check their quality.

Purchase cashews that smell fresh. If your cashews smell awful, they’re almost probably rotten. Fresh cashews are also more flavourful and crunchier than stale cashews. High-quality cashews are both tasty and greasy.

If the cashews are not processed and stored according to the regulations, they will have an oily flavor. When buying cashews, aim for ones with a low moisture level to avoid spoiling. Cashews with a high moisture content may turn moldy or rancid over time. 

Roasted

First, decide whether you want cashew nuts raw or roasted. If you want to determine the quality of roasted cashews, look for a crisp and rich flavor, whereas raw cashews have a light taste and soft texture. You can select according to your tastes.

R.K Agro Processing is one of India’s major cashew nut manufacturers, We produce a broad variety of agricultural goods, including high-quality cashew nuts. Also, we maintain excellent standards throughout the production and packaging processes.