This Is Nuts!

By Emily Tittle

There are fun days to celebrate pretty much every day of the year and August 3rd is no exception, being one of the nuttiest of them all. Yes, it is National Grab Some Nuts Day. Now right now you might be thinking about the nuts and bolts of it all. Stop right there because we are talking about the food to be celebrated on this day, and definitely not the personal stash you may be thinking of.

What is a day to celebrate without some fun facts to share? As you serve up these tasty gems, have a little fun as you share some interesting information with family and friends.

• Walnuts are the oldest tree nut known to humans with their discovery dating back to 7000 B.C. They contain more omega-3 fatty acids, those that greatly benefit the brain and heart, than any other nut.
• Turning nuts into milk is a popular dairy alternative. Almond milk is the most popular, but I just enjoyed a latte made with macadamia milk and yum … might be my new favorite!
• Almond trees rely totally on bees to pollinate their flowers and it takes two hives’ worth for every acre of trees. California alone requires about 80 billion bees. Since this is a seasonal job, only lasting a few weeks in February, almond farmers often rent these pollinators straight from the beekeeper.
• Hazelnut trees produce about 25 pounds of nuts in a single year with a new crop each year and a consistent harvest for 50 or more years. They are the signature ingredient in Nutella, and you can find that (and other nut butter variations) in the energy bites recipes at here on our blog!
• Pecans are the only major tree nut native to North America and have been around since the 16th century. Native American tribes relied heavily on them for nutrition as well as trade, spurring their cultivation of the pecan tree.
• Pistachios get their green color and purple shades from chlorophyll, the same pigment found in lettuce, green apples, and celery. They are one of a small number of plant proteins considered a complete protein, meaning they provide all nine essential amino acids that our bodies cannot produce.
• Cashews are part of the poison ivy plant family and that is why you have probably never seen a cashew in the shell. People sensitive to the toxins of these plants will also likely have the same itchy reaction if handling the plant and shell oil. They are typically sold roasted because the hot temperature also ensures the oil has been removed.
• Peanuts are the most popular ground nut. George Washington Carver found over 300 uses for the peanut plant in the early 1900s, including cooking oil, paper, cosmetics, medicines, and more.

So, the nuttiest question of all about this day we are about to celebrate is … well … is it really a nut? Nuts are technically defined as a fruit composed of a hard shell and a single seed. If you read the fine print, you will also note that the shell must not open to actually produce the seed. That means hazelnuts, chestnuts, and acorns are in fact nuts. Peanuts are members of the pea family and actually legumes. Fruit of the pistachio, almond, and cashew plants are drupes because they are fleshy on the outside and contain a shell covering a seed (the part we eat) on the inside. There is nuttin’ to worry about here though. It is now widely considered that any oily kernel found within a shell and used as a food source IS considered to be a nut, at least for those of us not in the botany field. What are you waiting for? Go grab some nuts!