The edible cashew “apple” an aril is the largest part of the fruit.

Cashews are high in potassium.

The Cashew belongs to a rather toxic group of plants, all closely related and some of which we eat: Poison Ivy, Poison Sumac, Mangos, Brazilian Pepper, Pistachios, and Cashews. While the cooked cashew “apple” and roasted nut are edible the shell’s jell is extremely toxic. Mother Nature does not want you eating those nuts and protects them mightily. Not surprisingly the tree itself looks mango-ish. Many people get a poison ivy like rash from touching mangos. They can, however, usually eat mango if someone else peels it. Like the Ginkgo tree, if you don’t  clean up Cashew debris it can leave a toxic litter. We used to visit one often in my foraging classes until Hurricane Irma destroyed it.  

Nature protects the nut with a caustic brown jell.

The Cashew apple, which can be eaten raw but is safer processed, has per 100 grams 124 mg of potassium, 67 mg of phosphorus, 10 mg calcium, 49 mg vitamin C, 2 mg iron, 3.2 mg fiber, 53 calories and 23 mcg beta-carotene.  The unsalted cashew nut contains 583 calories, 14.85 grams of protein, 47.96 grams fat, 31.71 grams total carbohydrate, 2.9 grams fiber,  548 mg potassium, phosphorus 475 mg,  magnesium 252 mg, calcium 44 mg, sodium 16 mg, iron 5.82 mg, zinc 5.43 mg, copper 2.153 mg, selenium 11.3 mcg  B1 (thiamine) and B2 (riboflavin) 0.194 mg each, B3 (niacin) 1.358  mg, B6 (pyridoxine) 0.248 mg, B9 (folate) 67 mg, choline 59.2 mg, Vitamin E 1.24 mg, Lutein+zeaxanthin 22 mcg, vitamin K 37.2 mcg and  in a separate study 7 mg ascorbic acid. 

Raw cashews are extremely toxic topically.

Cashew trees are planted for three reasons:  They look attractive– make a good shade tree if you clean up under them —  and produce edible parts (with proper preparation.) The tree, which is native to northern Brazil, has large leaves and pretty pink blossoms. Like the Podocarpus there is an aril then a seed on the end. The cashew “apple” is a swollen part of the stem rather than the ovary. It can be yellow to red, is high in vitamin C, juicy and slightly acidic. Rather than eaten out of hand — the “apple” can make the mouth feel fuzzy — it is often used with other fruits and juices via blending. The nut is in a kidney-shaped double shell with a caustic brown liquid between the outer shell and the inner testa that will quickly burn your skin or mouth. The cleaned nut is edible raw but roasted is better and that can reduce allergic responses. Eating them raw is dangerous and difficult because of the caustic chemicals and allergies to the parts that are processed away. After drying the unshelled seeds are soaked for a few days in water. The seed is cooked in oil (210 C) for two minutes then cooled in water. Then they are shelled, dried, and the papery coating — the testa — is removed. The shells with nuts inside can also be fried in an open pan but that is more iffy in that the shells can squirt the bad jell. The smoke is also toxic, don’t breath it in. Another method for the brave is to freeze the shell/nut and shell it while frozen peeling away the acidic jell. Wear heavy gloves and goggles. Work fast. Know that cashew production is the source of questionable labor practices where they are produced.  

Cashews have a burning liquid between the nut and the shell.

Young cashew shoots can be eaten and the “apple” cut in to pieces, blanched, dried, then cooked like a vegetable. In fact it is far more popular where they grow than the nuts. The “apples” also dry well and can be made into jam or wine. They can also be feed to livestock — minus the seed. The “apple” contains five times more vitamin C than an orange and more calcium, iron, and B1 than bananas, avocados or citrus. They are also a good source of magnesium, phosphorus and copper. Cashews bloom in winter so you have to have a warm winter.

Botanically the tree is Anacardium occidentale, Anacardium is Greek with a Latin ending that means heart-shaped — referring to the shape of the aril. Occidentale means western (usually European.) Native to tropical America from Mexico and the West Indies to Brazil and Peru. It has few pests or diseases. 

Green Deane’s Itemized Plant Profile

IDENTIFICATION:Spreading evergreen perennial tree to fifteen tall; leaves simple, alternate, obovate, hairless to eight long, six inches wide, pointed or notched, not teeth, short petiolate; flowers numerous in terminal panicles, six to eight long, male or female, green and reddish. The cashew-apple is shiny, red or yellowish, pear-shaped, soft, juicy, six to eight inches long, two to four inches wide; seed surrounded by a hard shell oily, said oil is poisonous causing allergenic reactions in some. 

TIME OF YEAR: Fruits in wet weather, three months from flower to fruit. 

ENVIRONMENT: Grows in almost any soil but does not tolerate salt or frost. 

METHOD OF PREPARATION: Apple edible raw better cooked, seeds processed. 

A reminder that morels are hollow. Photo by Modern Forager.

Morels are perhaps the most foraged and prized fungi in North America. There are folks who forage for nothing but Morels and grew up doing so with their parents. They are esteemed in Europe as well so it was natural for immigrants to America to look for morels and continue the foraging tradition. Morels are so coveted that hunters not only do not reveal their “patches” but give out disinformation. Several states require you to be certified to pick them even for private use. 

Morels need cool soil to reproduce.

There are some 50 species between North America and Europe. In North America 14 new species were announced in 2012 bringing the total to 19 (when previously they thought there might be five or so species.) The species names are in flux because it’s first come first served. For example: If a species in Europe and North American has the same name and it’s decided they are two different species the first one gets to keep the name, the second one has to be changed. And of course not everyone will accept the evidence they are different thus the naming tempest grows. We just call them Morels…  

A dried ounce of morels (28.4 grams) has: 84 calories, 8 grams of protein, 12 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fat, and 4 grams of fiber. it has 59 RE of vitamin A, 1 mg of vitamin C. B vitamins are: B1 (thiamin) 00.3 mg, B2 (riboflavin) 0.64 mg, and B3 (niacin) 2.50 mg. Potassium is 490 mg, phosphorus 339 mg, calcium 33 mg, sodium 10 mg, and iron 8.72 mg.

Morels dry well.

The nutrition for fresh morels follows but remember they always must be cooked. A 100 grams has: 31calories, 3.12 grams protein, 0.57 grams fat, 5.1 grams carbohydrates and 2.8 grams of fiber. There’s half a gram of sugar and it is glucose. No vitamin A or C but there is 206 IU of vitamin D with 5.1 mcg of D2. B vitamins are B1 (thiamin) 0.069 mg, B2 (riboflavin) 0.205 mg B3 (niacin) 2.252, B5 (pantothenic acid) 0.44 mg, B6 (pyridoxine) 0.136, and B9 *folate) 9 mcg. The mineral line up is: Potassium 411 mg, phosphorus 194 mg, calcium 43 mg, sodium 21 mg, magnesium 19 mg, iron 12.18 mg, zinc 2.03 mg, copper 0.625 mg, manganese 0.587 mg, and selenium 2.2 mcg. 

This wondrous species does not get into the deep south. During my training to be certified to sell mushrooms one of the things we learned was Morels need ground temperatures of about 55 F for some 11 days for to reproduce. That never happen in warm areas. But they like my cousin’s farm in South Carolina. 

The genus Morchella might be from a German word for mushroom “morchel” in the Dead Latin feminine form.  Morel is also from Dead Latin and means brown.

 Green Deane’s Itemized Plant Profile

IDENTIFICATION:  Large fruiting body with a distinct head that is thimble-like or sponge-like and has a pitted surface, usually on a short stem, color ranges rom blonde to dark brown. The honey-combed cap has irregular holes and attaches directly to the stem. Inside there is a hollow cavity that runs from the top of the mushroom down the stem to the bottom.  

ENVIRONMENT: Forests (hard and soft woods) old orchards, open ground, drive ways, under hedges… where ever they want. 

TIME OF YEAR: May is the target month but they can show up in summer fall and winter. In spring look in warming weather after a cold spell. 

METHOD OF PREPARATION: Must be cooked.  Raw morels can cause digestive issues.

The Candlestick fruit is edible, most often it is pickled or eaten raw.

If you are meandering through a botanical garden in a warm climate and you see a tree growing four-foot-long candles it might be Parmentiera cereifera. Endemic to Panama it’s a favorite specimen for them to grow because of the unusual fruit and is called Palo de Velas or Arbol de vela. 

The blossoms and fruit can grow on the trunk. Photo by Susan Rushton

The species is cultivated for the edible fruit as is P. aculeata. There is a Candlestick Tree at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota, the Fairchild Tropical Botanical Gardens in Coral Gables, The Fruit and Spice Park Redland, the Flamingo Gardens in Davie, FL and the Mounts Botanical Garden in West Palm Beach. The fruit is as resistant as a carrot but tastes like tomato and okra some say bell peppers and sugarcane. The seeds are edible as well. 

The genus honors the French agronomist and pharmacist Antoine Augustin Parmentier (1737-1813) whose claim to botanical fame was to promote the potato in France. At the time the French called it “hog feed” and believed it caused leprosy thus it was officially banned. Parmentier’s efforts got the ban lifted. Cereifera means wax producing.

Green Deane’s Itemized Plant Profile

Also found Puerto Rico and south Florida.

IDENTIFICATION: A rough-bark tree to 25 feet, opposite ovate leaves of three leaflets. White blossoms, fruit from one to four feet long, green turning yellow, resembles a candle. The fruit can grow directly from the trunk.  It’s in the Bignoniaceae family which has about 104 genera and 860 species. Preliminary phytochemical investigation suggested the presence of flavonoids, saponins, tannins, triterpenoids and steroids.

TIME OF YEAR: Mid-winter in Florida. 

ENVIRONMENT: Adapts to different soil and climate condition. Can tolerate frosts. 

METHOD OF PREPARATION:  Edible raw or cooked when waxy yellow. It resembles sugarcane in texture. Can be pickled and preserved. Roots are diuretic.

Trilliums can be a bright spot in a drab spring

Arlene Tryon 1963

Every May Day — the first of May  — we kids would hang a May Basket on our teacher Arlene Tryon and disappear off the school grounds. It was a tradition in the rural, one-room school: Half a hundred kids just took off at noon time in all directions. No police were called (the schools didn’t have phones anyways… or running water) no parent was upset, no one got lost or was kidnapped. Some of us boys even managed to walk a couple of miles and climb to the top of Bradbury Mountain State Park (without paying an entrance fee.) 

We had to cross a gully to hike to the state park and there grew Trilliums and Skunk Cabbage (see separate entry.) Trilliums were kind to the nose so I was not surprised then to learn people ate them. But the annual trek to the top of Bradbury fixed the date in my mind of the plant being at the right stage in southern Maine: May first. 

The young unfolding Trilliums before flowering are edible and were called by Mainers “much hunger.” They are a salad and pot herb tasting like raw sunflowers seeds.  After they flower the edible parts are bitter. Not all Trilliums are edible. Among the comestible species are T. erectum, T. sessile and T. grandiflorum. 

Green Deane’s “Itemized” Plant Profile

IDENTIFICATION: Trillium don’t produce true leaves or stems. The stem is an extension of the rhizome. It produces tiny scale-like leaves. It has a single terminal blossom and leaves of three in a whorl. 

TIME OF YEAR: Spring, early in southern areas, later in northern areas. 

ENVIRONMENT: Wet areas, gullies, by streams, moist woods

METHOD OF PREPARATION: These plants are often protected. Make sure of your local laws. That said young leaves before the plant blossoms can be eaten raw or cooked. The berries and rhizome are not edible.