Cashew grows abundantly in Crooked Tree
Earlier in this newscast, we reported on a new initiative to develop a modern cashew industry in the Belize District. Over a decade ago our production team looked at the traditional business of cashew growing as practised by Eric Burns of Crooked Tree. Host of the report, as seen on the show “Belize All Over”, was Silvana Woods.
Silvana Woods
“Eric what’s the first step in roasting the cashew nuts?”
Eric Burns, Cashew Grower
“Well the first step is to prepare the fire. Have a good roasting pan and see that it has a lot of holes, so that the heat can really penetrate.”
Silvana Woods
“And then what? Do you just dump the cashews in?”
Eric Burns
“The you dump the cashews in and you start stirring them. You got to keep stirring them so they don’t stay in one spot and burn up.”
Silvana Woods
“Isn’t there any danger of acid oil, acid juice?”
Eric Burns
“Yes, it has a very strong oil and it can burn you up real bad.”
Silvana Woods
“What’s the real secret in roasting the cashew so it comes out just right?”
Eric Burns
“The skilful part is the roasting. You need to get it done, get the outside done, burnt up really fast so that the inside is kind of half cooked. Otherwise, if you take long in roasting it, the inside will get cooked and the inside will be raw and when you start breaking them they will just crumble.”
Silvana Woods
“So what’s the step now, throw them in?”
Eric Burns
“Thrown them in?”
Silvana Woods
“How long does this take?”
Eric Burns
“This takes about five minutes.”
Silvana Woods
“Is this very profitable?”
Eric Burns
“Yes this is very profitable because this is in very great demand, everyone wants cashew seeds.”
Silvana Woods
“Why do you suppose cashews grow so abundantly here in Crooked Tree?”
Eric Burns
“The reason for that being that we have better soil. We go down about five to six feet before we reach the clay, while in other areas you go one foot and you reach clay. The cashew like the loose sandy soil.”
Silvana Woods
“Eric this looks like hard work. Why do you do it?”
Eric Burns
“Well, if you notice, I’m surrounded by cashew trees. This is a big part of our income. This is a seasonal crop, so even though it’s hard work and I can’t really say I love it, we do it for the money.”
Silvana Woods
“These cashews have been roasted, they’ve been cooled and now they are ready to be cracked. Is there a special way to do it Eric?”
Eric Burns
“Yes. You have to hold then and turn the two points downwards and first you hit the bigger part, you turn them around and you hit the other part. And that way, you’re supposed to get them out whole.”
Silvana Woods
“Now is this ready to be eaten?”
Eric Burns
“No., you’ve got to put them in the oven and bake them.”
Silvana Woods
“What does the finished product looks like.”
Eric Burns
“The finished product would look something like this.”
Silvana Woods
“Of course, cashews that we all know. Can I taste one?”
Eric
“Sure go ahead.”
Silvana Woods
“Delicious.”
Delicious indeed.
