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The Power of Pistachios
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Tuesday, 16 November, 2010, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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By Kelly Plowe
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Pistachios are the quintessential wonder nuts benefiting our health and satiating our taste buds all, at the same time. Enjoyed by kings and favoured by connoisseurs, pistachios were originally grown in the Middle East and were the favourite delicacy of the Queen of Sheba leading them to be referred as the “royalty nut”. Today, California is one of the world’s leading producers of these healthy treats bringing their benefits within reach of just about everyone.
From the time a seedling is planted, it takes eight years for the tree to bear its first fruit, which it does in alternate-bearing cycles. To ensure good production, pistachio trees require 1,000 hours of temperatures at 45°F or below. As the kernel grows, it forces the outer shell inside the hull to crack open. Once that happens, it’s time to harvest.
Harvesting California Pistachios
At harvest, mechanical “tree shakers” knock pistachios onto a catching frame, from which they are loaded onto containers and rushed to the processing plant within hours of being felled from the trees. At Paramount farms, maintaining speed in processing is critical for we believe that even a delay of a few hours can threaten the delicate quality of the product.
Processing California Pistachios
Upon arrival from the orchard, an initial water flush and tumble removes the outer hull. As the nuts stream through the water, mature pistachios sink and are conveyed into the plant for processing. Immature, unripened nuts float to the surface and are removed in the first of many quality splits. When dry, the pistachios flow into Paramount Farms’ network of storage silos.
Once a customer order is received, the pistachios are pulled and processed. Tens of thousands of nuts a day pass through specially-designed pin sorters that separate the open shelled nuts from the closed. Color-sensitive laser sorters further refine the inventory, scanning for cosmetic imperfections. But at the end of the line, it’s a team of veteran hand-sorters who stand as the final quality step before roasting.
Once processed, the nuts are packaged and shipped for further processing (mainly in export), or roasted, salted, and packaged for consumption. Packaged pistachios are placed in temperature-controlled storage as they wait to be picked up or delivered to distribution centres around the world under the Wonderful® Pistachios brand.
Processing pistachios at Paramount Farms
Paramount Farms is focused on quality assurance and food safety and has invested significantly in technology, talent and resources. Operations include a comprehensive quality assurance program that consistently exceeds USDA specifications and international regulatory requirements. Additionally, all outside laboratories used by Paramount Farms meet strict ISO 17025 standards.
Paramount Farms has the industry’s only computerised statistical control process program to ensure quality exceeds both USDA standards and consumer expectations, including consistency in both product size and quality.
Stastical process controls ensure that the pistachios are always hulled and dried within 24 hours of harvest using a proprietary Sun-curve drying technique, resulting in the best raw pistachios available. No other processor has the ability to ensure both the appropriate drying time and processing speed.
California pistachios from Paramount Farms are uniquely roasted using a rotary roasting system which ensures the pistachios are delicately and evenly roasted at just the right temperature every time, resulting in a delicious flavor and perfect crunch.
Pistachios: The Healthiest Nut
Today, more and more consumers are paying attention to the foods we eat, seeking out diet choices that not only taste delightful/ satisfy the taste buds but also spell wellness for the mind and body.
Making small changes, like substituting a junk snack with something healthier, can go a long way towards improving our health. But finding foods that are not only healthy, but also tasty and satisfying, can be challenging.
Pistachios make an ideal between-the-meals choice. A modest snack of 30 pistachios can offer a wealth of nutrients essential for good health.
Good Fat to Help Protect the Heart
Naturally trans-fat and cholesterol free, pistachios contain primarily “good” poly and monounsaturated fats, which may help reduce the risk of heart disease. In fact, a recent Archives of Internal Medicine, meta-analysis of 25 human clinical trials found that a diet containing pistachios, significantly lowered total and LDL-cholesterol levels, in addition to triglycerides. That’s good news you can take to heart!
Protein to Build the Body
Pistachios are an excellent source of protein. One 25g serving of pistachios has 5g of protein. Pistachios have a balance of essential and non-essential amino acids, which are important for growing children, as well as critical for normal health and cell repair.
Fibre to Maintain Intestinal Health, Prevent Nibbling
Pistachios are a good source of fibre. In fact, 25g of pistachios contains more fibre than 1/2 cup of broccoli (and tastes better, too!). Studies have shown that fibre has positive effects on maintaining intestinal health and healthy cholesterol and blood-sugar levels. Fibre also provides the feeling of fullness, preventing overeating during meals.
Vitamins & Minerals for Healthy Bones
Pistachios contain a mix of essential vitamins and minerals. They have dense levels of 7 essential nutrients including vitamin B6. Minerals are important for maintaining healthy bones.
Pistachios have as much potassium as half a large banana, which helps regulate fluid balance in the body and maintain healthy blood pressure levels. High blood pressure is a common problem for millions of people around the world, especially as they age and a pack of California Pistachios can usher the necessary balance to our hectic lives.
Lutein for Healthy Eyesight
Pistachios also provide the antioxidant lutein. Evidence suggests that eating foods with lutein may help reduce the risk of age-related cataracts and macular degeneration which is the principle cause of blindness among people over 65.
Pistachios: Part of Healthy Diets Around the World
Cuisines and cultures around the world include nuts, year-round, as part of a healthy diet. In India, many people still believe that nuts should be eaten during the winter season as nuts are considered to be 'heaty' but there is no existing scientific substantiation for the perception that nuts increase body heat. E.g., Russians are quite known to enjoy pistachios during the summer as a popular snack with beer.
Pistachios, The Skinny Nut
Pistachios are one of the lowest calorie, lowest fat nuts. In fact, pistachios have three calories per nut – about half of most snack nuts. In addition, 30 pistachios yield about 100 calories – compare that to just 14 for almonds, and 11 for cashews. Pistachios are also the only in-shell snack nut. In-shell pistachios take longer to eat, so the consumption time is slowed. Empty pistachio shells serve as an important visual cue, encouraging “mindfulness” as one eats, thereby curbing calorie consumption.
With all these important health benefits, it’s easy to see that pistachios make good snacking sense. California pistachios are known worldwide fo
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