Cathy Isom continues her series celebrating a popular nut with a distinctive color. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.
Today is National Pistachio Day. So grab yourself a handful of these distinctive pale green nuts in their beige shells, crack them open and eat them up, or enjoy them in ice cream or your favorite pistachio dessert!
Pistachios arrived in the United States sometime in the 1880s. But, they have been cultivated in the Middle East since Biblical times.The pistachio tree grows to about 20 feet tall needing little or no rain and must have high heat. California produces about 300 million pounds of pistachios each year, accounting for 98 percent of America’s production.
All pistachio shells are naturally beige in color. Some companies will dye nuts red or green if nuts are inferior or for consumer demand. Pistachios are packed with many vitamins and minerals and are considered heart-healthy. About 29 roasted unsalted nuts equals 100 calories.
I’m Cathy Isom…