How are cashew nuts processed?!

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Cleaning
All raw nuts carry foreign matter, consisting of sand, stones, dried apple etc. The presence of foreign matter in the roasting operation can be avoided by cleaning the nuts. The raw nuts can be sieved by hand using a ? inch mesh sieve.
Soaking
The next stage is to soak the nuts in water to avoid scorching them during the roasting operation. This can be done by placing the nuts in a 40-45 gallon drum or vat and filling it with water until all the nuts are covered. After being left to stand for about ten minutes, the water should be drained off via a plug near the base of the drum. The nuts should then be left for periods of not less than four hours in order to allow the water left on the surface of the nuts to be absorbed. The process of covering the nuts with water, draining and standing should be repeated with the same nuts about three times until a moisture content of 9% is reached.
Where the production output runs from 2-10 tons of nuts per day, a simple cleaning and conditioning arrangement can be used. Two people open the sacks of harvested nuts on a stand and clean the raw nuts as they are moved along a flat sieve, to two vats which are used for storage until the soaking process begins. Two vats are useful because one can be emptied while the other is being filled.
Roasting
The application of heat to the nut releases the nut shell liquid and makes the shell brittle which facilitates the extraction of the kernel when breaking the shell open. Three methods of roasting exist: open pan, drum roasting and the ‘hot oil’ method. The latter is more suitable to medium-scale operations with associated higher equipment costs and viability of CNSL collection.
? Open pan: An open, mild steel, circular dished pan of around 2 feet in diameter is supported on a basic earth fireplace. When heated, 2-3lbs (1kg) of nuts are placed on the pan at one time and stirred constantly. The CNSL starts to exude and then ignites. This produces a long flame and black smoke. After approximately two minutes, the pan is dowsed and the charred, swollen and brittle nuts are thrown out of the pan. The moisture evaporates quickly leaving the nuts ready for shelling.
? Drum roasting: The idea of continually feeding the nuts into a rotating drum over a fire developed from the pan method. A slight horizontal slope in the mounting ensures the movement of the nuts through the drum. The drum is pierced so that the flames touch the nuts and the smoke is controlled by a hood and chimney arrangement. The nuts are dowsed using a continuous spray.
This process was further modified by using the heat from the burning CNSL being harnessed to roast the nuts some more. The roaster consists of a contained helical screw which moves the burning nuts at a controlled rate. The design was a distinct improvement, with little fuel being consumed and there being greater control on the roasting time.
‘Hot oil’ method: The principle employed in this method is that oil-bearing substances i.e. the shells, when immersed in the same oil at high temperature, will lose their oil, thus increasing the volume of the oil in the tank. For this method, conditioning becomes important. The equipment consists of a tank of CNSL heated to a temperature of 185-190°C by a furnace underneath and a wire basket used to hold the nuts for immersion into the tank. The depth of the basket must be sufficient so that the rim remains well above the oil during the roasting. Immersion time can range from 1? to 4 minutes. About 50% of the liquid is extracted from the nuts. Draining trays are needed at the end of the tank for the roasted nuts to dry and the residue oil can be returned to the tank. Caution must be taken not to heat the tank to over 200°C because at this point polymerization of the CNSL takes place. The temperature can be maintained by continuous firing. The tank should be emptied and cleaned after each day’s roasting. The life of a tank made of an eighth inch thick mild steel plate should exceed one and a half years and can be constructed locally with welding facilities.

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