Cook Raw Pistachios
The pistachio tree is a small member of the Pistacia family. It is native to the mountains of the Middle East and produces edible nuts. Pistachios are commonly eaten raw, roasted, or in a wide variety of sweet dishes such as ice cream and baklava. You can cook raw pistachios by simply shelling, salting and roasting in the oven.
Instructions
1. Shell 4 pounds of pistachios to yield 8 cups of pistachio nutmeat. Pistachio shells are naturally split, making it easy to shell them by hand. Peel the outer shells off and set aside the nutmeats.
2. Add the 8 cups of shelled pistachios to a deep saucepan of boiling water and let sit for 2 minutes. This will reduce the difficulty of removing the skin. Strain the nutmeat out and allow it to cool. Remove the skins surrounding the nutmeat with your fingers.
3. Combine 2 ounces of salt in ½ cup of water. Stir well and pour into a deep saucepan. Turn the heat to high and stir in the shelled and skinned pistachios. Continue stirring until the water has completely evaporated and a layer of salt is left with the nuts.
4. Mix the salt and nuts well, ensuring the pistachios are thoroughly coated. Spread the pistachios across a flat baking pan, ensuring they are evenly distributed. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F and insert the baking pan.
5. Allow the pistachios to roast for 90 minutes. Stir the pistachios at the 30- and 60-minute marks to ensure they are evenly cooked. Remove the baking pan from the oven and allow the pistachios to cool to room temperature before eating.
Tags: deep saucepan, they evenly