Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 3: Preparing the Cashews
• Part 2 of 3: Cooking Cashew Butter
• Part 3 of 3: Storing and Using Cashew Oil
• Tips

Cashew nut oil is a great alternative to peanut and almond butter. You can make the butter entirely from cashew nuts, or you can add more flavor by mixing it with maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla, or something else. Cashew nuts are actually the seeds of the cashew apple, but they are called nuts because of the taste and texture that make them look like other nuts. Brazil is considered their homeland, and now these nuts are grown in various tropical countries around the world, including in parts of West Africa and Southeast Asia.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Preparing the Cashews

1. 1 Buy cashew nuts. Cashews are readily available in most stores in the bulk or nuts section. They are often sold raw or fried.Keep in mind that about 2 cups of cashew nuts will make 1 ¼ cup butter. Based on this, determine how many nuts you need to buy.
   • Cashews are not sold in the shell. Cashews are from the same family as poison oak, poison ivy, so their shells can release a toxin called urushiol, which causes skin irritation and rashes. Nuts sold fried or "raw" are steam treated to kill the toxin.
   • Cashews are also sold pre-flavored, such as roasted cashews with honey.
2. 2 Carefully check the manufacturer's warning about co-processing cashews and peanuts. If you are purchasing cashews as a peanut substitute due to allergies, make sure that the manufacturer does not process peanuts. The risk of co-processing can be dangerous or even fatal for people allergic to peanuts. Also, make sure you are not allergic to nuts other than peanuts. For example, walnuts, hazelnuts and cashews. Some people are allergic to peanuts, while others may be allergic to all types of nuts.
3. 3 Soak cashews in water. After purchasing raw nuts, you need to soak and dry them before making butter from them. To soak, pour 4 cups of nuts into a bowl, cover with water to cover them, and add 1-2 tablespoons of unrefined salt. Cover the bowl and let sit for 2-3 hours.
   • Raw nuts contain high levels of phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors that irritate the digestive system and may inhibit the absorption of some of the nutrients found in nuts. Soaking nuts can neutralize acid and enzyme inhibitors to provide maximum benefits to the body.
4. 4 Rinse the nuts from salt. Use cool water to rinse off any remaining cashew salt.
5. 5 Drain the cashews. Arrange cashews in a single layer on a baking sheet or desiccant. Preheat oven or desiccant to 66 degrees C. Check and turn cashews periodically to ensure they are dry on all sides. Be careful not to burn them. Dry cashews until crispy, or about 12-24 hours.
6. 6 Toast the cashews. Preheat oven to 163 degrees C. Preheat the pot for 5 minutes, then place one layer of cashews in the pot. Leave them in the oven for 20 minutes. Add a little olive oil or salt to the nuts, if desired, and mix thoroughly.
7. 7 Let the nuts cool before you start cooking the butter. Cashews, like most nuts, have a dense texture and heat can be stored for a long time inside. Allow the nuts to cool well to reduce the risk of burns when making butter.

Part 2 of 3: Cooking Cashew Butter

1. 1 Prepare all ingredients. You need a minimum of 2 cups of cashews to make 1 ¼ cup of butter. You can also add salt; add ¼ teaspoon of salt to this recipe. You won't need any additional ingredients like water, oil, flavors unless you plan on making cashew flavored oil. Usually the butter consists of only cashew nuts and a little salt.
2. 2 Prepare your equipment. Turn on the food processor. It needs to be powerful and last a long time. You can also use a coffee grinder (however, this will take longer as you can put a small amount of cashews in it at a time) or a powerful blender. Using the Ninja Master Prep blender will reduce the amount of time you need to grind nuts. Prepare a container where you can pour the finished oil later. You can use glass jars, containers for storing food in the refrigerator, etc.
3. 3 Place the cashews in a food processor. Turn it on at high speed to grind all the cashews.Observe the consistency of the cashews, they will crush into small pieces within a few minutes and turn into a sticky paste after another 4-5 minutes. There is no need to add oil or water, as they will turn to oil on their own after a few minutes.
4. 4 Let the food processor rest. Your food processor can overheat, so give it a little rest. Allow 2-3 minutes for the combine to cool down. Use this time to peel the sides of the flask and stir the cashews a little.
5. 5 Turn on your combine again. As soon as you continue to process the cashews, they will start to release oil and the consistency will become sticky. Grind the cashews for another 2-3 minutes until they begin to turn into butter. Stop to clean the sides of the flask again and continue the process until you get the desired consistency. The entire process can take anywhere from 15 to 25 minutes, depending on your hardware, so please be patient.
   • It may seem to you that the combine is just spinning and does not mix anything. But it still works and kneads cashews in oil. Give your food processor a little rest so it doesn't overheat.
6. 6 Add some salt or sugar at the very end. If you want to add salt, use ¼ teaspoon of unrefined salt for 2 cups of cashews. Honey, sugar, or maple syrup (1-2 tablespoons) are also great for making sweet cashew butter. Mix all ingredients thoroughly.
7. 7 Add chopped cashews. If you want crunchy butter, add some nuts that haven't turned into butter. These small cashew nuggets add crunchiness and extra volume to the butter.

Part 3 of 3: Storing and Using Cashew Oil

1. 1 Store the cashew oil in the refrigerator. Transfer the oil to a glass jar and close the lid tightly. Store in refrigerator and use within one week. The oil hardens and settles, so it must be stirred every time before use.
2. 2 Store the cashew oil in the freezer. Pour the cashew oil into candy or ice cube trays. Once frozen, you can store these butter cubes in a special freezer container for up to 4 months.
3. 3 Eat cashew nut oil in the same way you eat peanut butter: on bread, bananas, apple slices or straight from the jar. Cashews have a creamy, buttery and rich flavor that many prefer to peanut butter. The oil is rich in proteins and saturated fats, making it ideal for a healthy diet.
4. 4 Eat one cube of cashew butter as a snack. Place the frozen butter cube in a container along with a couple of crackers, celery, or an apple for a lunchtime snack. After a couple of hours, the butter will become soft and easy to spread.
5. 5 Use cashew oil in your cooking. Cashew oil is particularly beneficial and aromatic in Thai, Indian, Chinese, or West African cuisine (such as the Gambian or Senegal cuisine). Cashews are used in recipes as a nutty flavor or thickener. It is used in Sichuan chicken dishes, spring rolls, curries, chicken tikka masala, and soups. It can also be used as a substitute in peanut butter, almond butter and tahini dishes.
6. 6 Make cashew butter cookies. Replace the peanut butter cookie recipe with cashew butter to slightly change the traditional flavor of this dish. Due to the softness of cashew butter, you may need to experiment with the amount in the recipe. Add flour if the dough is too runny for you. Form into balls of dough, roll in sugar before baking. Use a fork to make small cross-to-cross marks on the dough. Watch them so they don't burn, sometimes after changing the ingredients you will need less baking time for the cookies to be perfect.
7. 7 Present cashew butter as a gift. Divide the butter into portions and transfer it to special jars. Personalize the jar and tie it with tape. Give cashew nut butter to family and friends for the holidays.

Tips

• Prepare the peanut butter and cashew butter mixture following the directions above.
• Cashew oil is compatible with the paleo diet unless any additional ingredients are added.