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Pistachio Oil

Pistachio oil is a type of food vegetable oils obtained from pistachio kernels. This pistachio kernel extract is transparent and yellow and contains 20% of various fatty acids. The fatty acids that make up this oil include: Oleic acid (omega-9 fatty acid), linoleic acid (omega-6 fatty acid), palmitic acid, stearic acid, and linolenic acid (omega-3 fatty acid). Omega-3 fatty acids reduce the risk of heart attacks, and along with omega-6 fatty acids improve the immune system and produce eicosanoids.

The properties of pistachio oil for skin and hair

  • The properties of pistachio oil for the skin are widespread and it is widely used in the production of cosmetics. This oil is a desirable moisturizer for the skin and is absorbed quickly.
  • Pistachio oil rejuvenates the skin, and using it regularly on the face prevents wrinkles around the eyes, etc. Because of being rich in vitamin E, this oil helps maintain the health and repair of skin cells.
  • Using this oil on the scalp leads to strengthen, thicken, soften, and clarify the hair and is very useful for damaged hair.

The properties of pistachio oil orally

  • Oral consumption of pistachio oil has also many therapeutic aspects. Similar to the above-mentioned properties of pistachio, this oil because of having high amounts of phosphorus strengthens intelligence and memory, and its folic acid helps the growth and development of the fetal nervous system.
  • Pistachio oil regulates heart rate and helps better oxygenate cells.
  • Due to its low carbohydrate content, pistachio oil is useful for individuals with diabetes and due to having phytosterols, it promotes heart health by lowering LDL.
  • Pistachio oil is rich in iron and its oral consumption is useful for individuals with anemia.
  • Because of its antioxidant substances, this vegetable oil is effective to prevent cancer.
  • Also, because of having omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, it improves the immune system and helps produce hormone-like compounds involved in platelet aggregation, vascular contractions, allergic reactions, immunity, and inflammatory states.
  • Oral consumption of pistachio oil is effective to treat hypertension and generally it has a special role in heart health.

How to use pistachio oil

How to use pistachio oil for the skin: For this purpose, first wash the skin with lukewarm water and a mild cleanser. Then gently massage a tablespoon of pistachio oil on the skin, so that no greasy trace remains on the skin. This oil is rapidly absorbed and does not cause greasy and sticky mode. To get the desired result, you should do the process every night for 6 weeks.

How to use pistachio oil for hair: Gently massage two tablespoons of pistachio oil on the hair and scalp, then cover your head with a clean towel or scarf and let it stand for 30 minutes. Then wash your hair with a mild shampoo.

How to use pistachio oil orally: This oil is suitable to be used along with salads, fruit juices, and soups. Note that high heat will destroy the properties of pistachio oil.

How to prepare pistachio oil at home

To prepare homemade pistachio oil, first peel some fresh pistachios and separate their green dry skins. Roast the separated pistachio kernels in a pan over a low heat until the kernels are slightly roasted. Then grind them so that they completely turn into soft powder.

In the next step, add some lukewarm water to it and grind the pistachio kernels again to become dough-shaped. Pour the dough into a clean cloth, press the cloth, and collect the pure pistachio oil in a clean dish.

The extraordinary properties of original pistachio oil:

Regulating heart rate by pistachio oil

Because pistachio oil does not contain harmful fatty acids, it regulates heart rate and helps deliver oxygen to tissues and cell formation.

Strengthening the skin and clarifying hair by pistachio oil

Pistachio oil is one of the oils widely used in cosmetics. Pistachio oil does not cause stickiness on the skin; it is a good option for face and body massage as a cream or lotion; and it polishes the hair and prevents wrinkles around the eyes or on the face at older ages.

Treating diabetes by pistachio oil

Pistachio oil is a good alternative for foods or oils that are rich in sugar and carbohydrates. For this reason, doctors advise all diabetics to use this oil, which is not harmful at all.

Healing and improving all kinds of wounds

Due to having essential (monounsaturated) fatty acids, pistachio oil has led researchers and physicians to use this oil extract for sterile gas and wound healing resulted from deep surgeries, because the fatty acids in pistachio oil turn into fibroblasts which help improve wounds effectively.

Repairing the skin by using pistachio oil

Pistachio oil can perform the function of collagen production efficiently. As you know, this oil is a rich source of useful vitamins such as vitamin E. This oil can be used to repair the skin. To do this, just use the oil regularly to eliminate the wrinkles around the eyes. Moreover, it has antioxidant properties which can prevent premature aging.

Strengthening memory and nerves

Pistachio oil, like pistachio, is a rich source of phosphorus which is very useful to increase consciousness and to strengthen memory. If you use this oil orally, it can relieve your nervous tensions.

Treating anemia by using pistachio oil

Pistachio is full of iron that can be used to treat anemia. If you have anemia, it is necessary to use raw pistachio or pistachio oil because it is a good source for providing iron in the body. To do this, just eat pistachio oil or raw pistachio in the morning to completely treat anemia.

Cancer prevention by antioxidant properties of pistachio oil

As you know, pistachio is full of antioxidants that you can regularly use to prevent various cancers.

Treating blood pressure by eating pistachio oil

Having potassium and magnesium, this oil can be effective for the body, so that if you have hypertension, you need to add this oil to your diet to completely treat your disease for some time.

Pistacho Dessert

Pistachio dessert has a beautiful and attractive appearance, especially when it is decorated with edible silver foil. Pistachio dessert is among those desserts that you can prepare in advance.

Ingredients for pistachio dessert:

  • water 850 ml
  • pistachio kernel: 225 g
  • high-fat milk powder: 225 g
  • sugar: 500 g
  • cardamom with crushed seeds: 2 pieces
  • rosewater: 2 tablespoons
  • not grinded saffron: some

Ingredients for decorating pistachio dessert:

  • peeled almonds: 25 g 
  • mint leaves: some 

How to prepare pistachio dessert:

Pour about 600 ml or 1 cup of water into the pot and let it boil. After the water boils, remove the pot from the heat and soak the pistachios in it for 5 minutes. Then, drain the pistachios and remove the second shell.

Chop the pistachios in a blender or pound them in a mortar.

Add milk powder to pistachios and mix well.

To prepare the syrup, pour the rest of the water and sugar into a frying pan and place it on the medium heat. When the liquid starts to harden, add cardamom, saffron, and rosewater.

Add the syrup to the pistachio mixture and stir regularly for 5 minutes until the mixture becomes completely firm. Now set the prepared mixture aside to cool slowly.

When the mixture is cooled enough, cut it into small balls by hand and garnish with peeled almonds and mint leaves. Allow it to become firm enough before serving.

Chef’s advice to prepare pistachio dessert:

Instead of buying ready-made pistachio powder, it is better to buy pistachio kernels and grind them yourself. Fresh nuts powder tastes better than those that have lost their natural oil.

Pistachio Tree

The history of Iranian pistachio tree

Pistachio tree is a plant that has been cultivated for a long time in different regions of Iran. Wild forests and wild pistachio in the northeastern regions of Iran and the areas bordering Turkmenistan and Afghanistan have an ancient background and it is thought that pistachio tree has been domesticated and cultivated in Iran since about 3-4 thousand years ago. The first pistachio types in Iran have been the result of breeding and domestication of wild pistachio trees, the number of which was very limited and their appearance was similar to the wild pistachio. Because of the transplantation and transfer of these pistachio types and the attention of gardeners, some change has been gradually created in the coarseness of pistachios and new types have emerged. Sabzevar and Sarakhs are considered as the oldest regions of pistachio cultivation. The history of pistachio cultivation in Damghan, Semnan and Qazvin is attributed to the seventh century AH, and in Kerman province it is attributed to the twelfth century AH. Pistachio cultivation in other parts of Iran dates back to 150-200 years ago. Despite the long history of pistachio cultivation in Iran, pistachio cultivation has developed increasingly in recent decades.

The botany of pistachio tree

The domestic pistachio tree (Pistacia Vera L.) belongs to the sumac genus (Anacardiaceae). The genus Pistacia has 11 species, all of which secrete turpentine. The plants of this genus are in the forms of tree or shrub. The pistachio tree has comb compound leaves and each leaf contains a lateral bud. Most lateral buds become the primary inflorescence and form a main axis producing pistachio clusters the next year. Therefore, these pistachio clusters grow laterally and become annual on the branch. Today, various pistachio types are cultivated in the world. Among the different types of pistachio, only domestic pistachio species, Chatlanqush, Golkhonak and Beneh, are produced in Iran. Chatlanqush and Beneh species are considered as suitable bases for transplanting domestic pistachio trees.

The under-cultivation area of Iranian pistachio tree

 At present, the under-cultivation area of Iranian pistachio tree is more than 360,000 hectares, of which Kerman province with a total of more than 270,000 hectares of fertile and infertile gardens produces 77% of the country's total crop and is considered as the most important pistachio cultivation region in Iran and the world. Meanwhile, other pistachio-rich provinces are: Yazd, Khorasan, Fars, Semnan, Sistan and Baluchestan, Qazvin, Markazi, Isfahan and Qom, which devote more than 90,000 hectares of the remaining under-cultivation area.

The botanical characteristics of pistachio tree

Pistachio tree is a plant with two bases, i.e. male and female flowers are located separated from each other and on separate trees, and both male and female trees are needed to produce fruit. The flowers of the pistachio tree have no petals and nectar-forming tubers and do not attract bees, and the pollen is dispersed by the wind. The pistachio tree has small leaves and falls asleep in autumn and winter. The rooting of this tree is axial and vertical, and the ability to produce sub-roots is weak in this tree. The seedling stage of the pistachio tree is long and produces little fruit before the age of five, but from the age of 10 to 12 begins full and economical fruiting. The height of the pistachio tree reaches about 309 cm and its crown is 394 cm averagely. Pistachio tree flowers early, but its fruit is not early ripening, usually bears fruit late, and needs a lot of maintenance to avoid pests.

The appropriate climate for pistachio tree

Pistachio tree grows well in regions with very cold winters and hot and long summers. Pistachio tree is cultivated in cold regions, needs a lot of winter cold, and is also resistant to cold. This tree is very resistant to drought, hot weather, and hot summers. For this reason, the central and southeastern regions of Iran are very suitable for the cultivation of this product. Pistachio tree is not compatible with humid air and soil. Pistachio tree is able to resist the temperatures of 45° C in summer and -20 ° C in winter. To have the maximum yield, the maximum relative humidity must be less than 35%. Lack of providing the required cold for pistachio trees leads to delay in flowering, irregular flowering, reduced leaflets, production of abnormal and simple leaves, etc.

Optimal soil for pistachio tree

The best soil for cultivating pistachio tree is light lemon soil, i.e. sand and clay. In light lands, using fertilizer is satisfactory for harvesting, but in heavy clay lands which maintain a large amount of moisture for a long time, cultivating this plant does not give satisfactory results and the yield will not be very remarkable. Pistachio tree can tolerate soil salinity to some extent. Pistachio cultivation is done from 27 to 42 degrees north latitude. Most pistachio trees are located at an altitude of 2000-900 meters above sea level.

The irrigation of pistachio tree

Although the pistachio tree is very resistant to dehydration, its irrigation should not be neglected especially in the early ages. On average, depending on the soil texture in terms of water conservation, the irrigation circuit of this tree is recommended based on its age: (except for winter)

A tree aged 1 to 3 years: irrigation circuit 7 to 10 days

A tree aged 3 to 6 years: irrigation circuit 12 to 20 days

A tree aged 6 years and older: irrigation circuit one month

It should be noted that when the irrigation circuit is one month, a lot of water should be given to the tree in each irrigation, so that moisture can penetrate completely into the soil.

The pruning of pistachio tree

Pruning means cutting the extra branches of the pistachio tree which is done in winter. Pruning causes the fruit of the pistachio tree to grow large and the yielding to be somewhat uniform in different years.

Fertilizing the pistachio tree

Pistachio tree needs a lot of fertilizers; livestock manure alone cannot meet the required nutrients for the crop. Therefore, in addition to livestock manure, chemical fertilizers should also be used. Livestock manure is given to the tree in autumn and chemical fertilizer is mixed with soil twice, one time in March and the other in June.

Pistachio harvest

Pistachios harvest begins in late September when the pistachios are fully ripe. Harvesting begins in the early hours of the day and the harvested product is placed in the shade or in a cool place. The harvested product is immediately transferred to pistachio processing centers, which are fully automatic and hygienic, so that it can immediately be peeled and separated. In this way, the hard shell color of pistachio will become white and will have a suitable marketability.

Iranian export pistachio types 

There are about 90 known pistachio types in Iran, many of which are cultivated sparsely, and only a limited number of pistachio types are grown commercially and widely in some regions of Iran such as Kerman. Commercial types of Iranian pistachio are divided into two groups: “Round” group, including Fandoghi Pistachio and Jumbo Pistachio (Kalle-Quchi); and “Long” group, including Akbari Pistachio and Ahmad Aghaei Pistachio.

Fandoghi Pistachio

Fandoghi Pistachio is one of the most popular and economical types of pistachio in Iran, which has devoted the largest volume of Iranian export pistachio. This type of pistachio is spherical, hazelnut-shaped, smaller than other types of pistachio, and a little smaller than a hazelnut. Because of the small size, the ounce of this pistachio is higher than other Iranian pistachio types and includes more pistachios per kilogram. Fandoghi Pistachio is usually found in sizes 28-30, 32-34 and 30-32. 

 Jumbo Pistachio (Kalle-Quchi)

Jumbo Pistachio (Kalle-Quchi) is one of the most delicious and largest commercial pistachio types in Iran. The appearance of this type of pistachio is round and spherical, and similar to Fandoghi Pistachio, but it is larger and heavier than Fandoghi Pistachio. The fame and popularity of Jumbo Pistachio (Kalle-Quchi) is because of its large kernel and very delicious taste. Jumbo Pistachio (Kalle-Quchi) is available in sizes 20-22 / 22-24 / 24-26.

Akbari Pistachio

Akbari Pistachio is the most luxury, the highest quality, and the best type of export pistachio in Iran which is more elongated than Ahmad Aghaei Pistachio, Fandoghi Pistachio and Jumbo Pistachio (Kalle-Quchi), has a higher commercial value, and is known as super long pistachio. Akbari Pistachio’s kernel is larger and more elongated than other types of Iranian pistachio and has a very good taste.

Akbari Pistachio is one of the commercial pistachio types with the highest economic value. Its fruits are almond-shaped, elongated, and large. Characteristics of this type include: high vegetative growth, dense leaves, large leaf area, high yield, late ripening which can be harvested in the third decade of September. Akbari Pistachio has a very strong and compressed wood. Akbari Pistachio is almond-shaped and is produced in sizes 20-22, 22-24, 24-26 in Iran’s pistachio-rich regions.

Ahmad Aghaei Pistachio

Ahmad Aghaei Pistachio is one of the largest and the most delicious commercial pistachio types in Iran, which is very popular in the Iranian and world markets. This type of pistachio is the most delicious pistachio type in Iran regarding taste, and in terms of production amount it has the most abundant pistachio type because of its high quality in grafting and high yield in Iran. Ahmad Aghaei Pistachio is almond-shaped, longer and larger than Fandoghi Pistachio, smaller than Akbari Pistachio, and its appearance is similar to Jumbo Pistachio (Kalle-Quchi). Ahmad Aghaei Pistachio is available in sizes 22-24, 24-26, 26-28.

Pistachio Nutritional Value

Pistachio is one of the most nutritious oilseeds and is rich in minerals and vitamins. In this article, the nutritional value of dried and roasted pistachio without salt, the nutritional value of dried and roasted pistachios with added salt, and the nutritional value of raw pistachio have been collected according to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The nutritional value of raw pistachio per 100 grams
The nutritional value table of dried and roasted pistachio without salt
Amount per 100 grams Main ingredients
energy (calories)  567 kcal
 carbohydrate  29.38 g
 protein  20.95 g
 Fat  44.82 g
 water  1.85 g
 Fiber  9.90 g
 Sugar  7.74 g
Cholesterol 0.00 mg

 

Vitamins
Vitamin name Amount per 100 grams
 vitamin A  13.00 mcg
 vitamin D  0.00 mcg
 vitamin E  2.42 mg
 vitamin K  13.20 mcg
 vitamin C  3.00 mg
 thiamine (B1)  0.70 mg
 riboflavin (B2)  0.23 mg
 niacin (B3)  1.37 mg
choline (B4)  71.40 mg
pantothenic acid (B5)  0.51 mg
vitamin B6  1.12 mg
folate (B9)  51.00 mcg
vitamin B12  0.00 mg
The minerals of dried and roasted pistachio with added salt 
Mineral name Amount per 100 grams
 calcium  107.00 mg
 iron  4.03 mg
 magnesium  109.00 mg
 phosphorus  469.00 mg
 potassium  1007.00 mg
 sodium  428.00 mg
 zinc  2.34 mg
 copper  1.29 mg
manganese  1.24 mg
selenium  10.00 mcg
>The vitamins of raw pistachio 
Vitamin name Amount per 100 grams
vitamin A 21.00 mcg
vitamin D 0.00 mcg
vitamin E 2.30 mg
vitamin K 0.00 mcg
vitamin C 5.60 mg
thiamine (B1) 0.87 mg
riboflavin (B2) 0.16 mg
niacin (B3) 1.30 mg
choline (B4) 0.00 mg
pantothenic acid (B5) 0.52 mg
vitamin B6 1.70 mg
folate (B9) 51.00 mcg
vitamin B12 0.00 mg
The minerals of raw pistachio
Mineral name Amount per 100 grams
calcium  105.00 mg
iron  3.92 mg
magnesium  121.00 mg
phosphorus  469.00 mg
potassium  1025.00 mg
sodium  1.00 mg
zinc  2.20 mg
copper  1.30 mg
manganese  1.20 mg
selenium  7.00 mcg
Pistachio Ice Cream

Ingredients for pistachio ice cream:

  • pistachio powder 1 cup 
  • powdered sugar 6 tablespoons 
  • milk 1 full cup
  • egg 1
  • cream a 250 gram pack 
  • vanilla a quarter of teaspoon 
  • electric mixer and electric grinder

With this amount of ingredients, we will have three ice cream bowls or 10 large scoops of "pistachio ice cream".

How to prepare pistachio ice cream:

Put a 250 gram pack of cream (at least 30% fat) in the freezer for two hours, then pour it into a bowl, add three tablespoons of powdered sugar to it, and beat with an electric mixer for about five minutes until the cream hardens and forms (if when opening the cream package, a little milk was separated from it, discard the milk in order that the cream thickens and forms better.)

Add three tablespoons of powdered sugar and a quarter of a teaspoon of vanilla to the egg and beat it by an electric mixer until it becomes completely creamy and elastic.

Add a cup of milk little by little, mix, and then add the whipped cream. 

Put the pistachio ice cream in the freezer for about two hours so that the ice cream starts to freeze. Then, take it out of the freezer, mix by a fork or hand mixer, and put it in the freezer again for another two hours. Then, take it out and mix. This time the ice cream will be firmer.

At this stage, add a cup of pistachio powder (ground pistachio), mix, and place in a closed container in the freezer for 24 hours to make the ice cream prepared. Then, pull it with a special ice cream spoon in the serving dish.

The amount of calories in total ice cream is 1800 kcal.

The amount of calories in a large scoop of ice cream is about 180 kcal.

The amount of calories in an ice cream bowl is about 600 kcal.

 

 

28 October 2020
28 October 2020
28 October 2020

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