Hawaii Macadamia Nuts-How to Buy & What You Can Buy

Macadamia nuts are together with Kona Coffee two of the ‘signature crops’ of Hawaii – and they are good for your health!

Macadamia nuts grow on trees, and there are many macadamia trees on the Big Island: over 17000 acres.

Macadamia nuts grow on large, spreading, evergreen trees that reach height of 30-40 feet and starts producing fruits after 10 years and continue indefinitely. A healthy tree will produce 30-50 pounds of nuts every year.

Mature nuts fall to the ground from October to late January. The nuts are than de-husked and air dried for at least 2 weeks before they are cracked open and processed.

If you are interested in sampling these local gems, you can either visit a macadamia nut orchard and collect them yourself, or buy macadamia nuts at the farmers market or in the supermarket.

Macadamia Nuts in Local Food and Candies

Macadamia nuts are one of the ‘signature crops’ of Hawaii. Macadamias are used in different menu items, ranging from macadamia nut coffee to macadamia nut pesto to macadamia nut butter. The nuts can be eaten raw shelled macadamia nut or roasted, whole or chopped.

Some of our favorite macadamia snacks include chocolate covered macadamia nuts or white chocolate macadamia nut cookies. You are sure to encounter some of these items on your vacation on the Big Island and when you do, we heartily recommend you try them.

Macadamia Nut Health Benefits

Macadamia nuts are tree nuts, just like for example almonds, hazelnuts, and pistachios. Like these nuts, the macadamia nut has a claim on many health benefits. Macadamias are a good source of protein, calcium, potassium and dietary fiber and very low in sodium. The nuts may be fat, but they contain more heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids than any other nut! This is also confirmed in the scientific literature:

• A diet based on macadamia nuts also has been found to significantly lower cholesterol levels! 
• Another study in the Journal of nutrition demonstrates that macadamia nut consumption as part of a healthy diet favorably modifies the plasma lipid profile in men with high cholesterol levels despite their diet being high in fat. (lipids are a broad group of molecules that naturally occur in your blood)

Related Macadamia Nut Processing Machines:

Macadamia Nut Sheller
Macadamia Nut Cutter Machine
Macadamia Nut Butter Machine