Good things come in small packages and pistachios are no exception! This small but mighty nut adds flavor, texture, a pop of color, and lots of nutritional benefits to whatever dish you add them to. Read on to learn how pistachios are grown and harvested in California and for over 20 of the best recipes with pistachios from our California Grown Creators!
Are pistachios good for you?
The answer to that question is a resounding yes! Pistachios are very good for you and here are 3 key reasons why:
- Pistachios are classified as a complete protein source that provides all nine essential amino acids in adequate amounts for people 5 years and older.
- A single serving of pistachios has 6 grams of plant-based protein and meets 10% of your dietary fiber intake needs too.
- A 1-ounce serving of pistachios equals approximately 49 nuts, that is more nuts per serving than any other snack nut.
Ever wondered what it would be like to be a pistachio farmer?!
Being a pistachio farmer is a pretty cool gig if you ask us! We have had the pleasure of connecting with a few California pistachio farmers and now you can connect with them too by learning more about them and how they grow and harvest pistachios in the articles below.
Keenan Farms
Meet Teresa Keenan, Marketing Manager ofKeenan Farmsin Kettleman City, CA. Born into the industry and married to a second-generation farmer, she knows how much hard work and dedication goes into farming.
Learn more about Teresa, how Keenan Farms grew with the pistachio industry and why she says young people need to get into farming as well!
Daniel Jackson of Family Tree Farms
Meet Daniel Jackson, co-owner of Family Tree Farms and eighth-generation farmer. Like his grandfather before him, Daniel is a firm believer in doing business with honest and dependable people. Learn more about his family and why he says “Farmer” is his most important title.
Where are pistachios grown in California?
Believe it or not, California grows 99 % of the United States pistachio supply, with over 312,000 acres planted throughout 22 counties! Pistachio trees thrive in California’s Central Valley due to the fertile soil, hot, dry climate, and moderately cold winters.
When are pistachios harvested in California?
Nature decides when it’s time to harvest pistachios. In California, harvest takes place anywhere from late – August to early October when the fruit is mature and the shell has split.
Start your day with these recipes for pistachio!
Did you know that gram for gram pistachios have as much protein as an egg? It’s true! And just 2-ounces of pistachios have as much potassium as a banana!! Incorporating pistachios into your breakfast recipes is a sure way to bring lots of great flavor, texture, and color, all while reaping some serious rewards when it comes to nutritional benefits.
Pistachio Milk
Have you ever wondered how to make pistachio milk at home? Our recipe is simple, free of refined sugars, and yields the creamiest, most luxurious pistachio milk you’ve ever tasted!
Click here for the recipe!
Strawberry & Pistachio Waffles
This Mess is Ours knows that the way to our hearts is a pistachio studded waffle!
Stacks of these waffles are great for any leisurely weekend breakfast or brunch fest and leftovers reheat wonderfully in the toaster oven.
Pistachio Brown Sugar Bacon
This pistachio-crusted bacon from G-Free Foodie may be better suited in the sweet recipes for the pistachio section of this pistachio recipe round-up, but it had to be included one way or the other!
The salty sweetness of pork fat and brown sugar are a perfect complement to crunchy, buttery pistachios.
Rosemary Pistachio Cinnamon Rolls with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Glaze
These tender and sweet yeasted cinnamon rolls from Eat the Love are easy to make and require no kneading. The secret is a baked potato, which creates a soft and fluffy cinnamon roll! The rosemary in the filling may sound a little odd, but the savory woodsy note works well with the pistachio and adds an extra dimension to the sweet cinnamon filling.
Sweet recipes with pistachio!
Chances are if you are a baker, you’ve laced a treat or two with pistachios! Their vibrant color and rich, buttery flavor can’t be replicated.
Fresh Cherry Cheesecake
Our cheesecake recipe is creamy and luscious with the flavor notes of fresh cherries, pistachio, and lemon running throughout.
Trust us, this is the only cheesecake recipe you will ever need.
Click here for the recipe!
Apple Cake with Pistachios
This delicious apple cake with pistachios from Bakes by Brown Sugar is full of Granny Smith and Fuji apples and crunchy pistachios. The cake is moist and dense with a hint of lemon that pairs really well with the sweetness of the cake and the tart apples. If you’re looking for a recipe for all those apples you just bought or picked, this is the one you need.
Rice Pudding with Wild Rice and Pistachio
This easy recipe for rice pudding is made with creamyhomemade pistachio milkandwild rice. Free of refined sugars, this rice pudding has a flavor profile that is pleasantly nutty and rich without being cloyingly sweet!
Click here for the recipe!
Edible Flower Pistachio Shortbread Cookies
These buttery-crisp shortbreads from the G Free Foodie features pretty green flecks and fabulous crunch courtesy of California-grown pistachios and gorgeous edible blooms.
Orange Juice Cake
This classic Orange Juice Cake from This Mess is Ours is the easiest cake recipe you will ever bake! This cake only requires a handful of ingredients – any vanilla cake mix, freshly squeezed orange juice, chopped pistachios, eggs, butter, and vanilla pudding.
Pistachio Ice Cream
This homemade Pistachio Ice Cream recipe from Susan the CA GROWN Mom is truly delicious and just what your Summer celebrations need!
Click here for the recipe!
Fig and Cherry Pistachio Tart
This tart from Bakes by Brown Sugar has layers of goodness – a nutty pistachio tart crust, a homemade cherry jam, a creamy mascarpone pastry cream, and delicious, sweet California figs to top the whole thing.
Raspberry Mascarpone Tart with Pistachio Crust
This delicious gluten-free tart from G Free Foodie features a toasted pistachio crust, a creamy mascarpone layer, and gorgeous glazed raspberries. It’s the perfect treat! Not only is it delicious, but it’s also pretty enough to impress guests.
Apple Pistachio Crisp
This Apple Pistachio Crisp by our friend Chery from Bakes by Brown Sugar is everything you want in a fall dessert – sweet/tart California apples, warm spices, and a buttery, crunchy pistachio topping.
Click here for the recipe!
Individual Pistachio Pavlovas
Looking for the ultimate dessert for summer entertaining? Look no further than this Individual Pistachio Pavlova recipe from This Mess is Ours! They’re light and airy, easy to make, and always make a good impression.
Pistachio Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream
Easy and delicious, sweet and a touch savory! These cupcakes from Rachel Makes It pair perfectly with fresh raspberry buttercream!
Flourless Chocolate Tart With Pistachio Crust
A luscious dark chocolate filling and a colorful pistachio crust make this chocolate tart from G-Free Foodie a dessert that not only might be the best thing you ever tasted but the prettiest thing you’ve ever made.
Pistachio Cake
This pistachio cake with honey vanilla buttercream frosting from Eats Well With Others is a true celebration cake – with a light crumb and a delectable frosting, it’s the kind of cake that you will never forget after that first bite.
Pistachio Financiers
These butter-rich financiers from Saveur smartly incorporate ground pistachios in the batter andon top to create a petite treat no one can resist.
Pistachio Chocolate Bark
This easyPistachio Chocolate Bark from She Wears Many Hats is a delicious treat to share at holiday parties or package up for the perfect edible gift to share.
Lemon & Lime Bars with Pistachio Crust
These easy-to-make sweet and tart lemon and lime bars from Eat the Love have crushed pistachios in the crust and will give you a huge smile when you bite into them.
Savory recipes with pistachio!
Have you ever made savory recipes with pistachio? There are all sorts of incredible savory flavor combinations that benefit from the addition of pistachios. From pistachio pesto to pistachio dusted roasted salmon, these savory recipes are great for weeknight family dinner or for a dinner guests will not forget!
The Ultimate California Grown BLT Sandwich
It is hard to improve upon the classic BLT, but we think our Ultimate California Grown BLT Sandwich has a good chance of stealing your heart forever! From its luscious eggplant bacon weave to its grilled asparagus and pistachio pesto this BLT will have you declaring love at first bite.
Click here for the recipe!
This recipe from This Mess is Ours starts with a base of leafy greens that are lightly dressed in an irresistibly bright California honey + mustard vinaigrette. Then it is piled high with crisp grapes, fresh and dried figs, crispy shallots, pistachios, and briny feta!
Click here for the recipe!
Bruschetta with Goat Cheese, Asparagus & Pistachio Pesto
When you crave a change-up from plain steamed or roasted asparagus, try them the way Discover California Wines makes them: on top of crunchy toast with warm, creamy goat cheese and a dollop of fragrant pesto.
Kale, Tangerine, and Pistachio Salad
This epic salad is loaded with hearty winter greens, bright Californiacitrus, and perfectly toastedpistachios.It is the perfect, healthy pick me up for even the most frigid of winter days.
Click here for the recipe!
Green Beans with Red Onion, Pistachios, and Herbs
Trust us when we say, you’ve never had green beans like these from This Mess is Ours! Their flavor is taken to the next dimension with the addition of sauteed red onion, pistachio, and vibrant herbs!
Lamb Asparagus Kebabs with Pistachio Mint Pesto
Lamb, pistachio, and mint…talk about a trifecta of flavor! You will love these kebabs, they are easy to make and always impress.
Click here for the recipe!
Pistachio Pesto
Teri of No Crumbs Left always has this Pistachio Pesto on hand because it’s milder than regular basil pesto and has a nutty sweetness that she can’t get enough of!
Carrot, Feta, and Pistachio Salad with Orange Blossom Dressing
This Mess is Ours says that the flavors in this pistachio salad are totally unexpected, strangely addicting, and not to be missed!We agree with her completely, it is a must-make recipe for Spring.
Pistachio Dusted Roasted Salmon
This pistachio encrusted salmon from American Pistachio Growers has a light honey glaze that is truly delightful!
Recipes with pistachio for the holidays!
Pistachios’ brilliant green hue makes them the perfect nut for adding to holiday dishes like cakes and cookies! Raw pistachios are typically more vibrant in color than roasted ones, so if color is what you are going for be sure to shop for the raw version.
Homemade Pistachio Mazapan
The traditional Mexican candy, Mazapan gets a little makeover with pistachios instead of peanuts.
This easy no-bake sweet from Hola Jalapeno is perfect for homemade holiday gifts or to put on a Christmas cookie platter – and are vegan and gluten-free!
Buche de Noel with Pistachio and Raspberry Filling
This festive Buche de Noel from Rachel Makes It is made with pistachio pastry cream made from Keenan Farms pistachios and fresh California raspberries. It gives a festive red and green look to this dessert.
Sugar Plum Shortbread Cookies
This tender, buttery cookie from This Mess is Ours is laced with all the makings of traditional sugar plums folded into the batter like finely dicedCalifornia prunes, pistachios, cranberries, dates, and almonds.
Gluten Free Pistachio Log Cookies
Inviting crumbled and toasted pistachios not only enrobe the outside of this cookie from This Mess is Ours, they are also mixed right into the batter for never-ending goodness.
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