Originally Posted By: PanzerMeyer
Originally Posted By: Peally
Not a pistachio man?
I like those too but they're not in my top 3. Pistachios also have those annoying shells that make a mess!


Do you mean the red shells? They have been dyed red.

You can buy pistachio still in shell but the shells haven't been dyed.

Google search turn up this explanation:

Quote:
...most pistachios were imported from the Middle East, where traditional harvesting methods left stains on the shells. Dying the shell red or green covered up the stains. But today about 98 percent of pistachios sold in the U.S. are grown in California, where a more mechanized harvesting process means that the nuts are picked, hulled and dried before the shell has a chance to become stained, so there is no need to dye them.