Are Chilean Mesquite Tree Seeds Poisonous?

Fruit Description

• All mesquite trees, including Chilean mesquite, have pea-sized, brown, oval seeds that are commonly used for propagating new plants. The seeds are covered in a hard coating that needs to be scarified prior to planting for effective germination. The long, light brown seed pods are up to 8 inches long and appear in spring. The pods start to ripen and fall in summer. The pods have been a traditional dietary staple in Native American diets.

Nutritious Content

• Mesquite tree pods are ground into a flour called pinhole. The Native Americans also used the pods for making tea and syrup. The fruit has a high carbohydrate content with low moisture. This accounts for the good harvesting and storage capacity of the pods. Sugar content in the fruit is about 32 percent, with 7 percent protein, reports the Texas Beyond History website.

Harvesting

• It is better to taste the pods prior to harvesting, as the taste of mesquite tree pods differs between varieties. The fruit of the Chilean mesquite has a slight chalky flavor. Harvest the ripe pods from the trees, rather than from the ground; fresh-picked pods are cleaner and free from any mold. It takes only a slight pull to remove the ripe pods. If the pods do not come off easily, they are not yet ripe. The pods are generally ready for harvest all through the summer, beginning in late June; they are sometimes available into late September in desert regions.

Preparation

• Rinse the gathered pods in a pail of water. Drain the water and spread the pods out in the sun for several days. You can also dry the pods in the oven at very low heat. Dried pods should snap into two when bent. Store in a dry place until ready to process. It takes 10 pounds of whole mesquite pods to obtain about 8 pounds of flour after grinding.