The nutmeg is the seed that is within the shell; a bit like an almond or brazil nut within its outer shell. The shells are broken and the nutmeg removed and dried on drying racks.
Is there a shell on nutmeg?
What many people do not realize is that the shell is not that difficult to crack open. We simply cut the nut in half with a regular kitchen knife, and then the nutmeg freely rolls out of the shell.
What is the outer shell of a nutmeg called?
A nutmeg, dissected.
The outermost layer, the soft yellow fruit is called the pericarp.
What is the outside of nutmeg?
Mace is the red lacy coating (called the aril) that encases the nutmeg seed.
Do you have to remove the shell of nutmeg?
You do not need to peel, cut or toast whole nutmeg seeds before preparing them. Grate the nutmeg with a microplaner, the smallest holes of a standard cheese grater or a specialized nutmeg grinder. For maximum potency, grate only as much nutmeg as you need to use immediately.
What does a nutmeg sea shell look like?
The Common Nutmeg (Cancellaria Reticulata) is a type of sea snail found in the western Atlantic Ocean. The shell has a lattice pattern and varies in color from cream and orange to brown. As these are natural seashells they will have minor wear and variances. Also, be aware that colors may vary from monitor to monitor.
How do you identify nutmeg?
Nutmeg, Myristica fragrans, is a tropical evergreen tree in the family Myristicaceae grown for its seeds which are used as spices. The nutmeg tree has natural conical shape with a grey-brown trunk and dark green glossy leaves. The branches of the tree spread in whorls and the leaves are oval or lanceolate in shape.
What part of nutmeg do we eat?
nutmeg seed
The fleshy arils surrounding the nutmeg seed are the source of the spice mace.
Is mace the outside of nutmeg?
While nutmeg and mace are related, and come from the same nutmeg tree, they are different. Nutmeg is the seed found inside the ripe fruit of the tree, after it’s been picked and split open. The lacy membrane that surrounds the seed, once removed and dried, is mace.
What does nutmeg do for a man?
Some animal studies show that nutmeg may enhance sex drive and performance. In one study, male rats that were given high doses of nutmeg extract (227 mg per pound or 500 mg per kg of body weight) experienced significant increases in sexual activity and sexual performance time compared to a control group ( 13 ).
Can you eat the nutmeg fruit?
Nutmeg is the rarest of spices. Its woody balls are the stones or pips of fruits that plump from the nutmeg tree, the beautifully named Myristica fragrans. You can eat the fruit, too, if you’re lucky enough to get it: in Sulawesi they sugar it, then dry it in the sun so it partially ferments.
Is nutmeg a fruit or nut?
Nutmeg is not a nut but it is a mega spice and as such pose no risk to persons who have nut allergies. Nutmeg is actually a fruit with a single seed which makes it a drupe, similar to an apricot.
Why was nutmeg so valuable?
So, why was nutmeg so valuable? Well, Krondl likens it to the iPhone of the 1600s. It was fashionable among the wealthy. It was exotic and potent enough to induce hallucinations — or at least a nutmeg bender, as detailed in this account from The Atlantic.
How do you remove a nutmeg shell?
Begin by cracking open the nutmeg shell on a cutting board. You can do this by pressing down hard on the whole seed with a large knife or heavy pan. Peel away the shell and then finely grate the whole nutmeg seed at a forty-five-degree angle.
How does nutmeg help you sleep?
Drink a glass of milk with a dash of nutmeg to improve sleep. Milk contains tryptophan, an essential amino acid that induces sleep, while the healing properties of nutmeg help in nerve relaxation.
Where are nutmeg shells found?
The Common Nutmeg sea shell is small, only 1 – 2 inches long, or slightly larger. You will find them while beachcombing along the southern U.S. coast from North Carolina to Texas and also in the waters of Brazil.
What fruit does nutmeg come from?
Nutmeg is native to a small cluster of islands in Indonesia, the Banda Islands. It is the seed of a peachlike fruit that grows from the tree Myristica fragrans. Europeans discovered nutmeg in the middle ages and it became quite valuable for its culinary and folk remedy uses.
What is a tulip shell?
Tulip snail or tulip shell is the common name for eight species of large, predatory, subtropical and tropical sea snails from the Western Atlantic. These species are in the genus Fasciolaria. They are marine gastropod mollusks in the family Fasciolariidae, the spindle shells, tulip shells and their allies.
Is there fake nutmeg?
Over time, Yankee peddlers developed a reputation for selling fake nutmegs made of carved wood. Customers unfamiliar with the native form of the spice decided they had been sold a counterfeit or “wooden nutmegs” after futilely trying to grind the unusually hard seed instead of the hard-aromatic seed of the nutmeg tree.
Why does nutmeg smell so good?
Eugenol, though found in smaller quantities in nutmeg, is one of the major volatile components of the seed and is used for making vanillin and also as a substitute for cloves (next week’s smell!) in perfume-making.
How much nutmeg do I take to sleep?
Taking over 6 grams of nutmeg will be a powerful sedative. If you do this during waking hours, you may feel extremely fatigued. I’ve recommended up to 10 grams of nutmeg for insomnia and didn’t see any ill effects (besides the much-needed sedation).