JOJOBA: AN ABUNDANT DESERT NUT

Jojoba: An Abundant Desert Snack

by Matthew J. Nelson

Early one summer morning I heard a rustling in the bushes outside of my casita in the Tucson Mountains. Expecting to find a family of ravenous javelina gnawing on prickly pear pads, I quietly stepped outside to see the feeding frenzy. Instead of the stinky little peccaries, there stood a herd of mule deer. They walked from bush to bush, chewing the leaves and nuts off of jojoba bushes. I watched the herd until their brownish-gray rumps were out of sight, then plucked a fresh jojoba nut to try for myself. The almond-size nut was rich and full of oil, slightly bitter but delightful. Thanks to my four-legged friends, I’d discovered a new desert snack.

Jojoba nuts (also known as deer nuts) have been a reliable food source for indigenous people for centuries and can be found in abundance throughout the Sonoran Desert. Look for them hanging like tiny acorns from the grayish green leaves of jojoba bushes. The nuts are found on female plants and ripen from mid-July to mid-September. They are especially large and tasty after a healthy monsoon season.

Traditionally, jojoba nuts were harvested and consumed in very small quantities. The tannin-rich nuts contain a protein content of 35%, but also contain oil that is largely indigestible, so eating too many can cause nausea. Unlike mesquite beans—which were collected en masse and stored for year-round use—jojoba nuts were eaten as a snack while on the go. I like to pick jojoba nuts while hiking through the desert, eating a handful or so throughout the course of the day, and have never experienced any ill effects. Another good option is to wait until the end of summer, when much of the indigestible oil has dried up and the nuts are “sun baked” inside their own shells. At this point, the nuts are crunchier and less bitter.

Jojoba was all the rage in the 1980s when it was discovered that jojoba oil was an excellent substitute for sperm whale oil. Entrepreneurs bought huge parcels of land in California and Arizona where jojoba grew in abundance, but extracting the oil became more difficult than originally anticipated. It also became clear that jojoba regenerated leaves and stems too slowly for mass production. The project wasn’t entirely abandoned though, as jojoba oil is still in demand for use in shampoo and body oil. It’s an excellent remedy for dry scalp and brittle hair.

Perhaps more important than its nutritional and cosmetic uses, jojoba has been used medicinally by indigenous people for treatment of cancer, fever, abdominal cramps, and to help facilitate childbirth. In Mexico, dried jojoba leaves are still used as a tea for chronic mucous-membrane inflammation, including colitis, vaginitis and hemorrhoids. It’s also used in the treatment of stomach and esophageal ulcers.

Cahuilla Indians developed an interesting way of utilizing jojoba nuts – they roasted and ground the nuts to produce a coffee-like beverage. This tradition has been shared with various Southwestern tribes and non-native people, and is a common way of consuming jojoba. Of all the coffee substitutes I’ve ever tried, jojoba is the brew of choice.

Summertime in the Sonoran Desert is often seen as the harshest of seasons. Sure it’s hot, but summer is when desert foods can be found in abundance. Jojoba nuts, cholla buds, prickly pear fruit, mesquite beans, saguaro fruit and hackberries are just a few of the delicious desert snacks growing right in your backyard. Eat a little bit of the desert this summer and you’re sure to find a new respect and admiration for the place we call home.

Jojoba Recipes

Roasted Jojoba Nuts

Remove shells and place jojoba nuts in a shallow ungreased baking pan. Roast at 250 degrees for one hour, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven and allow to cool before adding a few drops of olive oil, salt and a pinch of chipotle powder (or other chile powder).

Cahuilla Coffee

Follow directions for roasting, then grind jojoba nuts in a coffee grinder or in a mortar and pestle. Stir one heaping tablespoon of ground jojoba nuts into one cup of boiling water. Boil for 3-5 minutes. Strain into a cup and enjoy with honey, rice milk or your favorite coffee condiments.

Matthew J. Nelson is a local freelance writer and has written about desert foods for a variety of local and national publications. This article originally appeared in the June issue of The Conspiracy.