Heart of the Desert Pistachios

I usually discuss food recalls at Conkey's Tavern. However, I got so disgusted with the Peanut Corporation of America scandal that, when pistachios began to be recalled, I referred readers to blogs such as Bill Marler's.

If you want to keep up with the pistachio recalls, go to the FDA's recall page. You can even sign-up for their emailed updates. Even better is to join Twitter and then follow the tweets at foodrecalls. (While you are at it, sign-up for the tweets at elpasonaturally as well.)

I get FDA's emailed updates and tweets daily. What caught my eye recently was a voluntary recall of raw, shelled pistachios by an El Paso nut distributor: Azar's which gets its pistachios from California.

Every time there are food recalls, consumers suspect anything that has to do with the product recalled. The fact is that there are some excellent pistachios grown locally in Alamogordo, New Mexico that are not contaminated with salmonella or anything else. I'm talking about Heart of the Desert Pistachios from Eagle Ranch.

At the top of their home page you will find this reassuring statement:

"We are aware of the problem that has occurred with a California pistachio company. Contrary to national news reports, Heart of the Desert Pistachios are NOT involved in the recall of pistachio products. Our family farm is self contained, meaning that we grow, harvest, process and market from our premises in Alamogordo, NM. We have complete control over the cleanliness and processing at our facility. We do not have farm animals. Our entire acreage is devoted to crop production. We guarantee the safety of our pistachio products."

You will also find links to news stories about the safety of their products.

I've been to their facilities where they do their own processing. They have the most modern of equipment and the friendliest people who each and all make it their business to bring a quality nut to the rest of us.

I called them and asked where in El Paso I could buy their products. Their Associate, Lily J. Ayers, immediately emailed me the following list:

Charlotte’s – 5411 N. Mesa St.
Coffee Emporium – 5817 N. Mesa St.
Collectibles – 1530 Loma Land Sr.
Advant-Edge – 1576 Lomaland Dr.
Quick Silver 66 – 14421 Montana Ave.
Montana Vista Grocery – 14700 Montana Ave.
Horizon 66 – 14501 Horizon Blvd.
Freeway Exxon – 7450 Gateway Blvd. East
Food City #1 – 5400 Alameda Ave.
Food City #5 – 3200 Alameda Ave.
Food City #2 – 7444 Gateway Blvd. East
Lowes #95 – 5300 Doniphan Dr.
Cassidy Shoppette – Ft. Bliss Bldg. 1333
Lowe’s #69 (Big 8) – 9817 Dyer St.
Lowe’s Super Save #97 – 9120 Dyer St.
Lowes #71 (Big 8) – 3333 N. Yarbrough Dr.
Lowes #73 (Big 8) – 1480 George Dieter Dr.
Lowes #77 (Big 8) – 104720 N. Loop
Lowes #96 (Big 8) – 1025 N. Carolina Dr.
Lowes #75 (Big 8) – 425 N. Yarbrough Dr.
Lowes #83 (Big 8) – 6021 N. Mesa St.
Lowes #68 – 3618 Montana
El Paso Chile Company – 909 Texas Ave.

You can, of course, take your chances and buy California pistachios shipped to New Jersey for processing and then shipped to Phoenix for distribution and then shipped to the Albertson's nearest your home. Or you can enjoy quality, uncontaminated and nutritious pistachios right here on the frontera that are locally-grown. Eagle Ranch in Alamogordo is just up the road from El Paso and over the hill from Las Cruces.