Why Aren’t Pistachio’s Red Anymore? Changes In Market and Harvest Procedures Eliminated The Red Pistachio

I mentioned this to someone just the other day and they thought I was off my rocker.  Once upon a time pistachio's used to be red.  The shells were an unnatural color that was inherent of the red food color that was used to dye them that color.  Nowadays, you don't see red pistachios anymore - only their natural-colored shell.

So - why aren't pistachio's red anymore and why were they dyed that color in the first place?

This article offers great information that solves the mystery.  In general until the late 1980's, the nuts weren't grown and harvest in the United States.  At the same time, the harvesting techniques that were used left blemishes on the shell. These blemishes didn't damage the nut contained inside, but they turned some consumers off.   To solve the problem, the foreign companies that exported them to the United States used to dye the shell to cover up the blemishes.

After the hostage crisis with Iran (the country that was the largest exporter at one time) in 1979-1980, domestic crops of pistachios took off.  At the same time, new harvesting methods were employed that reduced the amount of blemishing that occurred.  Along the way, the need for the red dye diminished.