55 Sweet and Savory Pecan Recipes - You Should Grow (2024)

FAQs

What is the best tasting variety of pecan? ›

Elliot Pecans

This species grows well, too, offering excellent quality, flavor and consistency. The nut itself has a buttery, rich flavor with a subtle hint of hickory. Elliot pecans are an excellent snacking variety when eaten on their own, but they're also ideal for pies and other sweets.

Type I (protandrous) pecans have male flowers that release their pollen before their female flowers are receptive to pollen shed. Type II (protogynous) pecans release their pollen after their female flowers were receptive.

Why Georgia Pecans? Georgia is the leading pecan-producing state in the U.S. In particular, Albany, GA is known as the "pecan capital of the world" due to the number of pecan trees (more than 600,000). Beyond that, Georgia is the home of the National Nut Growers Association, which was established in Albany in 1901.

For pecan trees to bare nuts you will need two or more different cultivars, as they require cross pollination for maximum productivity. Pecan trees do not bear fruit until they are between the ages of four and 12 years old and that is determined by the cultivar.

Pecans are a type of tree nut that's rich in several key nutrients, including fiber, copper, thiamine, and zinc. They've been associated with many potential health benefits, including improved blood sugar control, heart health, and brain function.

COLOR THE STATES WHERE PECANS ARE GROWN

Georgia, New Mexico, and Texas are the top pecan-producing states. The U.S. is the world's leading producer of pecans, producing about 80% of the world's pecan supply. It takes 7 years for the pecan trees to grow and start producing nuts.

Pecan shell mulch is slightly acidic and is especially good around acid-loving plants such as azaleas. Pecan shells will eventually decompose and are therefore, good candidates for your compost bin. And why not replace the mesquite and hickory chips you use to flavor your barbecue with pecan shells?

Pecan trees are monoecious. This means that they produce separate male and female flowers on the same plant. Male flowers are located on 4-5 inch long catkins, while female flowers are small, yellowish-green, and grow on spikes at the tips of shoots.

What is the most disease resistant pecan tree? ›

Probably the best known of this group is 'Elliot'. 'Elliot' has long been the standard by which we measure resistance to scab. 'Elliot' produces a small round nut with very good kernel quality. Size ranges around 77 nuts / lb.

Generally, spacing is determined by the age of the tree. Recommended spacing today is to use the square system and plant on a 45 foot center. These trees will have to be thinned by age 20-25 years. Proper spacing is desirable to eliminate competition for nutrients, moisture, and sunlight.

Webworms can be managed with contact insecticide sprays. If you use sprays on pecan trees, read the label to be sure the product is safe to use on pecans because they are a food crop. Look for one of these active ingredients: permethrin, carbaryl, cyfluthrin, cyhalothrin, Bts, or spinosad.

Instead of snacking on foods that contain too many saturated fats and too few nutrients, reach for all-natural pecans. Swapping out empty calories for a handful of pecans each day can rev up your metabolism and keep your body processing foods consistently.

You'll find out fast that boiling pecans lessens the likelihood of the shell shattering into a lot of smaller pieces. Boiling shouldn't affect the taste of the pecan, though.

Northern varieties have been selected or bred to ripen their nuts by or before the first hard freeze each year. Southern varieties have been selected or bred to fit the conditions of a longer season with more heat and humidity.

Pecan growers

In central Texas, San Saba calls itself the "Pecan Capital of the World" and is home to the world's largest and oldest pecan tree, known as Mother Pecan. The tree is close to 200 years old.

Georgia's pecans are highly desirable due to their size, meatiness and flavor. Delicious right out of the shell, Georgia pecans can be smoked, toasted or roasted, but more and more companies are thinking beyond pecans as nibbles.

Native northern pecans have a higher oil content and more flavor than the southern, easier to crack pecans. But southern pecans won't grow too far north and northern pecans won't grow too far south. If you are in a pecan growing region you can probably find a farm store that will crack them for you.