Recipes
|
||||||
|
Recipes
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
| All About Pecans | |||
 |
|||
| History | |||
| Nutritional Facts |
|||
| Keeping Pecans Fresh | |||
| History | |||
|
1533
|
Discovery of the pecan by the white man. Thousands of years before the arrival of Europeans in America, Indians had been harvesting pecans. Primarily along the banks of the Mississippi River and its tributaries. Although nomadic, Indians planted seedlings near regular campsites as an inheritance for their children. A Spaniard soon discovered. |
||
|
1772
|
The First Cultivation. Indians planted and harvested the pecan, and thus developed no cultivation knowledge. It was 400 years later a man from Long Island transplanted seedlings to New York and began cultivation. Later dozens of southern farmers ______ grafted and planted trees. These efforts led to eventual development of more than 500 cultivators. Spanish colonists were also among the first to cultivate in New Mexico in the early 1700’s. |
||
|
1774
|
George Washington plants pecans Mount Vernon and calls them “Mississippi Nuts.” Friends as far away as Florida visit Washington’s groves and carry seedlings back to the deep South. |
||
|
1781
|
Thomas Jefferson makes pecans a popular delicacy. Prior to Thomas Jefferson’s presidency pecans are just another nut. Jefferson’s influence on fare served at the White House and Monticello jolted pecans to delicacy standard and demand. By late 1770’s pecans were being discovered more and more by French and Spanish colonists settling along the Gulf of Mexico. |
||
|
1802
|
French colonists start exporting pecans. By early 1800’s better techniques for growing and reproducing pecan trees were consistently being discovered. |
||
|
1880
|
Propagation of pecans on commercial level began. |
||
|
1979
|
Marketing makes impact on pecan industry. A group of growers and shellers got together and wanted to come up with a way to assure their peers of stable profits. They wanted to develop an industry that was backed by strong marketing. The group wanted to increase demand by making the public aware of the uses and values of the pecan. This knowledge for a marketing program propelled the industry. |
||
|
Today
|
95% of the world’s pecan crop is grown in the sunbelt region of the United States. Pecans grow wild in Oklahoma, Michigan, Louisiana and southeast United States. |
||
| Nutritional Facts | |||
| “Pecans are a natural fit for low-carb diet.” | |||
| * | A handful of pecans (one ounce of pecans or 20 pecan halves) contain only 4 grams of carbohydrates. | ||
| * | Almost 90% of fats (oils) in pecans are unsaturated. | ||
|
*
|
Pecans contain over 19 vitamins and minerals including Vitamin A, Vitamin E, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, several B vitamins and zinc. | ||
|
*
|
Provides 10% of recommended daily value for fiber in a single serving. | ||
|
*
|
Pecans are sodium-free. | ||
|
*
|
Just a handful of pecans added to a low-fat diet can dramatically lower LDL cholesterol. | ||
|
*
|
A one-ounce serving of pecans has more zinc – an important nutrient for growth and immunity – than a 3.5-ounce serving of skinless chicken. | ||
|
*
|
Pecans are rich in antioxidants, which protects against cell damage. It can also help fight diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, cancer and heart disease. | ||
| To find out more about the benefits of pecans, visit the National Pecan Shellers Association at www.ilovepecans.org. | |||
| Keeping Pecans Fresh | |||
| After pecans are harvested, the excess moisture is dried out. By the time they are shipped, the moisture will be less than 4%. Pecans can be purchased in the shell or with the shells removed. | |||
| In the shell (unshelled) | |||
|
*
|
Store in paper or burlap bags so the moisture can escape. | ||
|
*
|
They must be stored in a cool, dark and dry place. | ||
|
*
|
Pecans stay fresh longer in the shell. | ||
| Pecans with shells removed | |||
|
*
|
Pecans should be kept refrigerated or frozen. | ||
|
*
|
Pecans can be kept refrigerated for four to six months. | ||
|
*
|
Pecans will keep frozen indefinitely. | ||
|
*
|
Pecans can be thawed and refrozen many times with no loss of quality. | ||
|
*
|
Pecans can be added to recipes while still frozen. However, when snacking on these delicious nuts, let them thaw first to regain flavor. | ||