The Algonquins’ (Native Americans) word for it meant “a nut too hard to crack by hand.” When the Spanish Explorers arrived on the Texas and Louisiana shores, they called it a “wrinkle nut.” Today, it’s simply called a pecan.
History
Pecan trees are native to the southern part of North America. In fact, they’re the only major tree nut indigenous to America. And though they didn’t grow naturally anywhere else, pecan trees are now grown throughout the world thanks, in part, to the Spanish Explorers. After discovering this nut in the 1500s, they took it to Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Did You Know…
- Archaeologists have found fossilized pecan seeds and leaves from as far back as 1600 BC along the banks of the Rio Grande River!
- Apx. 30% of the U.S. pecan crop is native or wild pecans.
- The first cultivated planting of a pecan tree took place in 1772 on Long Island, N.Y.
- Thomas Jefferson planted pecan trees from the southern U.S. on the grounds of Monticello. He also gave George Washington a pecan tree. The sapling was planted at Mount Vernon on March 25, 1775.
- The pronunciation of “pecan” depends on where you’re from. According to an AmericanPecan.com survey, 34% say “PEE-can” while 66% say “puh-CON.”
- Pecan trees have been planted on every continent except Antarctica.
- A pecan tree can produce nuts for 100 years or more.
- Commercial growth of pecans began in the U.S. in the 1880s.
- Today, 80% of the world’s pecans, more than 300 million pounds, are produced in the U.S. annually. 75% of that comes from Georgia, Texas, and New Mexico.
- There are more than 500 different types of pecans, but the U.S. primarily focuses on only a few dozen varieties.
Medicinal
Native Americans fully utilized wild, native pecan trees. They depended on the nut meat for nourishment and used the tree’s bark and leaves for medicinal purposes. The tree’s leaves have been used as a “hypoglycemic, cleansing, astringent, keratolytic, antioxidant, and antimicrobial agent.”1 Pulverized leaves treat ringworm when rubbed on the skin and the liquor extracted from boiling pecan bark has been used to treat TB.
Healthy
Pecan nuts are cholesterol-free, sodium-free, low in carbohydrates, and loaded with vitamins, minerals, protein, healthy unsaturated fats, and fiber. Like other tree nuts, they have heart-health benefits, but unlike the others, pecans contain phytonutrients, specifically flavonoids, at levels comparable to some superfruits.
Did You Know…
- One-ounce of pecans is equivalent to two-ounces of protein.
- Pecans have the ability to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and raise HDL (good) cholesterol levels, as well as lower blood pressure.
- Pecans help maintain blood sugar levels and are especially beneficial for people with type 2 diabetes.
- Eating pecans helps with weight loss by boosting metabolism and helping you feel full longer.
- Pecans help prevent various cancers—particularly breast cancer; reduce inflammation in the arteries, lowering the risk of arthritis, heart diseases, and other conditions; improve brain function; boost immunity; improve digestion; help retain healthy skin, eyes, teeth, bones, muscles, and nerves; and possibly reduce the risk of gallstone diseases in men.
- The USDA ranked pecans in the top twenty of 100 foods ranked by antioxidant levels.
Food
Pecan nuts (seeds) can be eaten raw or used in cooking. They have a naturally sweet and rich, buttery taste, which makes them especially good in desserts. Keeping them on hand is easy. Store in-shell pecans in a cool, dry place for up to a year. Shelled pecans can be stored in an airtight container for about nine months in the refrigerator or two years in the freezer. (Flavor and texture will not be hurt by repeated thawing and refreezing.)
Did You Know…
- The first Pecan Pie recipe was published in 1886.
- A pecan’s nutrients will not be significantly changed by roasting.
- Pecan wood used for smoking meats gives grilled foods a stronger sweet and nutty flavor than many other fruit woods.
Summary
As an adult and a baker, I think pecans are worth their weight in gold. While I hated picking them up at my grandmother’s house as a kid, I’d love to have a pecan tree now. (If you feel the same and have considered planting one, just remember it’s a long-term investment. A sapling will take, on average, nearly ten years before yielding a full production of nuts.)
Some of the more well-known pecan dishes include Pecan Pie, Pecan-Crusted Fish, Pecan Turtles, and Chicken Salad. But my favorite pecan recipe? Pralines. I use a recipe given to my parents years ago by a family friend. If you want to try it, click here.
1https://www.florajournal.com/archives/2017/vol5issue6/PartA/6-4-11-868.pdf