Shelling Has Stopped

Pecans are a southern treat, delicious in lots of recipes, but also costly, unless you harvest and shell them yourself. This has been my ritual from mid-Nov. to late Dec. BUT, yesterday, I shelled the last ones harvested from our neighbor’s yard. Jim, the neighbor, enjoys pecans, but dislikes collecting and shelling them; he greatly enjoyed the packages of shelled ones given at Christmas.

Our local supermarket sells a 1 lb.package of pecans for $10, so my current stash of 7-8 lbs. is costly. And, that doesn’t count the packages given to friends and family at holiday time. These cinnamon roasted pecans were a BIG hit — easy and cost-effective as I didn’t need to BUY the pecans, just shell and roast them.

My usual shelling station is by the kitchen window that gives a view of the flat bird feeder — it’s the most popular one with BOTH sunflower seeds and pecan “rejects.”There’s been a steady stream of bird visitors, despite the nearly non-stop rain we’ve been having since the weekend. At times, there have been as many as 8 to 10 male and female cardinals — a few recent ones . . .Blue Jays like the pecan treats, but unlike cardinals, don’t share . . .Lucky for them, there’s still a supply of pecan rejects  to go in the feeder, but when they’re gone, these treats end.

Sweet Nutty Treats

Recently, I posted about shelling pecans — and have shelled a LOT of pecans. Gift bags have been made up for family and friends the past couple of weeks. While shelling takes time,  entertainment has been provided by activity at the bird feeders visible from our kitchen windows. There’s been a lot of colorful drop-in visitors, especially cardinals and friends. Maybe it has something to do with those shelled pecans added to the feeder?

There’s a LOT of unshelled pecans left to do, courtesy of our neighbor’s tree and another friend’s two trees. The pecans are offered gratis, self-harvesting is all that’s required. Pecans are recognized as a Southern treat, and at nearly $10/lb. are a costly one as well. After Christmas, I’ll go back to pecan shelling and freeze them for use in any recipe that uses nuts (and even some that don’t). FREE is a very good wonderful thing and a real money saver!

Pecans are a treat anytime, especially sweet roasted at holiday time. Here’s my version, adapted from several recipes. 

Cinnamon Roasted Pecans

An online version of this recipe used 2 cups of only white sugar, I reduced the amount to 1 cup, split between white and brown sugars. Also, if using less than 2 lbs. of pecans, just half the ingredients.

• 2 lbs pecan halves
• 1/2 C white sugar
• 1/2 C brown sugar
• 2 tsp salt
• 1-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• dash of ground cloves
• 2 egg whites
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 TBSP water

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Lightly grease rimmed baking sheet.

1. Blend sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves in bowl.
2. Whip egg whites, water, vanilla in large bowl until fluffy.
3. Fold pecans into egg mixture and toss gently to coat.
4. Slowly add in sugar mix, toss with robber spatula to coat.
5. Spread pecans evenly on sheet. Place in middle of oven and bake for 15 minutes, then stir pecans with spatula. Stir every 15 minutes until pecans are no longer wet – about 1 hour.
6. Cool and then store in airtight container. (IF you can refrain from sampling them.)

According to Grenville, the official Frog & PenguINN taste-tester, this recipe is definitely “a keeper.”

Now, we have to make sure that friends coming for Christmas Eve / Christmas Day dinner get to enjoy some since they are so very addictively good.

For those, who prefer toasting pecans without sugar, here’s another variation, which is even easier.

Easy Roasted Pecan Halves

• 1 lb pecan halves
• 4 TBSP salted butter
• 1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

1. Place pecans on cookie sheet and spread evenly.
2. Break pieces of butter into small pieces and scatter on pecan halves. Sprinkle salt on pecans.
3. Bake 10 minutes. Stir gently, turn pieces as stirring. Cook another 10 minutes; make sure pecans do not over-brown.
4. Remove and cool before storing.

Pecan Pie

I have been putting my pecan cracker to good use the past couple of weeks since there is a bumper crop of pecans here this year. And, this weekend some recently shelled ones went to good use for our first pecan pie of the season. NOTE: This recipe calls for using the sugar substitute, Splenda®, and light corn syrup. Sure, there’s still calories, just less of them.

Today, the term bumper crop has come to refer to any unexpected windfall. It’s usually associated with a large harvest of agricultural products that over spilled containers used to ship them to market. It is thought to have started in the 1700s when people referred to large swellings as bumpers.  These origins  may explain why automobile fronts are called “bumpers.”

Pecan Pie with Splenda®

This recipe uses a single 8 or 9-inch pie crust. You can use a pre-made refrigerated crust or make one I opted to try my own – see below.

Preheat oven to 350°

• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2/3 C Splenda® brown sugar blend, firmly packed
• ¾ C light corn syrup
• 2 TBSP butter, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 ½ C pecan halves
• 1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell

1. Combine eggs, Splenda®, corn syrup, butter and vanilla and mix until blended.
2. Stir in pecan halves and pour filling into pie shell.
3. Bake 50 minutes or until a knife inserted near center comes out clean.

Couldn’t resist showing the pie baking. Cool on wire rack and serve warm – great with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Indulge!

Just for fun – WHAT was I thinking? – I decided to make a pie crust as this recipe only calls for a single crust.
OOPS, forgot to mention that we were out of the Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crusts that come in so handy.This recipe is from the Betty Crocker Cookbook – a great all-purpose resource. Making the crust work was a bit tricky, at first since the dough kept sticking to the rolling pin and/or pastry board. I am not a pie crust maker, but this attempt finally worked.

Standard Pastry ( 8 or 9 inch one crust pie)

• 1 C all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp salt
• 1/3 C plus 1 TBSP shortening
• 2 to 3 TBSP cold water

1. Measure flour and salt into bowl. Cut in shortening thoroughly.
2. Sprinkle in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing until all flour is moistened and dough almost cleans side of bowl. (Add 1 to 2 more tablespoons of water if needed.)
3. Gather dough into a ball and shape into flattened round on lightly floured board. (Note: If the pastry is sticking badly and you have time, refrigerate for a short time and try again. Grenville said this works for him)
4. Roll dough 2 inches larger than inverted pie pan (helps to put some flour on the rolling pin too as mine does not have a cloth cover as called for in the cookbook).
5. Fold pastry into quarters, unfold, and ease into pie plate. (This was the tricky part for me.)
6. Trim overhanging edge of pastry 1 inch from rim of pan. Fold and roll pastry under, even with pan. Fill and bake as directed in recipe.

Once the pecan filling was added and baked, the results looked good enough to eat. The real taste test will come later tonight when Grenville and some friends sample it. Everyone is invited !

Pecan-Apple Pancakes

We have a bumper crop of fresh pecans this year courtesy of a neighboring tree. Our neighbors, Dan and Jim, enjoy them but only harvest a few and always appreciate the pecan pie that Grenville bakes for them.

Here’s a breakfast recipe I tried this weekend. Pecans were our nut of choice (did I mention we have a LOT this year?) but this recipe will work with walnuts as well. When I asked Grenville’s opinion, he told me this one was “a keeper.”

Apple Pecan Pancakes

• 1 C flour
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ¾ C (plus 2 tsp) milk
• 2 eggs (separated)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ C apples (peeled, finely chopped)  - save rest and slice
• ½ C plus ¼ C pecans (chopped)

1. In a bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
2. Stir in milk, egg yolks and vanilla.
   (Note – if batter is too thick, add a bit more milk.)
3. Add apples and ½ cup of pecans.
4. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form, then fold into batter.
5. Pour ¼ cup of batter onto a hot, greased griddle or skillet.
6. Turn when bubbles begin to form and the edges are golden.
7. Cook until the second side is golden.

Serve topped with remaining ¼ cup of pecans, apple slices, syrup.

It’s a Pecan Cracker

Couldn’t fool many folks, yesterday’s “What is This?” was a Nut Cracker – Duke’s Easy Pecan and Nut model.

This was a 2008 Christmas gift from my true love, Grenville. I told him the 5 golden rings would have been a nice touch too. But thankful he didn’t bring home a partridge in a pear tree, cows, pipers, dancing ladies, milking maids . . .

And, it was a very useful gift because that year our neighbor’s pecan tree was overflowing. We harvested and shelled many pounds of pecans and used them for baking, snacks, cooking and as give-aways.

Last year, the pecan tree didn’t produce well so the nut cracker was retired to the pantry. It was so well retired, we almost didn’t find (don’t you hate when that happens?) And, the tree is producing well again this year so we’re shelling LOTS of pecans. This is another “present” that Grenvillle brought me last week. Yes, I know, he’s a real sweetie and he does help shell them too. Maybe I’ll have to get him his very own cracker this holiday!

Growing up in NJ, we didn’t have pecan trees in the neighborhood. Here on the VA eastern shore, there seems to be at least one pecan tree every couple of blocks. You don’t even have to look up, but just check out all those lying on the ground. It seems that most folks don’t harvest them – maybe because it is time consuming. But having fresh pecans in the freezer is well worth the manual labor not to mention a real money saver – we don’t buy shelled nuts. This year’s harvest will be frozen and could last until the next good season. Unless, of course, Grenville gets in a pecan pie baking mood.

Some Facts About Pecans

The name “pecan” is a Native American word of Algonquin origin that was used to describe “all nuts requiring a stone to crack.”

The pecan tree is the only major tree nut that grows naturally in North America, the pecan is considered one of the most valuable North American nut species.

Pecan trees are members of the hickory genus and a pecan is not really a nut, but technically a drupe – a fruit with a single stone or pit, surrounded by a husk. The husks are produced from the exocarp tissue of the flower while the part known as the nut develops from the endocarp and contains the seed.

Pecan nuts have a rich, buttery flavor; they can be eaten fresh or used in cooking, particularly in a southern favorite, pecan pie. Pecans are also a major ingredient in praline candy.

Pecan wood is used in making furniture, in wood flooring, and as a flavoring fuel for smoking meats.

Pecan trees may live and bear edible nuts for more than three hundred years.

The pecan is the Texas state tree.

Pecans retain their freshness, flavor, and nutrients when stored in an airtight container or freezer bags; storing them at room temperature is not recommended.

Pecans contain more than 19 vitamins and minerals.

Pecans are a natural, high quality source of protein with few carbohydrates, no cholesterol and are sodium free.

Research published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that pecans rank highest among all nuts and are among the top category of foods to contain the highest antioxidant capacity. This means that pecans may decrease the risk of cancer, coronary heart disease, and neurological disease like Alzheimer's.

And we thought they just tasted delicious.

There’s lots more information on pecans available at the National Pecan Shellers Association website.