Description
Tips For Baking With And Storing Native Pecans:
- If picking and shelling your own pecans, they will benefit from being rinsed off and dried in the oven- or even toasted- to remove any stray pieces of shells and dust.
- If buying the pieces, they are ready to use right out of the bag. To make a pie, many people like to use the pieces or smaller sized halves (like Native, Kanza, or Elliot) in the filling which makes it easier to cut. The top can be decorated with a variety of other colors and shapes of pecan for a unique look.
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Most recipes call for between 1 1/2 to 2 cups of pecans. A one pound sized bag is enough to make a pie plus have leftovers to snack on.
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Freshness and flavor depend more on the storage and care after harvest than the timing of the harvest itself.
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"Cool and Dry" is the most important thing to remember about storing pecans. Pecans are oily and can absorb flavors from other items stored nearby. If you are using them right away, there is no need to refrigerate them, If buying ahead for the holidays or saving for a special recipe, they should be packaged in plastic or glass containers to keep their flavor.
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You can freeze pecans! If kept airtight they can be thawed and re-frozen for use in recipes and for eating.
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Please Note: Native pecans are smaller and more delicate than the larger soft-shell varieties. Their hard shells require significant force to crack, so we do not offer them in-shell. Instead, they’re mechanically cracked and separated, which can lead to a mix of halves and pieces—since both are similar in weight, some fragments naturally end up with the halves.
If you're looking for visually perfect pecan halves for decorating or presentation, we recommend choosing from our soft-shell varieties, which tend to separate more cleanly and yield more intact halves.
That said, true pecan lovers know: what Native pecans lack in looks, they more than make up for in flavor. Many consider them the sweetest, richest-tasting pecans of all.
