Pecan (Carya Illinoensis) is the common name for a species of
hickory belonging to the walnut family. It is the only major tree
nut naturally grown in North America and one of the most valuable
of nut species. It traces its fossil origins back at least 8000
years to major streams and irrigation canals in Texas and the northern
part of Mexico. From this region, propagation spread north and east,
possibly carried by crows that prefer the thin-shelled nuts and
can carry them many miles.
The name pecan is of Native American origin, deriving from the
Algonquin word “pacane”, meaning “nut to be cracked
with a rock.” Wild pecans were a major food source for various
tribes, whose activities and settlements in the fall and winter
followed the maturing harvest of the wild trees. The U.S. government
has recognized this close historical link, as improved varieties
of pecans have been named after various Indian tribes. The first
recorded history of pecans dates to a diary from the 1540s of Spanish
explorer Cabaca de Vaca, shipwrecked on Galveston Island. Other
prominent explorers including Hernando de Soto also noted the abundance
of wild pecans. As French and Spanish colonists settled in northern
Mexico and along the Gulf of Mexico, cultivation expanded. The French
settlement of New Orleans became a prominent natural market and
redistribution point for pecans to other parts of the new colonies
and beyond. By the late 1700s, propagation had spread to the Atlantic
Seaboard, with plantings in English settlements and gardens of prominent
colonists including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Speculation
is that Spanish colonists likely exported pecans from northern Mexico
to the West Indies and other Spanish settlements.
Description:
Pecan trees do not begin producing nuts until they are 5-6 years
old. They are monecious - each tree produces both male and female
parts but the tree itself is self fertilizing. The fruit of the
tree grows in terminal clusters of 2 to 10 pieces. Each fruit piece
consists of a green, fleshy shuck which surrounds the in-shell nut
until it matures. Upon maturity, the shuck splits along 4 natural
growth seams. In-shell nuts are 1 to 2 inches long, with two kernels
separated by a thin, papery central plate. There are numerous varieties
of pecans available, with variations in size, color (ranging from
light cream to dark amber) and the quantity of the nut meat.
A natural high quality food source, pecans are a particularly
good source of oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid. These fats
are considered heart healthy for their ability to help reduce LDL
(bad) blood cholesterol. They contain plant components with antioxidant
properties and plant sterols which slow the oxidation of LDL cholesterol.
Additionally, pecans provide a wide range of nutritional benefits,
containing over 19 vitamins and minerals, and are also a good source
of vitamin E and fiber. They are one of the few plant based sources
of zinc, an important nutrient for proper growth and strong immunity.
Pecans have a long history of use in the confectionery industry.
Upon settling in New Orleans, the French created pecan pie and pecan
pralines after being introduced to the nut by Native Americans.
Pecans have come to be associated with fine confections and desserts
like turtle candy and butter pecan ice cream, but are now widely
used in a variety of bakery applications, as part of nut and snack
mixes, trail mixes and for cereal and granolas.
Harvest:
Pecans are mature and ready to harvest once the shuck loosens
from the nut shell and begins to split and open. They are harvested
with trunk or limb shakers, depending on tree age, or collected
on tarps or mats. The nuts are separated from shucks and leaves,
and are then dried to lower moisture for storage or packing. Harvest
in North America is in the fall, and from South America in early
summer.
Origin: