| Pecan trees, 'Carya illinoinensis,' grow in natural groves | | | | inches thick. These nuts are not worth saving, unless |
| in bottom lands near rivers or lakes with nearby | | | | they fully mature on the pecan tree to the point |
| periodic overflowing water. Archeological remains and | | | | beyond the shucks turning a deep brown or black |
| fossil evidence reveals that pecans were collected | | | | color. |
| and stored by Indians, the original settlers and | | | | Pollination is not an important factor for pecan trees |
| inhabitants of America, and the group now known as | | | | in most of the South and in areas where the pecan |
| the "mound builders." American Indians followed this | | | | trees are native. The reason for this is that pecan |
| same example and were actively gathering pecan | | | | trees are wind pollinated and pollen from a tree ten |
| nuts when the European colonists arrived. The pecan | | | | miles away can be pollinated if wind currents are |
| trees were found growing in their northern limits | | | | favorable to transfer the pollen from one tree to the |
| along the tributaries of the Mississippi River near | | | | other. Some trees are self-pollinating, such as the |
| Louisville, Kentucky; Terra Haute, Indiana; and Clinton, | | | | 'Desirable' cultivar of pecan, because the pollen and |
| Iowa, which is located at the same latitude as | | | | the female flowers both mature near the same time. |
| Chicago, Illinois. | | | | Other pecan cultivars have pollen that matures too |
| In 1792 William Bartram reported in his botanical book, | | | | soon or too late to be effective in pollination of the |
| Travels, that identified American plants and animal | | | | female flowers. There are enough pecan trees in |
| names and Indian encounters that was located just | | | | most naturalized areas of the pecan zones to provide |
| west of Augusta, Georgia he recorded a nut tree, | | | | adequate cross-pollination; however, the 'Desirable' |
| 'Juglans exalata' that some botanists today argue | | | | pecan is generally considered to be the best |
| was the American pecan tree, but others argue was | | | | all-around pollinator, and most orchardists plant one of |
| hickory, 'Carya ovata.' This is one of those circular | | | | these pollinator trees at each end of the pecan |
| arguments that will never be resolved to satisfy | | | | orchard to ensure complete pollination. In Northern |
| everyone. | | | | and far Western areas of the United States, it is |
| Thomas Jefferson planted pecan trees, 'Carya | | | | suggested that a pecan tree buyer get the best |
| illinoinensis,' (Illinois nuts) in his nut orchard at his | | | | information possible before deciding which cultivars to |
| beautiful home, Monticello, in Virginia; and George | | | | plant. |
| Washington reported in his journal that Thomas | | | | Despite the fact of the pecan tree's Southern origin, |
| Jefferson gave him "Illinois nuts;" pecans which grew | | | | the nut shows a surprisingly resilient resistance to |
| at Mount Vernon, Virginia, George Washington's | | | | cold. The pecan tree will live through low |
| home. The trees grew and remain majestic in height | | | | temperatures of zero degrees Fahrenheit and other |
| and spread proudly even today. He called agriculture | | | | drastic, sudden weather changes. |
| "the noblest of occupations." | | | | Pecan trees that produce superior nuts with |
| Pecan trees are native to the United States and are | | | | characteristics of large size, papershell, high kernel |
| found growing naturally nowhere else in the world. | | | | quality, reliable production, and resistance to disease |
| The range of native pecan trees are found growing | | | | are grafted onto native (seedling) understock to |
| along rivers in Texas and in surrounding lands of the | | | | ultimately produce uniform crops of harvested nuts in |
| lower Mississippi River up to Louisville, Kentucky; | | | | a cultivated orchard environment. Research has |
| Terra Haute, Indiana; and Clinton, Iowa, which is at | | | | shown that the understock can have a considerable |
| the same latitude as Chicago, Illinois. Native pecan | | | | influence on the cultivar in terms of tree vigor. Most |
| trees are also found growing as far west as | | | | pecan tree nurseries plant the seed of "Moore" or |
| Oklahoma, Missouri, and Kansas. Nomadic tribes of | | | | "Curtis" cultivars to produce a predictable, balanced |
| Indians carried these nuts from their native habitat | | | | end-product, which has proven to be satisfactory. |
| into other areas of the United States and planted the | | | | Early American nurserymen found that pecan scions |
| nuts there as seed. Some of these trees have | | | | could be grafted onto the rootstock of hickory and |
| grown and survived as 'Goliath' specimens, such as | | | | walnut trees, both of which are closely related to |
| one seedling with a 7 foot diameter trunk that is | | | | pecan trees, but these grafts were not satisfactory |
| located at the TyTy, Georgia, nursery farm. | | | | for orchardists-only to hobbyists. |
| The shape of pecan nuts is highly variable; some are | | | | Diseases of pecans over the years have caused the |
| oval shaped and some are long and skinny. The size | | | | withdrawal of many of the original cultivars from the |
| of the nuts can be as small as a pencil eraser or as | | | | market. First they seemed resistant to the notorious |
| large as 1.5" inches in diameter to over three inches | | | | 'scab.' This infection causes black spots to appear on |
| long. The kernels can vary in size within the hull; | | | | the leaves that can spread to the hulls of the nuts, |
| some filling out poorly or some not filling out at all. | | | | and later in the growing season can cause the |
| Some pecans have a kernel density so compact that | | | | premature blackening and drop of the nuts. |
| the shells can be broken while the nuts are still on the | | | | Sometimes whole crops of nuts can be affected or |
| tree by the swelling pressure that is generated from | | | | lost during rainy summers and hurricane season unless |
| within, especially after heavy rains at the end of the | | | | the trees are sprayed often. Some insects can |
| ripening season. | | | | damage the quality of ripening nuts or even cause |
| The flavor of the pecan is considered by most nut | | | | premature dropping; however, many orchardists now |
| gourmets to have a plumpness and juicy sweetness | | | | control all problems of pecan trees by periodic |
| that is superior to all other nuts, without exception. | | | | spraying and weed control. Zinc, manganese, |
| Many commercial pecan shelling operations prefer to | | | | magnesium, and boron deficient soils of the |
| use mechanical automatic crackers after briefly | | | | Southeast can be inexpensively controlled easily by |
| soaking the nuts in the shell overnight. That | | | | soluble, small applications of the elements. |
| treatment results in producing the highest numbers of | | | | Land speculators of the 1920's planted thousands of |
| 'perfect halves,' demanding from the public the | | | | acres of pecan orchards in South Georgia, near |
| highest prices. Some shellers prefer to shell small | | | | Albany, with the idea of reaping huge profits from |
| seedling (native pecans), because a candy maker or | | | | nut production. The trees were subjected to scab |
| baker can place one nut on top of his confection at a | | | | infections, that seemed to have mutated and |
| lower price, since smaller halves of nuts cover more | | | | preferentially attacked some cultivars and other |
| individual pieces of candy than would larger nuts. The | | | | cultivars showed different stages of immunity to the |
| pecan kernel is unique, because it contains an | | | | disease. New preventive sprays were not available at |
| extremely high concentration of polyunsaturated | | | | that time to protect the pecan trees, but many of |
| fatty acid, and oils which are high in antioxidants. This | | | | those orchards have been revived to produce |
| oil is so concentrated that if a match is lit nearby, the | | | | profitable harvests by spraying programs or by |
| kernel will flame up and is consumed by its own oils | | | | topworking the trees to scab resistant cultivars. |
| held within. | | | | In Central Georgia, where peach production flourished |
| Commercial shellers prefer to offer for sale 'perfect | | | | for many years, many pecan trees were planted at |
| pecan halves' to their grocery markets, since large | | | | large distances between the peach trees, because |
| pecan pieces demand the highest prices; however, | | | | peach trees only have a life expectancy of 10-15 |
| smaller pieces of pecan nuts are also a valuable | | | | years. The peach growers hoped that when the |
| commodity for packaging into one pound plastic bags | | | | peach orchards died out, they would be replaced by |
| often appearing in grocery stores during the fall and | | | | mature pecan trees, 'in situ,' which is exactly what |
| for sales to bakeries. Many confectioners use these | | | | happened. Central Georgia has become a major |
| pieces in making unique pecan products such as | | | | producer of high quality papershell pecans as a result |
| pecan divinity candy, pecan logs, toasted and salted | | | | of the insight of the peach tree growers and their |
| pecans, and pecan brittle. The leftover, tiny pieces of | | | | correct selection of new, superior pecan tree |
| shelled pecans are often ground up into a meal that | | | | cultivars. |
| can be used in baking preparations to transfer that | | | | Pecan trees can be harvested commercially by |
| distinctive pecan flavor into goodies. | | | | tractor mechanical shakers, after the shucks have |
| It is very important to a grower to market the | | | | turned brown or black on leafless trees after the |
| harvested pecan nuts as early in the fall as possible, | | | | first frost. The ground beneath the pecan trees must |
| preferably before Thanksgiving. The market price of | | | | be swept clean and automatic vacuum mechanisms |
| pecans plunges after November, because pecan | | | | remove dirt particles, twigs, etc, and the nuts can be |
| shellers and processors must have the fresh nuts | | | | bagged in the field. |
| packaged and available for holiday buyers. Some | | | | Pecan nuts were reported to contain higher |
| orchards sell their in-shell nuts weighed and bagged to | | | | antioxidants than any other nuts, followed by walnuts |
| hometown grocery chains or at roadside fruit stands. | | | | and hazelnuts (filberts) in the June 9, 2004, issue of |
| The price for in-shell pecans is quite variable, | | | | Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. |
| depending on such factors as scarcity, quality, and | | | | Antioxidants help to prevent, repair, and reduce |
| unit size, but generally native pecans (seedlings) sell | | | | oxidative stress a mechanism that interferes in |
| for lower prices than improved cultivars. Recent | | | | healthy body functions by damaging cells that can |
| seasonal prices for in-shell nuts ranged from $1.00 to | | | | lead to the formation of cancer, heart disease, |
| $2.25 per pound wholesale. The thinness of the shells | | | | Alzheimer's Disease, and Parkinson's Disease. |
| of pecans is an important characteristic in determining | | | | Dr. Jose Pena, extension economist in Uvalde, Texas, |
| the value of pecans. The term 'papershell pecan' | | | | stated that "consumers prefer pecans over walnuts |
| refers to the thinness that allows two nuts placed in | | | | and almonds," even though they are purchased at a |
| the fist to be easily cracked, usually producing | | | | higher price. The U.S. Department of Agriculture |
| 'perfect halves.' This thinness of the shell occurs | | | | recommends that citizens should eat 3 to 5 servings |
| occasionally in the extreme-a pecan cultivar with such | | | | of nuts each day to maintain a healthy diet. "Just a |
| thinness of the shell that the nut can easily be | | | | handful of pecans offers Vitamin E, calcium, |
| cracked between two fingers like a peanut. A | | | | magnesium, potassium, zinc, fiber, and more |
| disadvantage of this extreme thinness can occur | | | | antioxidants than any other nut." |
| when hurricanes come up from the Gulf causing long | | | | Pecans have a very high concentration of Vitamin A |
| rainy periods. The kernels swell internally and the | | | | that protects teeth, eyes, and bones, as well as |
| shells crack on the tree, providing an entry point for | | | | benefiting general health. Because of recent interest |
| disease that can lead to damage or crop loss. Some | | | | in nuts as a healthy food, sales of pecans and other |
| years hurricanes have struck crops in September, | | | | nuts have skyrocketed. Pecans offer a delicious, |
| before kernels of nuts have reached full maturity and | | | | healthy nut to world markets with profitable financial |
| immature nuts covered by green shucks were blown | | | | rewards to those who choose to plant and market |
| onto the ground, sometimes creating a layer several | | | | the product. |