National Pecan Day is a food holiday celebrated each year on April 14. (By the way, the proper southern pronunciation is pee-KAN {as in tin can}. If you say PEA-con (as in convict) you are may be suspiciously identified as a foreigner, yankee, alien, or carpetbagger.) Wild pecans were known as a delicacy to colonial Americans. The commercial growing of pecans began in the United States in the 1880′s. Today, the United States is the producer of 80-95 percent of the world’s pecans. With more than 10 million trees in the U.S., the annual crop is 150-200 thousand tons. Packed with vitamins and mineral, pecans are known for their rich buttery flavor and nice soft crunch. The pecan is a species of hickory and is the only nut tree native to the United States. - The American Heart Association has certified that pecans are a heart healthy food. - “Pecan” is from an Algonquian word, meaning a nut requiring a stone to crack” Pecans can be eaten fresh or used in cooking, such as in savory dishes or sweet desserts, most popularly the pecan pie. The pecan pie is a tradition southern U.S. recipe. Mostly associated with New Orleans, praline candy is made with pecans as a major ingredient. Pecan trees can grow to be 131 ft tall. A ten year old tree will be about 16 ft tall. In addition to the pecan tree producing the pecan nuts for us to enjoy, the wood is also used. Pecan wood is good for making furniture and wood flooring and it is also used as flavoring fuel for smoking meats. PS: The pie pictured is a Chocolate Pecan Pie. This is not a photo of my wifes, but hers is my favorite and should never be missed.
Posted on: Mon, 14 Apr 2014 15:46:05 +0000
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