Pecans

[CWS4322]

Originally Posted by Dawgluver

No pecans grown here, but we have hickories. I made some wonderful cakes years ago with our apples and hickory nuts, but oh good gravy, what a LOT of work. I smashed the nuts with a hammer and picked the meats out with a nut pick. Nowadays, I haven't bothered as the squirrels get most of them, and what they leave for us have nut weevils.

Sounds like as much work as harvesting black walnuts (minus the stained hands). But, I must admit, I love the smell of green black walnuts...reminds me of visits to my grandma's.

[Dawgluver]

Originally Posted by CWS4322

Sounds like as much work as harvesting black walnuts (minus the stained hands). But, I must admit, I love the smell of green black walnuts...reminds me of visits to my grandma's.

Ah, I've had the stained hands too, we had some walnut trees here as well.

[bakechef]

Originally Posted by CWS4322

A pastry chef friend of mine corrected me and told me that a "pee can" is what you take in the boat. (I'm sure you can fill in the blank for which one would use that pee can...).

Lol, that's funny!

I say pee-can, but I also say car-mul instead of care-a-mel, my brain is just stuck when I say those words.

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[Aunt Bea]

If they grow pecans commercially in your area you might be able to find a farm that would crack them for you. We used to buy net bags of them when we went through the south on vacation.. You could buy them whole or cracked. To crack them they would dump them into a machine that cracked the shell with minimal damage to the nutmeats. Then you could pick the nutmeats and use them immediately or dry can them in a low oven to kill any critters and keep them fresh.

This link shows similar equipment. Eastern NC B&B talks pecan recipes, pecan harvest, pecan crackers | Chloe's Blog

[buckytom]

i just had my first slice of pecan pie a few weeks ago and holy moly, that's good stuff.

it was just one of those things that pecan pie and i never really crossed paths, and when it did, well, there was always another more tempting pie available. also, nuts on a pie? just seemed kinda weird.

but my first taste was heaven. the nuts were a perfect match both in taste and texture to the crust and "custard" underneath. they added just the right bite as well as another flavour dimension to go with the rest of the otherwise too sweet pie.

peekins, pee-cans, peh-cons, puh-cans, or puh- cons; i'll whistle dixie all day long for a slice of that pie.

[taxlady]

BT, try it with sour cream or crème fraiche some time.

[Dawgluver]

One of my ex-SILs makes the world's best pee-cahn pie. She got the recipe off the bottle of Karo syrup. She uses whole nuts, and it is to die for. She's also Southern.

[Addie]

Originally Posted by buckytom

i just had my first slice of pecan pie a few weeks ago and holy moly, that's good stuff.

it was just one of those things that pecan pie and i never really crossed paths, and when it did, well, there was always another more tempting pie available. also, nuts on a pie? just seemed kinda weird.

but my first taste was heaven. the nuts were a perfect match both in taste and texture to the crust and "custard" underneath. they added just the right bite as well as another flavour dimension to go with the rest of the otherwise too sweet pie.

peekins, pee-cans, peh-cons, puh-cans, or puh- cons; i'll whistle dixie all day long for a slice of that pie.

Now try a chocolate pecan pie.

[buckytom]

you are alll evil, evil ladies.

i don't know if i can handle too much more.

[Cooking Goddess]

Originally Posted by CWS4322

Sounds like as much work as harvesting black walnuts (minus the stained hands). But, I must admit, I love the smell of green black walnuts...reminds me of visits to my grandma's.

When I was little (younger than 7) my folks would head to his sister's house. She and her DH lived near a ravine that had black walnut trees. We'd all hike down into the ravine and fill old pillow cases with as much as we could carry. Then Dad would take our share, head up to the 3rd floor attic in the house we lived in, and spread them out on an old sheet. When the outer husks were cured enough we'd go up there, sit on the wooden floor, and and work really hard at getting them off. Usually Dad headed down "for a minute" to get a beer, and I'd be happily dehusking away! Smart man! Mom made the best chocolate chip cookies with those black walnuts. *sigh*

My favorite ice cream is black walnut ice cream Probably a good think I can't buy it up here or I'd be in real trouble.

[Roll_Bones]

Originally Posted by CraigC

I can't answer your question, but make sure you prune them trees and season them trimmings! Can't get much better smoking wood than pecan. I bet pecan fattened squirrel might be tasty.

A fallen pecan tree around here does not last long.
In fact, people put ads in the paper to have these trees removed for a price!

In winter when we have ice, there is always a possible pecan wood harvest somewhere.
When i am driving, I am always on the look out.
I watched a power company trimming trees on my road and asked about the pecan trimmings. The owner told the crew if they took any of the wood, he would call the cops and have them arrested for stealing.

We have pecan and hickory trees everywhere around here.
I once found a tree knocked over and harvested from that tree for two years.
We also have abundant apple and peach groves here. After so many years of service they are all taken down with machines, (dozer) piled up and burned.
I hit these piles as often as I can.

I hate the thought of buying wood chunks. I have and will again if I must.