It’s not uncommon at my Prairie house this time of year to look out in the front yard and see my better half on all fours with a 5-gallon bucket. No matter how many helpful harvest gadgets I buy, this is still how he prefers gathering our annual pecans. Before the process is over — and it lasts a few weeks — it seems as though we’ve taken thousands of pecans in buckets to Duke Pecan Co. in West Point to be “cracked and blown.” We enjoy bagging them and sharing them with family and neighbors. It’s made more special to us because all our pecans come from one now-very-big tree that started out as a small sapling my husband transplanted from his mother’s family’s original 1800’s homeplace about 4 miles away.
Yes, pecans are beginning to fall, and many of our favorite cool-weather and holiday recipes will soon benefit from the fresh harvest. Bill Duke, manager at Duke Pecan Co., expects to see the first pecans coming in for processing at the business on West Point’s Brame Avenue around Nov. 10. It will signal the start of Duke’s busiest season. In addition to processing customers’ harvests, the company buys and sells improved variety nuts and an assortment of goodies throughout the season. They range from pecan log rolls to gifts packs of candy-coated pecans.
“Our best seller would be the assorted packs that have chocolate (coated) pecans, white chocolate, butterscotch and praline-coated,” said Duke, adding that the business keeps shelled pecans and pecan pieces for sale all year.
Thanks, in part, to the introduction and improvement of pecan-processing equipment that businesses like Duke use, the U.S. pecan industry has boomed since 1920 when the National Pecan Shellers Association puts production at 2.2 million pounds. Today it’s between 250 to 300 million pounds.
A few storage tips
When you do get your pecans this season, here are a few facts from the NPSA that can come in handy:
As far as I’m concerned, there aren’t many recipes I don’t consider improved by adding pecans, so I’m eager for this autumn’s harvest. Time to get all our buckets cleaned and ready.
CRISPY PECAN FISH FILLETS
1 1/2 pounds fish fillets (catfish, snapper, flounder or fish of choice)
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 stick unsalted butter (8 tablespoons)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup pecans (chopped)
1 cup fresh parsley (chopped)
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
(Source: National Pecan Shellers Association)
PECAN FOUR CHEESE PIZZA
Serves 2-3
1 12-inch prepared pizza crust
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large onions, sliced
3 tablespoons goat cheese, softened
3 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2/3 cup coarsely chopped pecans
Chopped parsley, for garnish
(Source: National Pecan Shellers Association)
SPINACH PECAN QUICHE
1/2 pound spinach (raw or cooked and well-drained)
1 tablespoon butter (melted)
8 slices bacon (cooked, crumbled)
4 eggs (beaten)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 dash nutmeg
1 onion (chopped)
1/3⅓cup pecans (chopped)
1 cup cheddar or Swiss cheese (shredded)
2 cups half and half
1 dash black pepper
9-inch quiche/pastry shell
(Source: National Pecan Shellers Association)
SWEET POTATO SOUP WITH BUTTERED PECANS
Soup:
3/4 cup onion (finely chopped)
1 cup leeks (washed, drained and finely chopped)
2 large garlic cloves (minced)
3 large carrots (sliced thin)
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons melted butter or margarine
2 pounds sweet potatoes (peeled, halved lengthwise, sliced thin)
1 russet potato (peeled, halved lengthwise, sliced thin)
5 cup chicken broth (plus additional quantity to thin soup, if desired)
3/4 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cup water
Sour cream (for topping)
Buttered pecans:
3/4 cup pecans, chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
(Source: National Pecan Shellers Association)
Jan Swoope is the Lifestyles Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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