Contents
What does a pecan look like and how does it taste?
Pecan is a new guest on domestic shelves. Pecans are native to North America. The Indians valued it for its exceptional nutritional and healing qualities. The nut has several names – hickory, hazel, but in most countries it is known as pecan.
For quite a long time, pecans were considered a type of walnut. It wasn’t until 1818 that a species of pecan was identified. The nut is widely used due to its unusual taste with chocolate notes.
The pecan tree (hazel) is one of the most impressive among all the varieties of nuts. Its height can reach up to 60 meters. The crown has the shape of a tent and can be from 30 to 40 m in diameter. The place of growth has a direct effect on the shape of the crown – sometimes it takes the form of an oval. The pecan has a straight trunk, gray-brown bark covered with cracks, stratified into plates.
Hazel leaves are glossy, smooth, very large – their size can be up to 50 cm. They are distinguished by a bright green color. During the flowering period from May to June, the walnut tree is covered with catkins strewn with yellow pollen. Pecan fruits are quite large, collected in bunches of 3-11 pieces. They are covered with a leathery sheath. After the nut ripens, it stiffens, becomes dense, and cracks. Nuts are oval in shape. The length reaches from 5 to 8 cm, the width is about 2-3 cm.
The hazel tree lives for at least 300 years and all these years gives a bountiful harvest. The nut bears fruit from September to October. The cracked, woody peel speaks of maturity.
Where and how does a pecan grow?
It is known that North American Indians were engaged in collecting pecans. The fruits saved them during the cold winter season, after an unsuccessful hunt, or during a famine.
From North America, hazel trees spread to new habitats:
Brazil.
Mexico.
Hawaii.
Israel.
Greece.
Caucasus.
Crimea.
China.
Spain.
The variety of varieties allows you to achieve high yields even after cold winters. Pecan can withstand frost down to -30? In the northern regions, the yield is somewhat lower.
Large-scale walnut plantations are planted in sunny places, non-salty, non-acidic soils are preferred. Trees are planted at a decent distance from each other so that the overgrown crowns do not get tangled. Throughout the year, they monitor the maintenance of high humidity without signs of swamping of the roots. The first two or three years, the crown of the tree needs regular crown formation by pruning. Plants are regularly watered to ensure a high level of soil moisture. During the period of active growth, pecans need top dressing with nitrogen-containing fertilizers. Trees are pruned in spring in order to rejuvenate, remove branches damaged during the winter.
Pecans are quite resistant to pests. A strong shell does not allow parasites to penetrate and infect the kernels. After harvesting, the nuts are pre-dried, sorted by weight and quality. This is followed by cleaning in special devices and roasting. To add sophistication, pecan kernels are rolled in spices.
Crushed kernels that cannot be used for food are used to produce oil, nut crumbs – an exotic ingredient for baking and confectionery.
The difference between pecans and walnuts
Pecan and walnut fruits are very similar, it seems that there is no difference between them. This is not entirely true. Already with an external examination of the fruit, it is clear that the shape of the walnut is round, while the pecan is rather oval. The pecan shell is smoother, thinner.
If you split both nuts, you can immediately see that the pecan does not have the partitions characteristic of a walnut. Pecan kernels are elongated, have a sweet, chocolate flavor. Walnut fruits are round, with a more convoluted structure, reminiscent of the hemispheres of the brain. Its taste is more nutty and tart, has no sweetness, slightly bitter.
For the buyer, the difference in price is immediately noticeable – a pecan costs 4 times more than a walnut that is familiar to us.
Useful properties of pecan
The colonizers learned about the beneficial properties of the nut from the North American Indians, who widely used it in everyday life and for treatment. The study of these qualities made it possible to establish that pecans have a complex effect on the body:
Stimulates the work of the spinal cord and brain.
Normalizes psycho-emotional mood.
Strengthens the walls of the heart and blood vessels.
Restores the work of the gastrointestinal tract.
Good for the respiratory system.
Suppresses tumor processes.
Improves blood composition, increases hemoglobin levels.
[Video] description of the beneficial properties of pecans:
Possible harm and contraindications
Pecan is not recommended for certain categories of people:
Allergy sufferers.
Patients with obesity.
Pregnant women.
Children under the age of 3 years.
Overweight people can consume small amounts of nuts as part of their diet. Pecans are used as a snack instead of sandwiches with sausage, butter.
During pregnancy, pecan is not recommended, since already in the womb the child may experience allergic reactions. In severe cases, congenital allergic disorders are formed.
Excessive passion for nuts can provoke unpleasant symptoms:
Digestive upset.
Allergic reactions.
Violation of the liver.
Disorder of the heart rhythm.
Introduction to pecans, as with any exotic product, should begin with small portions. To begin with, try one nucleolus and listen to your feelings. If after 1-2 hours no negative reactions appear (nausea, rashes, redness of the skin), feel free to increase the dose to the recommended volumes. Following a few simple guidelines for eating and storing pecans will help you get the most benefits for your body.
[Video] Nutritionist Maria Kolpovskaya – the benefits, composition and interesting features of pecans, how to store and how to use in recipes: