It’s pecan season you are fortunate indeed if you have a few trees! Here are a few recipes we make every year. I remember we had a small pecan orchard when I was growing up and my sisters and I would love to use the “pecan picker upper” that was mounted on a red pole to pick up pecans.
Daddy would take the big burlap bags full of pecans to Heaton’s Pecans and have them cracked and we would then begin the tedious task of shelling them out. Mama would freeze them in zip top bags but she would wash them before using.
To make pecans sweet
This is a trick my Mama learned somewhere along the way. ALWAYS wash your shelled pecans in warm water. Wash them several times. The brown, bitter “pith” will be removed and the pecans will be the best you ever ate! Wash them, then pat them dry. Use without fear of bitterness. I do this with store bought pecans too.
Candied pecans
Now this is a base recipe. The sugar can be all white or all brown or a mixture of the two. The spices can be all cinnamon or a combo of the ones I’ve included in the recipe. The spices can also be of the spicy variety if so desired.
1 pound washed and dried pecan halves (4 cups)
1 egg white
1 tablespoon water
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon spice (cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, apple pie spice or a combo) OPTIONAL
Beat the egg white and the water together in a medium size bowl. Mix the sugar, salt and spices (if using) in a separate bowl. Add pecans to the egg white/water mixture and make sure to coat them well. Pour the dry mixture into the pecans and stir to coat.
Pour the coated pecans in a single layer onto a greased cookie sheet and bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
Remove, let cool and store in an airtight container.
Old Fashioned Toasted Pecans
1 pound pecans (4 cups)
¼ cup melted butter
1-3 teaspoons salt
Toss the pecans in the melted butter. Put them onto cookie sheet in a single layer. Bake at 325 degrees for 25-30 minutes, stirring a few times. Remove and sprinkle with salt. Let cool and store in an air-tight container.
