In a book that I used for writing ideas for my class I recently discovered an interesting fact. Did you know that pecans are one of the few indigenous (native) nuts in the U.S.?

That sent me researching more about pecans. People often ask me how I get ideas for my columns. Reading is one way.

The American Pecan Council website developed in 2016 had a lot of good information. I did not actually know there was such a site until I punched it in, and it came up.

Today American growers produce about 80 percent of the world’s supply of pecans. Pecan farming takes a lot of patience since it takes about 10 years before a newly planted tree will produce.

One thing I did not know was that the pecan is related to the hickory nut tree. We have a lot of hickory trees at Hickory Heights, hence the name that was given to our homestead years ago.

When I first moved to Hickory Heights, we went out every fall to gather hickory nuts. While I loved the flavor of them in things like fudge, they were terrible to crack. It was next to impossible to get a nut meat out in one piece. There is a tiny thin wall between the halves that invariably gets into the bowl with the nuts. When I looked at the close-up picture of the pecan, I could see a similar thin wall.

I used to sit by the Franklin fireplace to crack hickory nuts on long winter nights. It really irked me when Dick would come home from the barn and grab a handful of what I had removed.

While a tree takes a while before it is ready to produce, it can produce nuts for more than 100 years. Pecans were used by the Native Americans, they were call pecanes. As I write this, I puzzle the pronunciation of the word we use. Some say (pe cons) while others say (pe cans). It seems that either is acceptable.

The Native Americans also created the first nut milk which they called powcohicora. It was made by fermenting pecan powder into a drink. I suspect it had a lot fewer ingredients than today’s almond milk. I cringe when I read the ingredients since many of them I am not able to pronounce. The Native Americans also used the leaves for medicinal purposes.

Native American traded pecans to European explorers. The tree grows prolifically along river banks.

Thomas Jefferson planted pecan trees at Monticello. He sent seeds to George Washington who planted them at Mount Vernon. The first grafting of pecan trees was done at Oak Alley Plantation. When I read that it rang a bell. On a trip to New Orleans we toured that plantation. It is a beautiful place with stately oak trees lining the sidewalk.

A far as health benefits the pecan is a “nutritional powerhouse”. It can be used in savory dishes as well. It is used to crust fish and a variety of meats. It is added to salads.

When I lived with my grandparents, we always bought nuts in the shell as a Christmas treat. Grandma had a wooden bowl with bark around it. In the center of this bowl there was room for a nut cracker and several picks. It was a lot of fun to crack nuts to eat.

The summer we had a foreign exchange student from France, Kristoff purchased a bag of nuts in the shell to share with us as his treat. We cracked nuts in the evening after chores while we visited or watched television. I had forgotten about Grandma’s nut bowl by then, but I dug it out so we had the cracker and the picks. It was a nice way to spend on evening.

I buy pecans frequently. I use them in my homemade granola along with almonds to bump up the nutritional value.

I also use them to make pecan pies. Since they are very rich, I cut small pieces when I serve this pie. I also offer whipped cream to cut the sweetness if people want it.

Homemade Granola

6 c. oatmeal

¢ c. wheat germ

¢ c. coconut

¢ c. slivered almonds

¢ c. pecans, chopped

¢ c. brown sugar

¢ t. cinnamon

¢ c. melted butter

¢ c. honey

™ c. maple syrup

2 c. Grape-nuts

Heat butter, honey, and maple syrup. Add to rest of the ingredients – except the Grape-nuts. Spread in shallow cookie sheet with sides. Start oven at 325 degrees. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 250 degrees. Continue baking for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool. Add Grape-nuts and stir. Store in airtight plastic bag or container. Eat as cereal or as a topping for yogurt or ice cream.

Pecan Pie

Use any single crust pie recipe that you prefer. You can even use prepared dough.

Fill with the pecan filling and bake. It makes a 9 -inch pie.

Pecan Filling

™ c. butter or margarine

¢ c. sugar

1 c. Karo syrup

™ t. salt

3 eggs

1 c. pecans

Cream butter until softened. Add sugar and continue beating. Add syrup and salt. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each is added. Stir in pecans. Pour into a 9 in. pan and bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until a knife comes out clean. Cool and enjoy.

Ann Swanson writes from her home in Russell, Pa. Contact at hickoryheights1@verizon.net.