TEXAS NUGGETS orMiss Ivey, a wonderful lady from chapel, asked if the kids would like a nature outing to her backyard. It seems that the Pecan Trees have gone wild this year due to all the rain we had in the spring. The squirrels were not up to the job this year. We had noticed around town that the ground was crunching. ::snort:: People pick up pecans from parks, the chapel yard etc. I had resisted buying Pecans last week because of the price, so this seemed like a God-send all the way around. I told Miss Ivey that before we'd moved down here I always thought Pecans came halved in a plastic bag. ::snort::
After the dentist and McDonald’s yesterday, Jared, Arielle, Nolan, Zander, Stacia and I, headed for Miss Ivey’s. We had an hour and a half before I had to start making our way to speech.
We don’t know a lot about Pecans (other than we like them better than Walnuts and they make a great pie), but this is what we learned.
It all begins with a tree or two
The pods fall off the trees (Miss Ivey says that Pecan trees are ALWAYS dropping something on you:leaves, sap, pecans, bearded blooms)
These pods crunch underfoot - and must be picked up by either squirrels or humans. ::snort:: We all got into the act at this point.
Miss Ivey did have a great little gadget that we took turns using
They have a dry outer shell
Which begins to split open at some point
To reveal what Zander (and now the rest of us will probably always call) TEXAS NUGGETS - this will end the debate on how to pronounce Pecan ::snort::
Someone got hungry for a snack and cracked this one open and ate it right on the spot....ah the memories of strawberry and blackberry picking. I apologize, Mom. ::snort::
With visions of Uncle Bill's Chocolate Pecan Pie dancing in our heads - we quickly cleaned Miss Ivey's yards and netted 8 walmart bags, 36 lbs, or 2 6 gal buckets of Pecans. For a bit healthier version of Uncle Bill's pie click here. I sure thought of him a lot as we picked and cracked - he would have been thrilled with all this bounty.
In one of our forays yesterday I purchased two "Texas Nut Crackers"
Mike came home and declared a good ole set of Yankee pliers would work better
Ah - the end result - still not quite enough for two pies; but we'll keep cracking
Notes: At $6 - 10 a lb to buy LOCAL pecans this is going to save us quite a chunk. It was a gorgeous day for being out in the weather and doing something productive. I woke up wondering why the back of my thighs were so sore. I wondered if Leslie's walking DVD had finally caught up with me. While writing this up, I realized there are great exercise benefits to picking Pecans too!
15 comments:
When we lived on base, the maitenance crews (or just anybody really) used to fill up the big black trash cans with them and take them to sell at the farmer's market! There's a place in town that will shell your nuts for you mechanically. It's pretty inexpensive, and I'm sure someone in the co-op or Barb H. could tell you who, if your interested. Micaela at two would just stomp on them on the sidewalk and then pick out the bits. She quit asking for snacks, because she could eat them all day long.
De'Etta, what great memories you're making with your children and saving money too. :) What a blessing!
Brings back memories of when we lived at Ft. Rucker, Alabama. We had a pecan tree in our yard...make for great pecan pie and pumpkin nut bread.
In Hawai'i, a little old Hawaiian lady had a Macadamian tree in her yard and asked if the kids and I would like to pick them up from her yard! The kids still talk about it. :)
Becky - I will look for that place...because we worked a long time to get those few shelled...not enough for a pie but enough to make some honey coated pecans for my salads. LOL
Thanks for stopping by my blog today and commenting!
We do seem to have alot in common.
It looks as if you all are stationed in Texas (we are too)..hmmm...maybe close by??? I wonder if my hubby knows your hubby????
Kristine,
I tired to respond on your blog but my computer keeps freezing - totally and having to be shut off at the power - each time I visit your blog....I'm going to have to figure that out.
MMMmmm, yummy. Sounds like a fun time!
Jen
This brings back memories. There were pecan trees on my grandparents' farm in Arkansas.
Looks like a fun and tasty outing, what a lot of pecans!!!!!!
Well - I may have to look for more - it was such GOOD exercise. Ouch. LOL
Becky - I have the name of the sheller - thanks.
YUM, we eat a lot of pecAHns right out of the bag. I think it's like the almond growers in California--normal people call them ALL-monds, growers seem to call them AAH-minz. :)
Sis:
I have never knowingly seen a pecan tree. How yummy! We'll help you get rid of a few when we are down for Christmas.
What a fun day you all had.
l/p
How cool! :-)
We have a puh-KAHN tree in our front yard, right by the driveway. For some reason, they NEVER taste good, so they are just left there for the squirrels. But I do love the crunching sound they make under my tires when I pull out. :^D
Every year in the spring, I always think the pecan tree has finally died because it is the VERY last thing to bud with new little yellow-green leaves. Perhaps a month later or so.
Your day was a lovely one and, yes, quite a savings. And the pie looked scrumptious!
Thanks for the pecan info. Pecan Pie is my FAVORITE!
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