Discover the Nutty Truth: Top 11 Pecan Fun Facts You'll Go Nuts Over!

1. Pecan: Antioxidant Overlord

Pecans, in cahoots with their vitamin-crazed minions, have conspired to rise the ranks and become the supreme nutty overlord of antioxidants: Behold, for the USDA's study reveals that pecans trump all other tree nuts with their staggering 17,940 ORAC units per 100 grams—entrenching their position against ailments such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, cancer, and heart disease!
Source => ilovepecans.org

2. Nutty Founding Fathers

In a nutshell, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were nuts about nuts - especially those delectable pecans: As a testament to their devotion, both U.S. Presidents planted and grew pecan trees on their estates, with Jefferson even sending a letter from Paris requesting a supply of the nuts and seedlings.
Source => caneriverpecan.com

Did you know peanuts are undercover members of the legume family, masterfully disguising themselves as nuts? Discover their sneaky secret and more with our fun facts!

=> Fun Facts about Peanuts

3. Washington's Pecan Passion

Before there was even the possibility of George Washington chopping down a cherry tree, he was nutty about planting something else: It turns out our first president had a penchant for pecan trees and made sure to plant them in his botanical garden at Mount Vernon, as well as planting pecan nuts he received from Philadelphia, but there's no evidence of any large pecan trees, like the one recently removed from the estate, existing during his time.
Source => mountvernon.org

4. Pecan Shells: Nutritional Ninjas

Hold on to your nutcrackers, folks: nearly half of a harvested pecan crop is composed of the shells. And while these shells aren't rivaling the pecan's nutty goodness on your taste buds, they're a treasure trove of bioactive compounds with impressive antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Picture pecan shells moonlighting as health gurus and food quality protectors - increasing the pecan industry's worth and offering unsuspecting benefits for consumers.
Source => pecansouthmagazine.com

5. Procrastinating Pecan Trees

The pecan tree might just be the champion of procrastination in the plant world, taking its sweet ol' time to get its act together and produce some of the tastiest nuts we've snacked on: Surprise! These slowpoke nut trees take anywhere from 4 to 15 years to start bearing nuts, with the speediest varieties starting as youngsters but soon adopting an "every other year" mentality for their nut producing responsibilities.
Source => myperfectplants.com

6. Texas' State Tree: Nutty Origins

In a nutshell, the origin of Texas' state tree is quite nuts: The Pecan Tree was declared Texas' official state tree in 1919, and the La Bahia Pecan, a tree of significant historical importance, has been standing tall since the time of the Texas Declaration of Independence in 1836.
Source => wheretexasbecametexas.org

7. Risien: Pecan Pioneer

When Edmund E. Risien wasn't nuts about Queen Victoria or cracking up alongside poet Alfred Lord Tennyson, he was busy taking the pecan industry by storm: In the late 1800s, this English transplant nurtured the foundational "Mother Pecan Tree" in Texas's San Saba County, cultivating award-winning varieties that helped the region become a heavyweight in pecan production and even grabbed the attention of royals and cereal tycoons.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

8. Pecans: Undercover Drupes

Hold on to your nutcrackers: pecans have an identity crisis! They've been masquerading as delectable nuts, all while being undercover drupes like their stone fruit siblings, plums and peaches. The serious reveal: pecans aren't true nuts, but rather classified as drupes, sporting a hard exterior shell and a soft, tender kernel on the inside. Sneaky little pecans!
Source => holidayscalendar.com

9. Karo Syrup's Pecan Pie Takeover

Why did the pecan pie cross the road? To catch a ride on the Karo syrup train of sweetness, of course! In the mid-1920s, the manufacturer of Karo syrup popularized pecan pie simply by printing its recipe on their cans, creating a delicious dessert wave that still relies on their product today.
Source => eater.com

10. Pecans: Freezing Superheroes

When it comes to pecans, they're like the superheroes of the nut world, enduring the harshest of conditions with smiles on their shells: Pecans can be thawed and refrozen multiple times over a two-year period without compromising their flavor or texture, by keeping them in an airtight container in the freezer and enjoy them straight from their icy abode or at room temperature.
Source => ilovepecans.org

11. Liquid Gold: Pure Pecan Oil

Guard your nuts, Pecan-addicts: the mechanical marvels at Kinloch Plantation Products are pressing out a liquid gold that's so pure, it'll make your taste buds do a double-take! Imagine this: a completely mechanical, chemical-free expeller pressed process producing 100% pure Pecan Oil just waiting to be drizzled on salads, used in place of butter, or just kept in a jar for "emergency purposes." That’s not just a culinary pipe dream; it’s Kinloch’s chemical-free, heart-healthy specialty. With a high smoke point of 470 degrees and over 90% unsaturated fatty acids, it's a gastronomical grace note to your edible symphony. So, say goodbye to cooking woes and hello to pecan-tastic deliciousness!
Source => pecanoil.com