Last month, covered part 1 of how natural pecans are harvested we discussed how to prepare for a pecan harvest and how we harvest pecans here at Stahmanns, but also how you can harvest them yourself if you have pecan trees on your property.
Inspecting and Drying the Pecans
Once you collect the nuts, you need to inspect them carefully for damage due to worm infestations or other pests. Separate the bad pecans from the good ones and store them in a place that will allow them to air dry for anywhere from a week to two weeks while still in their shells. One of the best ways to do this is to spread them out on a plastic sheet in a dry area without a lot of light. You might even consider using a fan to circulate air around the pecans to help speed up the drying process.
This drying process, also known as curing, increases the quality and improves the overall flavor of fresh pecans. Any kind of dampness can increase the level of fatty acids in the pecans and may make them rancid or stale.
At Stahmanns, we have a processing facility that automatically sorts the pecans into similar sizes and cleans them and cures them before storing them, still in the shell, in our climate-controlled warehouses.
Testing and Storing Fresh Pecans
After the pecans have been cured, test them out by removing a few from the shell and break the nut in half. If the pecan breaks easily, then the nuts are cured and ready to use or store. You can then shell the pecans and store them in air-tight containers that can be kept in your refrigerator for up to six months or in your freezer for up to 2 years. If you want to keep them longer, you can keep them in the shell and store them in a cool dry place for up to a year or freeze them in the shell to keep them fresh longer than two years.
This concludes our series about how natural pecans are harvested.
Looking for Best Place to Buy Pecans?
Look no further than Stahmanns Pecans. At Stahmanns, we wait until the pecans are literally bursting out of their husks to harvest them. This is when our light pecans are the reach maturity and have the perfect color and texture that our clients expect.
We supply kosher pecans for commercial and industrial markets. For more information about our bulk pecans by the case, call us at 844-739-6887 or contact us using our simple online form.