Pecan Nuts

Pekannusskerne von Seeberger, 60 g

Pecan Nuts

Product information

For nut experts: the noble pecan nut is the slightly different walnut! They are related botanically and in terms of taste. With its mild and nutty aroma, the slightly sweeter pecan brings variety to your day – whether at work or during a relaxed evening with family. The unrefined, particularly large and crunchy nuts are a great ingredient in muesli and lightly roasted on salads. Delicious pecans also go well with cheese or in desserts.

Ingredients

Pecan Nuts

Nutrition Statement

Rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, source of fibre, no added salt

This product is

  • vegetarian
  • vegan
  • glutenfree*
  • lactosefree*
  • no added sugar**
  • no added salt***
* recipe – cross-contamination possible.
** Contains naturally occurring sugars.
*** Contains naturally occurring sodium.

Nutrition facts

(per 100g)

  • Calories (kj/kcal) 3.074 kj/746 kcal
  • Fat 74 g
  • of which saturated fatty acids 7,2 g
  • Carbohydrate 5,7 g
  • of which sugar ** 3,7 g
  • Protein 11 g
  • Salt *** < 0,01 g

The Journey of the Pecan

Country of origin: USA

Although pecans grow in many countries around the world, they are still very rare in Europe. Our pecan kernels grow in Arizona, in the southwestern United States. Arizona borders Mexico to the south and is known for its cactus-studded Sonora Desert. As pecan trees belong to the walnut family, they are often compared to walnuts. When it comes to aroma, pecans taste slightly sweeter than walnuts.

Growing pecan nuts

Pollination takes place naturally through the wind. A tree has both male and female flowers, but these flowers emerge at different times, to encourage outbreeding. For that reason at least two trees must grow next to each other if pollination is to occur.

Pecan tree

The pecan tree grows to between 30–50 meters in height, and the trunk can be up to two meters in diameter. It can live up to 1,000 years and loves hot summers, while it also tolerates temperatures as low as -20 degrees Celsius.

Pecan harvest

Harvests are held in two-year cycles, which means a full harvest only every two years. In the west, harvesting begins at the end of November and continues into January. When the nuts are ripe, the pericarp opens. To collect them, a shaker is used first. This gently shakes the nuts from the trees without damaging them. A raker, i.e. a sweeping machine, gathers up the nuts that have fallen to the ground. A harvester then collects the nuts.

Processing the pecans

Once the pecan nuts are collected, they are separated from branches, leaves and stones, and washed with cold water. A cracker breaks open the nuts without damaging the kernel. Passing through several quality controls, the pecans are tested against different criteria by infrared scanners and metal detectors. Then they are sorted into halves and pieces.

Quality characteristics

By size, the nuts are sorted into Mammoth Halves, Jr. Mammoth Halves, and Jumbo Halves. Seeberger uses particularly large nuts: the Mammoth Halves or the Junior Mammoth Halves and whole halves (no breakage). Once the nuts are dried, they go through further quality controls and are finally vacuum-packed to maintain their crunchiness and freshness until they are packaged.

Sustainability at the starting point

For the fertility of the soil and the health of microorganisms in the soil, the trees are pruned every fourth year, once the roots of the trees are ready for healthy growth. To support soil ecology and to attract beneficial insects to keep the soil rich in nutrients, cover crops are planted. In addition, the shell of the pecan kernels is processed into our own compost for the plantations. While irrigation usually involves flooding the plantations, our partner uses micro-sprinklers. This system delivers water to the roots of the trees with almost no wastage. When transporting the pecans, we entirely avoid environmentally harmful air transport and transport them instead by ship. To avoid food waste, the pecans are transported in vacuum packs during the transport by sea.

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