The Best Supporting Role in Snack Heaven: Pecans

What do pecans and walnuts have in common, besides the fact that both belong in your mouth, not on your eyes? A lot more than you might think. Known as the "sweet sister of the walnut," the pecan has a history that's as crunchy as our crunchiest nut mix. Want to get to know this deliciously sweet nut? Let's take a trip – right to where it all begins.

Anna Moscagiuri

19.04.2024

in #Produkt-Stories

Lesedauer: 5 Minuten

A Journey Through the Shimmering Heat

Arizona is famous for its towering cacti and the awe-inspiring Grand Canyon. But this U.S. state is not just a paradise for hot Instagram shots; it’s also the scorching home of our pecans. The breathtaking landscape stretches wide-open plains against dramatic mountain ranges full of untouched wilderness. The local wildlife is equally spectacular, featuring exotic creatures that thrive in extreme conditions and barren habitats. Here, Gila monsters, desert horned vipers, and majestic desert hawks feel right at home in the sizzling heat.

Icon of Resilience

To those who know, it’s no surprise that the pecan tree digs its deep roots into this dusty soil – just as it stretches upwards into the sun: The pecan tree grows between 30 and 50 meters tall, with its trunk reaching an impressive diameter of up to two meters. As for age, this tree might make you do a double take – it can live up to an astounding 1,000 years. And despite being native to desert heat, it can withstand temperatures as low as -20 degrees Celsius. Clearly, this tree is a testament to nature's relentless adaptability. Its root system, highly efficient water usage, and heat resistance make it tough enough to thrive in a harsh world – for centuries on end.

Survival Strategy

Robust seeds ensure that future generations can thrive even in the harshest environments. The pecan tree employs a clever system to make this happen: it produces both male and female flowers, but they bloom at different times, ensuring a diverse gene pool. To achieve pollination, at least two trees must be planted near each other. The tree doesn't rely on insects, as its pollen is spread by the wind.

A Culinary Family Reunion

Botanically, the pecan belongs to the walnut family, which is why these nuts are often pitted against each other. It's no surprise, given that they look like they’re carved from the same wood and hit similar notes in terms of flavor: a similar composition of aromatic compounds, a comparable fatty acid profile, and an almost identical texture clearly mark them as cousins. However, while walnuts leave a slightly bitter, nutty taste, pecans offer a milder sweetness that can even develop caramel-vanilla notes when roasted. In contrast, walnuts maintain their robust, earthy flavor even after roasting.

Shaker, Raker, Harvester

Pecans follow a biennial cycle, meaning a full harvest only happens every two years. When it’s time, the harvest begins in late November and lasts until January. As with most nut harvests, pecan trees are gently shaken by a machine called a "shaker," causing the nuts to fall to the ground. Next comes the "raker," a sweeping machine that gathers the nuts from the ground. Finally, the "harvester" completes the fieldwork: It collects the pecans from the ground and bundles them for further processing.

Precise Processes

Once the nuts arrive at the facility, the first step is to remove any branches, leaves, and stones, followed by a thorough rinse with cold water. The nuts are then cracked open using a "cracker," where we meticulously ensure that the kernel remains intact – a challenging task. Thanks to cutting-edge technology like metal detectors and infrared scanners, our nuts undergo rigorous quality checks. Afterward, they are carefully sorted into "pieces" and "halves" – at Seeberger, we exclusively use the latter.

XXL Temptation

When it comes to pecans, all size categories sound like they belong in the King Size realm: there are Jumbo Halves, Junior Mammoth Halves, and Mammoth Halves. The particularly large nuts – that's the Junior Mammoth and Mammoth Halves – make it into Seeberger bags. After a final drying and the ultimate quality check, they're vacuum-packed to ensure they stay perfectly crunchy.

Sustainable and Fair Practices

Soil, water, transport – food production is inherently energy- and resource-intensive. To counterbalance this, we follow a consistently sustainable approach. For our pecan production, this means:

The shells of the pecan kernels are composted and returned directly to the plantations.
While some plantations typically "flood" the fields with water through certain irrigation methods, our partner uses "micro-sprinklers." This system delivers water directly to the tree roots with minimal waste.
We avoid air freight – our pecans are shipped by sea with no exception.
To meet our zero-waste goal, we pack the pecans in vacuum packaging during sea transport, because we can't stand food waste.

Enjoyment with a Clear Conscience

You are what you eat. As such, it only makes sense for us to show you how and where your snacks come to life. But enough talk – where are the stars? Grab your resilient pecans from the scorching desert lands. Guaranteed from a good home and raised with love. <3