What you might not know about pecans

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Today is National Pecan Day! That fact immediately made me think of my late mother, who loved pecans.  A little Google research yielded some fun facts about this popular nut.

(Side note: how do you pronounce pecan?  I say it as "pe-CAHN," but I know some people go for "pe-CANN, or even PEE-cann.)

Thanks to the website Ilovepecans.org,  here are some fun facts about pecans:

"Texas adopted the pecan tree as its state tree in 1919. In fact, Texas Governor James Hogg liked pecan trees so much that he asked if a pecan tree could be planted at his gravesite when he died."

From "Texas Trading Post,"a site that sells all kinds of fun Texas stuff

"Albany, Georgia, which boasts more than 600,000 pecan trees, is the pecan capital of the U.S. Albany hosts the annual National Pecan Festival, which includes a race, parade, pecan-cooking contest, the crowning of the National Pecan Queen and many other activities. 

"There are over 1,000 varieties of pecans. Many are named for Native American Indian tribes, including Cheyenne, Mohawk, Sioux, Choctaw and Shawnee. 

"Some the larger pecan shellers process 150,000 pounds of pecans each day. That’s enough to make 300,000 pecan pies! 

"The U.S. produces about 80 percent of the world’s pecan crop.
Before a shelled pecan is ready to be sold, it must first be cleaned, sized, sterilized, cracked and finally, shelled."

How do you like your pecans?

My sister Beverly got me into eating yogurt with pecans mixed in.  Yummy!

Of course, there's pecan pie...which is delectable, but I rarely eat it because of its extremely high calorie count, and I'm not a piemaker.

Both my parents loved pecan pralines. Some Mexican restaurants in Texas have them at the cash register to buy as the perfect end of a delicious TexMex meal.

If you'd like to make your own, I found this recipe.

They're good for you!

If you just want to grab a handful of pecans to snack on, or add to your cereal or yogurt. you can do so knowing that they're benefitting your heart!

Again, from ilovepecans.org:

"Pecans are now designated as heart-healthy when enjoyed as part of a healthy eating pattern by the American Heart Association’s Heart-Check Certification Program (www.heartcheckmark.org).

'Pecans stay with you longer than high carbohydrate snacks that your body burns through quickly,” said Vickie Mabry, NPSA Executive Director. “With antioxidants as well as a tender texture, rich buttery flavor and gentle crunch, pecans make an ideal snack choice for everyone,' she added."

Enjoy!

I'm taking part in the Thursday Favorite Things linkup at Katherine's Corner!