Pecan
Carya illinoinensis · Nut
Top 10 pairings
A sweet, buttery nut from a giant hickory, the only major tree nut native to North America. Softer and less bitter than its cousin the walnut, it stars in pecan pie and praline; toasting makes it warm and caramel-edged.
Picking a good onedrag
New crop, sweet and oilyStale, then rancid
Shop freshEveryday bestThe all-rounder: pie, praline, butter-pecan, salads, or straight out of the bowl.
Heft and rattleSolid still, the faintest shift inside
Shell and shuckDull, blotchy, a shred of shuck
Crack one openFuller amber, the skin still matte
Smell at the crackMild and oily, almost neutral
What you get from one
53%
Edible part
3 g of kernel · 47% is shell
5.6 g
Weight each
each one
Keeping ittap a temperature
A domestic fridge holds it about 2× longer than the counter.
Under 70%
Humidity
Cold, dry and odour-free
Airflow