While we tend to associate pecans with pecan pie and pecan pie with Thanksgiving, did you know that the tantalizing pecan has a much wider reach? Yes. It happens to have its own month, and that month is April.

National Pecan Month, established by Congress in 2001, is a more than appropriate observation. Just consider all the health benefits of the pecan, for instance. According to the researchers and fact-checkers at www.webmd.com, raw pecans:

• pack a 1-2-3 punch of protein, healthy fats, and fiber that can help keep you energized and satisfied,
• they’re a good source of calcium, magnesium, and potassium, which help lower blood pressure,
• most of their fat is a healthy type called monounsaturated fat,
• they help stabilize blood sugar, help keep the heart healthy, and promote good brain function,
• when comparing nut varieties, pecans have more antioxidants than any other.

Then factor in their incredible taste, and OF COURSE we’re giving this nut its own month! And don’t you appreciate the pecan’s versatility? It works well in both savory and sweet dishes. In fact, it works well all on its own (think of those cones of toasted/candied pecans you can get at your state fair!).

Speaking of “toasted,” here’s a short review from www.pioneerwoman.com on the very best way to toast your pecans. Ree Drummond introduces her tutorial by explaining that even though they’re delicious straight from the shell, pecans taste even better when toasted (hard to imagine, but true).

Ree says, “Toasting nuts draws the natural oils to the surface, intensifying the rich nutty essence, creating a deeper color, and making the nuts crunchier. Toasting your nuts prior to adding them to a recipe can improve the flavor and texture of any dish. So, the real question is, why not toast nuts. It only takes a few minutes to make all your nutty creations even better!”

OK, I’m convinced. So let’s do this (in the oven, which she says is the very best method):

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, which helps the nuts toast evenly without burning on the bottom and makes clean up quick and easy!
2. Spread the nuts onto the parchment paper in a single layer.
3. Bake for 5–10 minutes until the nuts darken in color a couple shades and the aroma of toasted nuts is strong.
4. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to use.

NOTE: It’s best to toast nuts whole and chop them later when needing smaller pieces. When nuts are chopped before toasting, they’re more likely to burn.

I’ll close with a great pecan snack recipe that takes nut-roasting a little further. It’s from one of the nation’s foremost pecan growers, Sunnyland Farms (www.sunnylandfarms.com). When you want a healthy nutrition-boost to beat that afternoon energy slump, this is it!



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