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Baking pecans carry aroma of holidays
Published November 10, 2009
Hello and Happy Reading! The holiday season is just around the corner and baking comes to mind.
Pecan pies, nut bread made with pecans, and cakes with pecans on top all remind me of wonderful holiday baking. You guessed it — this article will be about the tasty treats that literally fall from the trees and land in our backyards, parks, properties and river banks.
Pecans!
Pecans make a great, nutritious snack eaten right out of the shell or added to our favorite dishes. Pecans are nutritious; they are a good source of protein, B vitamins and minerals. Although they are high in fat they are low in cholesterol. Because of their high fat content, pecans need to be stored properly so you can enjoy them throughout the year.
Shelled pecans should remain fresh in tightly closed containers for two months at room temperature, for about nine months in the refrigerator or for at least two years in the freezer. Unshelled pecans will remain fresh two to four times as long as shelled ones. Pecans can be refrozen without loss of quality.
If pecans are not stored properly they can become rancid quickly, so make sure you use air-tight containers, such as freezer bags or plastic containers. Remember to squeeze the air out of the bags and “burp” those containers to remove excess air before storing.
If you have a wonderful pecan recipe, you might want to enter it in the Pecan Plus Bake-Off on Nov. 18 at the Brazoria County Courthouse. Recipes will be judged and ribbons will be given out.
If you are not much on cooking, but like to taste, there will be a tasting party following the contest. Three dollars will get you a sample plate and a cookbook of the items that were entered.
For information about the bake-off or to enter, e-mail me at sftrower @ag.tamu.edu or call (979) 864-1558, Ext. 125.
Glazed Pecans
1 egg white
3/4 cup white sugar
1 tbsp. water
1 tsp cinnamon
1 pound pecan halves
1 tsp. salt
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. In a large bowl, beat egg white with water until frothy. Stir in pecans and mix to coat. Combine sugar, cinnamon and salt; stir into pecan mixture. Spread on baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for one hour, stirring every 10 minutes. Store in an airtight container.
Hot and Spicy Pecans
2 tbsp. margarine, melted
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
2 cups pecan halves
1/4 tsp. ground red pepper
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. salt
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix margarine, Worcestershire sauce, red pepper, salt and garlic powder. Stir in the pecans and gently toss with chili powder to coat. Spread coated pecans on a medium baking sheet and cook 20 minutes in the preheated oven, stirring about every eight minutes.
Sharon Trower is a Brazoria County Extension Agent. Her column appears every other Tuesday on the Community page. Contact her at sftrower @ag.tamu.edu.
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