Pecan tree question
I have a pecan tree in my backyard and I have TONS of green pecans on my patio and yard. Can you do anything with them?Will they ripen if I bring them in the house? How do I know they are ready to be pulled off the tree? So far all I know for sure is that they hurt like the devil when you step on them with bare feet!
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9 Comments:
All I know is that in the pecan groves they use a tree shaker -- I am not making this up -- to get the pecans down. Maybe the green ones that fell down are the tree's way of purging itself of too much fruit. Apples do that in some years; the apples fall when about half grown.
Blue Iris at 2:39PM on 10/23/08
I don't think you eat the green ones. They do use tree shakers...I've been to Comanche County in North Texas SW of Ft. Worth and the acres and acres are really beautiful. I would get rid of the green ones and wait for them to fall natually...you'll end up with more than you can use.
We have a cabin near Bryan/College Station, TX and there is a pecan sheller that sells cracked pecans in season...I ways buy a few pounds and snack on them for a few months and at couple of bucks a pound they are well worth it.
lochaven at 10:07PM on 10/23/08
we have a few trees on our property, lots, actually. We setup a tarp around the tree, and gently "nudge" the tree with a truck.
seikel at 9:46AM on 10/24/08
I am soooooo jealous. I'd kill for a pecan tree but they aren't very plentiful here in the Pacific NW, I'm afraid.
RegrettableFoodie at 12:57PM on 10/24/08
If you peel off the green skin and let it sit in a warm, well-ventilated area, the pecan will dry out. After about a week or a bit longer, it'll be brown and ready to eat, but it won't taste as good as a pecan that dried on the tree; they have a more green taste and are softer, rather than a buttery taste. If you can't peel the green skin off, then you can't do anything with it; it fell off the tree too early.
Once that green skin turns brown and starts to peel back, then they're ready to eat. My family always waited until they fell off the tree, which meant we could harvest throughout the fall and winter, but you can also shake them all off at once with the right tools.
Tally at 12:30PM on 10/26/08
There is immature, sticky meat inside the green ones. When pecans are ready to eat, they fall from the tree. Possible reasons for your tree dropping fruit would be insufficient water, pests like worms, or a soil defficiency.
beth1 at 1:35PM on 10/26/08
thanks everybody! I guess I better just try to be patient. Tally, I will have to try that and see how the taste compares.
love2cook at 1:37PM on 10/26/08
Oh, just in case anyone doesn't know: green walnuts stain your hands if you bruise them! Ahh, my childhood years. We had a pecan and a walnut tree, but I was never allowed to collect them and bring them in the house.
nightowl at 3:56PM on 10/26/08
The green husks will open up to reveal the pecan nut in a hard shell, the green part will dry out and turn brown and then generally. They will not continue to ripen off the tree. We pick up a few every time we wonder out into the front yard and crack them open to see what we can find. So far we've had a few good ones but most did not get enough water the end of this summer and are shriveled and not tasty. good luck on finding good ones. make sure you get all the shell picked out of the nut meat, its not good.
MadameD at 6:45PM on 10/26/08