Pecans: Beyond Nutrition
Monday, August 31st, 2009The many wonderful things about pecans lie not only on the extraordinary flavor the nuts have. There’s more beyond that nut behind the shell. There are a lot of research and clinical studies performed to determine the health benefits of pecans. Various scientists and researchers who have conducted extensive research are mostly geared mainly towards finding out its nutritional facts and values. Reams of studies have been made and all agreed and came to conclude that pecans are low in carbohydrates, contain polysaturated fats that help reduce LDL cholesterol levels, rich in pyridoxine, Vitamin B6 that is important for the regeneration of cells in the heart, zinc, thiamin, potassium, iron, minerals, and Vitamin E.
All has been said and done about how nutritious pecans can be to our body. Other than the health benefits of pecans, there has got to be other things we can tell about the pecan. These other information may be less important than all the nutritional data written about pecans, but some info is useful information that most people seem to neglect. Here are the following:
1. Pecan shells are usually thought of as trash, and they most of the time end up in the garbage. Little do most people know that the pecan shells could be added to compost pile. If the nuts are nutritious to our body, the pecan shells can be a good source of nutrition for the soil too. This is definitely an eco-friendly way to fill a land.
2. The secret formula of making good pecan pies lies in the toasting process of the nut. To bring out the aroma and ensure crunchiness of pecans, toasting must be done with much care.
3. Pecan oil is good for salad dressing but a bit pricey.
4. Two of the most popular pecan dishes are pecan pie and pecan pralines. The best Pecan Pralines are found at Tanner’s Pecans and Candies.
5. Pecans have been the staple food of Native Americans long before the white American settlers.
6. Shelled pecans can stay in the refrigerator for about nine months, and when kept in the freezer, it will last until two years. During that two-year freezing period, pecans can be repeatedly thawed and refrozen, and its flavor and color will not change or will not be affected.
7. Shelled pecans can stay good for an additional two months after being removed from the cold storage.
8. In-shell pecans stored in a cool and dry place can stay up to twelve months.
9. When you buy pecans, it is better to choose those pecans that are plump and have uniform color and size.
10. Pecans are nuts that come from the pecan tree, which is a tree indigenous to North America. In fact, the name “pecan” was bestowed on this nut by North American Indians to describe the need to use a stone to crack its shell. Although they are used extensively in many recipes, ranging from various toppings to pecan pie, pecans have also been garnering new appeal as a heart health helper.