Organic Pecan Halves

History

The pecan (carya illinoensis) originates in the eastern part of the United States, in the area south of the states of Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas and Virginia. It subsequently adapted and spread throughout the northern part of the American continent and then arrived in Europe towards the end of the 1800s. It is grown mainly in Mexico, Australia, South Africa and Israel, as well as in the United States, while in Italy it is found mainly in Sicily. The nut was already eaten in the pre-colonial period by the inhabitants of the eastern and northern parts of North America. Native Americans used nuts to produce a drink called powhicora, which was extracted by crushing and boiling these fruits in water. The success of this species is due to the proximity of the trees to watercourses and the nuts' much valued organoleptic characteristics. The Indians were, therefore, the first to grow these trees and only later, in the period of exploration and conquest of America, was the species discovered by the conquering countries. Between 1770 and 1800, the colonialists sensed the commercial potential of the pecan nut. It appears that even President Thomas Jefferson himself planted pecan trees in his orchard in Monticello, Virginia. George Washington himself recounted in his diary that Thomas Jefferson had given him some pecans that he then personally grew at his home in Mount Vernon, Virginia. 

"Pecan" comes from an Algonquin word meaning "fruit with a shell that needs a stone to break it". Before European colonization, pecan nuts were widely consumed and traded by Native Americans. As a source of food, pecan nuts are the natural choice for pre-agricultural societies: they can provide two to five times more calories per unit weight than game and do not require any preparation. The pecan nut was introduced to Europe in the nineteenth century, but it was not extensively distributed. In southern Italy it is grown in small specialized plots in Sicily and in some areas of Puglia. Varieties grown in Italy are: Kiowa, Wichita and Shoshoni. 

The pecan has only recently been domesticated. Although the wild pecan was well known among American settlers as a delicacy, commercial cultivation of pecan in the United States did not begin until 1880. 

In 1906, the governor of Texas, James Stephen Hogg, expressed a desire that a pecan tree be planted on his grave instead of a traditional tombstone, requiring that the seeds be distributed throughout the state to make Texas a “land of trees”. In 1919, the pecan was declared the tree symbol of the state. Thomas Jefferson planted pecan trees, Caryaillinoinensis (or Illinois nuts), in his orchard in Monticello, Virginia.George Washington himself recounted in his diary that Thomas Jefferson had given him some pecans that he then personally grew at his home in Mount Vernon, Virginia. 

Sources: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pecan 

https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noce_pecan 

http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carya_illinoensis 

Nutspaper 1/2017

Properties

According to our analyses, 100 g of organic pecan halves contain: 

• Copper (0.90 mg – 90% of NRV)  
• Manganese (1.9 mg – 95% of NRV)  
• Vitamin E (12 mg – 100% of NRV) 

Affordable price

Affordable price means to us offering our clients organic pecan halves that everybody can enjoy.

We want, on the one hand, to place the proper value on raw materials in order to obtain a quality product by paying our farmers a fair price; on the other hand, we want to fulfil your needs when it comes to pricing.

We establish fair long-term relationships with our producers to avoid race-to-the-bottom pricing and that are based on trust as part of our efforts to offer you the finest and most natural product.

Not only that: by choosing large packs of organic pecan halves, you are also contributing to the reduction in the use of plastic.

How much does 1 kg of organic pecan halves cost?

The price per kg for organic pecan halves depends on the pecan nuts' quality, variety and origin. On Nuturally, we have selected the best organic pecan halves with respect for our supply chain, farmers, and raw materials.

Storage

You can store organic pecan halves in cool, dry places away from heat and moisture. Here are 4 useful tips:

• The ideal way to store organic pecan halves is in a refrigerated environment. Nuturally organic pecan halves can also be stored at room temperature during the winter season due to low temperatures. During summer, however, it is advisable to store the product in the refrigerator or in the coolest possible environment, as increased temperatures could encourage decay.
• The ideal container for the storage of organic pecan halves is glass. Indeed, because of its composition it is impervious to chemical agents and gases, and, as it has excellent insulation properties, it holds the initial temperature for longer than other materials. It is even better if the glass is coloured: using coloured glass blocks the entry of certain wavelengths of light (including ultraviolet), and thus certain nutritional and organoleptic characteristics remain unaltered.
• The type of closure of the container is also important as an airtight cap ensures that the food is protected from excessive contact with oxygen that can lead to lipid oxidation and encourage the growth of aerobic bacteria.
• The best kind of storage environment is one which is well ventilated because ventilating the premises keeps internal humidity under control, which otherwise could escape from windows, thereby guaranteeing the right balance to lessen the onset of mould.