My scanty knowledge was what pecans are. What benefit and harm - I didn’t even think about it. Quite by chance a small article in a local newspaper caught my eye. So much interesting has been written about the benefits of pecans! Interested in. Pecan is little known in our country, since the industrial cultivation of this walnut tree is practically not widespread with us. Mostly pecans grow in the south of our country, but are quite frost-resistant, therefore they can be grown to the north. Once I saw on the shelves small bags with pecan kernels brought from the USA were very expensive. Compared to walnuts, the taste of pecans is softer, more buttery. I like this.
What are the beneficial properties of pecans?
Nuts have been part of the human diet for many, many centuries. When the Almighty created our unique planet for Man, He insured this super-smart, but weak creature for all occasions. He created man as a complex of all trace elements, substances on Earth. There are plants that are inseparable from the existence of man, as a reserve echelon during a crisis to support or save him. These are nuts, among which pecans come first.
Calorie content, the variety of walnut fruit is extremely high! A. I. Vavilov very aptly called them "the bread of the future." Yes, indeed, the kernels of any nuts contain a lot of first-class fat, protein, carbohydrates, almost the entire group of vital vitamins, trace elements, and other substances. It turns out that nuts are bread with butter, cocoa, and fruits at the same time.
But I would call this beautiful creation a magnificent doctor. Almonds, walnuts improve the functioning of the stomach, resuscitate the performance of the brain, heart, liver, and kidneys. Almonds improve vision, which is important for anyone over 40. It also, like the enemy of atherosclerosis, improves the functioning of the brain and lungs (with asthma).
Pecan is a collection of these nuts. He deserves special attention.
Where does pecan grow
Long Pecan (carya illinoensis N) is from the Mississippi Valley (North America). They have long paid attention to him as a most valuable culture that harmoniously includes everything necessary for the life support of the human body, which does not require special expenses for growing and storing fruits. Industrial cultivation of this crop is significant in the southeastern United States, where Pecan pie and praline sweets are traditional sweets.
Pecan settled in Russia at the dawn of the 20th century, starting from the Black Sea coast. From that period, the Sochi Pecans Alley (Research Institute of Horticulture) has its history. A little later, his seedlings appeared in the Adlersky Arboretum-Park "Southern Cultures".
The height of the trees can reach up to 50 m with a crown width of up to 40 m. The trunk of a tree at the base with a diameter reaches 3 m. A hollow of such a tree can weather the rider with the horse during bad weather. Young trees freely withstand temperatures down to -30 ° C, so it is not surprising that the long-fruited nut began to move rapidly north.
There are many pecan varieties on the Adler variety test site. As the best, widespread varieties of Success, Indiana, Stuart, and others. They already grow in groups on the northern slope of the Caucasus Range, in the Stavropol Territory, Rostov Region, Ukraine, and Moldova. But it does not have industrial significance on the territory of these areas. On the shelves it is not, except that there are bags brought from other countries.
Unpaired complex pecan leaves up to 50 cm long. By its characteristics, pecans are close to walnuts, because this plant is also dicotyledonous, monoecious, which is very important for its survival. Male stamen flowers earrings hang on two-year-old shoots. And pistil females are formed by bunches on the shoots of the current year. Typically, bloom occurs in late spring and early summer, which is not dangerous during spring frosts in the North Caucasus.
Pecans ripen in September and October, crumble like walnuts. It is the crumbled fruits that are considered ripe. Drupe fruit weighing 12-20 g. Due to the variety, the shape of the pecans varies from elongated spherical to elongated oval, 3-6 cm long, 1-2 cm in diameter. The pecan core is golden brown in color, inside is beige. The shell is smooth, clean, free from convolutions, cracks, holes, mold. Unpeeled nuts must be heavy for their size. The shape of the core resembles that of walnuts, but the convolutions seem to be smoother, there are no partitions, i.e. the pecan nucleolus is easily taken whole from the shell. If unpeeled pecans thunder when you shake them, then this may mean that inside it is dry, unsuitable for food.
Pecan depends on the variety of walnut, it is difficult to chop it or not. I came across nuts brought from Sochi. Not large, rather, even small. It was hard to split them. The shell was quite dense. And the core is small. You’ll apply great power - the soft-boiled core. You hit easier - the nut remains intact. But judging by the reviews, there are varieties with a thin shell. Such pricking is not difficult.
The pecan shell has neither a crack nor a hole (such as, for example, walnut). This is also a plus - pests, different bugs cannot get inside, and also it is a minus - it is difficult to crack if the shell is thick.
Sometimes I came across questions why pecans are sold cracked. I haven’t seen any answers yet. But I think I can answer him.
The reason is a dense but thin shell. Manufacturers make life easier for us, anticipating our difficulties, dissatisfaction when we have to wield a hammer, breaking the shell. I tested it myself - it’s difficult to even calculate the force of a blow with a hammer. You hit a little harder - it turns out “porridge” from a nut or it flies to the farthest corner. Slightly weaker - it lies unharmed. And so, thanks to a crack on the shell - everything turns out perfectly.
I would like to warn: be sure to read the information on the date of packaging, on the expiration date. Cracked Pecan nut is not stored for a long time, it rancid, becomes tasteless, even dangerous to health.
Pecan kernels not only taste good, they are useful, especially when it comes to lowering cholesterol. They not only help lower cholesterol, but also cleanse arteries.
A 2001 study by Loma Linda University (USA) showed that eating only a handful of pecan nuts daily can prevent unwanted oxidation of lipids in the blood, thereby helping prevent coronary heart disease.
Health Benefits of Pecan
The benefits of pecans are hard to describe. Pecans contain more than 19 vitamins, minerals - A, E, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc. One hundred grams of nuclei provide 30% of the recommended daily intake of fiber. Pecan is also a natural source of high-quality protein, which contains very few carbohydrates. Does not contain cholesterol, sodium. Among nuts, pecans are the fattest - more than 70%. It satisfies hunger well, ideal as a snack for children or adults.
The dignity of this nut is very high. The pecan core, in addition to the highest quality fat, contains up to 10% pure protein, up to 15% carbohydrates, the entire chain of vitamins, trace elements, amino acids.
Pecan kernel oil - peanut butter - is superior to olive in many ways. The ripened fruits, having a thin shell, do not lose their qualities when shedding their qualities, are transportable, can be stored for a long time, without completely spoiling, without fear of pests. But the peeled ones are not stored for a long time. Due to the high fat content they rancid, become tasteless.
There is nothing better during fasting instead of meat or animal fats to eat these valuable pecans for the body. In just two or three weeks you will feel lightness, strength of the body, your eyes will become sharper, your heart will become calmer, itching, insomnia will disappear. This body of yours gets rid of the vicious slag accumulated by an illiterate, ruthless attitude towards yourself.
Excessive consumption of pecans can cause harm. Firstly, it can ruin your figure, since pecans are very high in calories. And, secondly, there is a likelihood of allergic reactions in susceptible people. In any case, you need to know the measure.
Cultivation and reproduction
The fruiting of Pecan trees is annual. When propagated by seeds, a pecan tree begins to bear fruit from 9-14 years. Crop of a young tree - from 1 to 5 kg. The average yield of ten to fifteen-year-old trees is from 8 to 15 kg (US data). Back in the seventies of the last century, there pecan production reached 150 thousand tons per year. The life cycle of a tree is 300 years. Old trees yield up to 250 kg of nuts.
The technology for growing pecans is completely analogous to that of walnuts. This wind-pollinated, photophilous plant grows on soils of various types: typically forest, rich in humus, heavy, stony, clay. But, like most plants, it does not tolerate swampiness.
Pecan propagates vegetatively or by seeds (seed germination up to 100%). The incidence of plants is not noticed, there are no pests, even the fruits, in comparison with the walnut, are not damaged by them.
Now Pecan is very widespread not only in the USA, Europe. This medical diet product should be used by everyone. You will live with pecans in your diet for a long time, not painfully, optimistically enjoying the whole world around you.
The nature of the Creator is generous, rich, in it there are infinitely many unique, beautiful. One of these noble creations is pecans.
When I learned in more detail what pecans are, that their benefits are enormous, and the harm is minimal, I wanted to grow them in my country house. And now I’m growing one pecan seedling. He is still very small. He's three years old. It grows very slowly. It is too early to share the experience of growing, but I will tell you about it.
Yes, another small addition: where, at what price, from whom you can buy pecans - read the comments.
The article was edited on December 22, 2018.
Useful: