STORAGE TIPS
Nuts oxidize or turn rancid more rapidly in light and out of the shell, so they will store longer when they are in-shell. If you do not intend to use them right away, buy unshelled nuts.

Shelled pecans should be stored in clean, dry, airtight containers and refrigerated to preserve freshness. The nuts can be stored in refrigerator for up to 9 months and can be stored under the same conditions. Raw peanuts should be stored in the freezer and will stay fresh up to 1 year.

PECAN NUTRITION
Nuts are a good source of energy, with over 500 kcal per 100 grams. Nuts are mostly a complete protein, containing significant amounts of iron, calcium, phosporous, potassium, magnesium, as well as Vitamin B, C, Thiamin, Niacin, Folacin, Pantothenic acid and Alpha-tocopherol, an antioxidant.

Researchers have found pecans to be a great source of oleic acid, a fatty acid found in abundance in olive oil. Pecans are also rich in vitamins, minerals, cancer-fighting components and fiber.

PECAN TREES
The pecan tree's scientific name is Carya illioensis. It is a native to North America. The pecan tree is a member of the walnut family and in the hickory group.

An important crop tree, it is grown for its fruit, the pecan nut, in orchards in the South and Southeast United States. They grow well all over the South. The pecan nut was a major food source for the American Indians for thousands of years. Today, raising them is especially important to the South where orchards produce 250 million pounds in an average year.

The nuts ripen from mid-September until December. They are harvested after they fall to the ground. Pecans vary in size from 30 to 90 nuts per pound. No nuts are produced until trees are five or six years old.

Tall with spreading branches, the pecan tree is the largest of the hickories. It may grow to 180 feet high with a trunk diameter of 4-6 feet at the base.

Pecan wood is brittle and has fewer uses than similar species. However pecan wood is valuable for flooring, furniture and paneling.

THE ECONOMICS OF PECANS
The U.S. is the world's largest pecan producer. Other countries producing pecans include Australia, Brazil, Israel, Mexico, Peru, and South Africa. The following states are most important in commercial pecan tree growing: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, New Mexico, NorthCarolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas.

The top five states, in order of native pecan production from 1970 to 1992, were Texas, Georgia, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Alabama. The top five states, in order of improved pecan production from 1978 to 1986, were Georgia, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and Alabama. When total pecan production is included, Georgia remains the top producer, followed by Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and Louisiana.

The annual gross value of pecans produced from 1970 to 1992 ranged from $60.5 million in 1991, changing dramatically over the years. Historically, pecan imports and exports have been only a small portion of total U.S. pecan production. From 1970 to 1992, imports (shelled basis) ranged from a low of 0.2% (1981) of total U.S. production that year, to a high of 52% (1986), while exports reached an all-time high in 1990 with more than 9 million pounds (shelled) or about 9% of the total U.S. production.

Many thanks to New Mexico State University, Southern Methodist University, Texas A&M University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture for information provided.