Texas Tree Profile: Texas Pecans

---

By George Ayres
Texas Department of Agriculture 
January 2010  

The pecan tree, the largest of the hickories and the backbone of the Texas nut industry, grows wild along almost every river and stream in the state. The mature pecan tree is usually 70 to 100 feet tall but can grow as tall as 150 feet and higher.

And that's just the beginning ... 

• Texas is the largest producer of native pecans, and wood from the trees is used for baseball bats, hammer handles, furniture, wall paneling, flooring, carvings, and firewood, among many other things.

• Prehistoric Indians depended on native pecans as food. Deer, turkey, squirrels, raccoons, crows and many other animals feed heavily on pecans today as they have in the past.

• The pecan tree was designated the state tree of Texas in 1919. Governor James Hogg favored the tree so much that he requested that one be planted at his gravesite.

• Pecans are cholesterol free, sodium free, fiber-rich and have more than 19 vitamins and minerals.

• Texas averages 60 million pounds of pecans produced annually, equally divided between natives and improved varieties from planted orchards.

Buying and Storing Pecans

When buying in-shell pecans, look for smooth, clean shells. There is no correlation between the size of the shell and the quality of the nut.

When buying shelled pecans, look for plump meats that are fairly uniform in size and color.

Pecans are long-lasting and, when stored properly, hold their freshness for up to two years.

Shelled or unshelled, if kept in an air-tight container, pecans will last in refrigeration for up to nine months and in the freezer up to two years.

Frozen pecans do not have to be thawed to use.

Pecans can be refrozen several times without quality loss.