- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey. Adaptado al español por Leticia Irigoyen.
En esta época del año, probablemente está pensando “¡Ahh, pecanas!”
Y en particular, “¡Ah, tarta de pecanas!
Nos encantan nuestras nueces. Los Estados Unidos producen un 80 a 95 por ciento de la producción mundial de nueces y la mayoría se cultivan en Georgia, de acuerdo con el Centro de Investigación e Información de Frutas y Nueces de la UC Davis, conocido por sus siglas en inglés como FNRIC. En el 2014, EUA produjo 133,165 toneladas de pecanas (con cáscara) con un valor de más de 400 millones de dólares. De esa cantidad, California contribuyó con 2,500 toneladas, valoradas en poco más de 10 millones de dólares o menos del 2 por ciento.
“A pesar de que los nogales han existido en California por más de un siglo, la primera huerta comercial en California se estableció a mediados de la década de los 70 en el área de Clovis", menciona FNRIC en su sitio web. “Desde entonces, la producción de pecanas se ha extendido por todo el Valle Central, pero no son tan ampliamente cultivadas como otras nueces (almendras y nuez de castilla) en California. "Las nueces dependen de largos y cálidos veranos para una maduración apropiada”.
La pecana (Carya illinoinensis), la cual es nativa de México y de las regiones sur central y sureste de los Estados Unidos, pertenece a la familia de las juglandáceas, la cual incluye las nueces de castilla y hickory. "Restos de pecanas fueron encontradas en excavaciones arqueológicas en Texas junto a artefactos humanos pertenecientes al 6100 AC", de acuerdo con el Museo Nutcraker. "La pecana, la cual es nativa de Norteamérica, fue encontrada en o cerca de los lechos de ríos y fue parte de la alimentación de los nativos y primeros colonizadores".
“¡Lo más maravilloso de las pecanas es que están deliciosas!”, dice Amy Block Joy, especialista emérita de Extensión Cooperativa de la UC, quien, haciendo honor a su nombre, encuentra “gozo” (Joy) en las pecanas. “Son de mis nueces favoritas”.
“Las pecanas son una excelente fuente de vitamina E y otros antioxidantes, fibras y algunas vitaminas B y también buenas fuentes de potasio, cobre, hierro, magnesio y zinc”, dice Joy, quien posee un doctorado en ciencias de la nutrición de UC Berkeley. “Son una rica fuente de ácido oleico, un ácido graso mono saturado. La pecanas no contienen colesterol”.
Y las nueces son buenas para usted, dijo la experta, resaltando que un estudio publicado recientemente en la revista BMC Medicine indica que consumir una cantidad diaria (por lo menos 20 gramos) de nueces "reduce el riesgo de enfermedades coronarias en un 30 por ciento, el riesgo de cáncer en un 15 por ciento y de muerte prematura en un 22 por ciento”.
Mientras tanto, en todo el país, especialmente en el sur, la tarta de pecana es sinónimo de las fiestas decembrinas. Es un emblema de la cocina sureña, un invento del siglo XIX, que probablemente se originó en los 1800. Harper's Bazaar publicó la que se conoce como la primera receta de tarta de pecanas en 1886. Hoy día, todos los cocineros la claman como suya — agregando de todo desde bourbon a ron, chocolate y ralladura de naranja.
Mi difunta madre, nacida y criada en un rancho de Texas donde los nogales abundaban, atesoraba la tarta de pecanas. Ella siempre lo pronunciaba en inglés como “Peh-CAHN” (nunca como PEE-can) y lo antecedía con la palabra "rico." No de “rico” de millonario, sino de rico de “no coman mucho porque se van involucrar en una relación de amor y odio con sus básculas”. Pero si está delgado y tiene que “pararse dos veces para hacer sombra", como dice el dicho sureño, entonces, ¡ni te preocupes!
¿Sabía que la tarta de pecanas es el postre estatal de Texas y Oklahoma? ¿Y que la pecana es la nuez estatal de Alabama y Arkansas? En Tennessee, se le conoce como la “nuez saludable del estado”. ¡Y así es!
En el hogar de los Garvey, nuestra receta favorita de tarta de pecanas está cargada de nueces — dos tazas. Eso equivale a 66 nueces por taza o un total de 132 pecanas, dice la nutricionista Amy Block Joy, quien sabe cómo incluir las "nueces" en la alimentación. Nosotros sabemos cómo guardar la tarta en la alacena y luego en la mesa festiva.
La inolvidable tarta de pecanas y delicia sureña de los Garvey
Para un molde de 9 pulgadas
3 huevos grandes
1 cucharada de fécula de maíz
1 taza de miel de maíz oscura, Karo
3/4 de taza de azúcar morena empacada suelta (no la apriete)
1 cucharada de azúcar blanca
1 a 2 cucharadas de ron oscuro de buena calidad (nosotros usamos ron jamaicano oscuro Myer)
1/4 taza de mantequilla, derretida
1 cucharadita de extracto de vainilla puro
2 tazas de pecanas tostadas, en mitades solamente
Un molde con corteza de 9 pulgadas de diámetro (la receta más abajo)
Precaliente el horno a 350 grados. Distribuya las pecanas sobre un molde para hornear y tueste a 350 grados durante 6 a 10 minutos. Coloque a un lado. En un tazón mediano, bata los huevos con un batidor de mano de alambre. Agregue la fécula de maíz y mezcle bien.
Agregue la miel de maíz, azúcar, ron, mantequilla y vainilla. Revuelva bien y agregue las pecanas tostadas. Vierta la mezcla en el molde de corteza. Cubra el borde exterior del molde con un pedazo de papel aluminio colocado de manera suelta para prevenir que se dore demasiado.
Hornee a 350 grados durante 50 minutos. A los 40 minutos, retire el papel aluminio del borde y hornee durante otros 10 minutos o hasta que al insertar un cuchillo en el centro salga limpio. El centro debe sentirse ligeramente duro al tacto pero con una consistencia un poco gelatinosa.
Coloque la tarta sobre una rejilla y déjela enfriar a temperatura ambiente durante dos horas antes de servirla.
Corteza para una tarta de 9 pulgadas de diámetro:
1-1/4 harina regular
1-1/2 cucharaditas de azúcar granulada
1/2 cucharadita de sal
1 barra o ½ taza de mantequilla sin sal fría, cortada en pedazos grandes
1/4 taza de agua fría, más una cucharada adicional, si se necesita
En un tazón mediano, combine la harina, sal y azúcar. Amase la mantequilla junto con la harina hasta formar grumos grandes. Rocíe el agua gradualmente sobre la mezcla seca, revolviendo hasta que la masa le permita formar una bola sin deshacerse. Envuelva la masa en envoltura plástica y refrigere durante por lo menos una hora. Extienda la masa en un círculo de 12 a 13 pulgadas de diámetro. Coloque sobre el molde de la tarta dejando que sobresalga ½ pulgada. Pinche el borde de la corteza.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
This time of year, you're probably thinking “Ahh, pecans!”
And particularly, “Ahh, pecan pie!”
We do love our pecans. The U.S. produces 80 to 95 percent of the world's pecans, and most are grown in Georgia, according to the UC Davis Fruit and Nut Research and Information Center (FNRIC). In 2014, the U.S. produced 133,165 tons of pecans (in-shell) valued at more than $400 million. Of that, California contributed 2,500 tons, valued at a little more than $10 million, or less than 2 percent.
“Although pecan trees have existed in California for more than a century, the first commercial orchard in California was established in the mid-1970s in the Clovis area," FNRIC relates on its website. “Since then, pecan production has spread throughout the Central Valley, but it is not nearly as widely cultivated as other nut crops (almond, pistachio and walnut) in California." The nuts thrive on long, hot summers for proper maturation.
The pecan (Carya illinoinensis), native to Mexico and the southcentral and southeastern regions of the United States, is a member of the Juglandaceae family, which includes hickory and walnut. "Remains of pecans were found in archaeological excavations in Texas with human artifacts dating back to 6100 B.C.," according to the Nutcracker Museum. "The pecan, which is native only to North America, was found in or near river beds, and was a staple in the diets of both the natives and the early settlers."
“What's great about pecans is that they are delicious!” says Amy Block Joy, emeritus UC Cooperative Extension specialist, who, true to her name, finds "joy" in pecans. “They are one of my favorite nuts.”
“Pecans are an excellent source of vitamin E and other antioxidants, fiber, some B-vitamins and are also good sources of potassium, copper, iron, manganese and zinc,” says Joy, who holds a doctorate in nutritional sciences from UC Berkeley. “They are a rich source of oleic acid, a mono-saturated fatty acid. Pecans do not contain any cholesterol.”
And nuts are good for you, she said, noting that a study published recently in the journal BMC Medicine reported that having a daily amount (at least 20 grams) of nuts "cut people's risk of coronary heart disease by nearly 30 percent, their risk of cancer by 15 percent, and their risk of premature death by 22 percent.”
Meanwhile, all over the country — especially the South — pecan pie is synonymous with the holidays. It's an iconic Southern cuisine, a 19th century invention, that probably originated in the 1800s. Harper's Bazaar published the first known pecan pie recipe in 1886. Today, cooks clamor to make it their own — adding everything from bourbon to rum to chocolate to orange zest.
My late mother, born and reared on a Texas ranch where pecan trees flourished, treasured the pecan pie. She always pronounced it “Peh-CAHN” (never PEE-can) and prefaced it with "rich." Not “rich,” as in wealthy, but rich as in “don't-eat-too-much-of-this-or-you-will-engage-in-a-hate-relationship-with-your-scales.” If you're thin and have to "stand up twice to make a shadow," as the Southern saying goes, then no worries!
Did you know that pecan pie is the state dessert of both Texas and Oklahoma? And that the pecan is the "state nut" of Alabama and Arkansas? In Tennessee, it's known as the "state health nut." That's because it is!
In the Garvey household, our favorite pecan pie recipe is loaded with nuts — two cups. That's 66 pecans per cup or a total of 132 pecans, says nutritionist Amy Block Joy, who knows how to put the "nuts" in nutrition. We know how to put the pie in the pantry, and then to the holiday table.
Garvey's Unforgettable Southern Delight Pecan Pie
Makes 9-inch pie
3 eggs, large
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup dark corn syrup, Karo
3/4 cup loosely packed brown sugar (don't press down)
1 tablespoon of white sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons of good quality dark rum (we used Myer's original dark Jamaican rum)
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups toasted pecans, halves only
One 9-inch unbaked pie crust (recipe below)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread pecans on baking sheet and toast at 350 degrees for 6 to 10 minutes. Set aside. In medium bowl, beat eggs with a fork or wire whisk. Add cornstarch and mix until blended.
Add corn syrup, sugar, rum, butter and vanilla. Stir in toasted pecans. Pour mixture into pie crust. Cover outer crust with loosely placed, crimped aluminum foil to prevent excess browning.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 50 minutes. At 40 minutes, remove aluminum foil from outer crust and cook for another 10 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. The center should be slightly firm to the touch but a bit jiggly.
Place pie on wire rack and let cool at room temperature for two hours before serving.
Crust for 9-inch pie:
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick or ½ cup of cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1/4 cup ice water, plus an additional tablespoon if needed
In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt and sugar. Cut butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually sprinkle the water over the dry mixture, stirring until dough comes together enough to form a ball. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour. Roll the dough out into a 12- to 13-inch circle. Place in pie plate and let it overhang 1/2-inch. Crimp the crust.
- Author: Yvonne Rasmussen
Both walnuts and almonds were commercial crops in Napa County until grapes took over. In fact the Hartley walnut, now the most widely planted variety in the state, was developed in Napa County.
Pistachios, pecans and chestnuts are also appropriate trees for Napa County, although they have never been grown here commercially. All of them make nice shade trees, and if you can beat the squirrels to the crop, you can harvest some nuts as well. These nuts mature at slightly different times but have similar harvesting and storing requirements. Chestnuts require some different treatment for harvesting and hulling and don't require drying.
Walnuts ripen from early September through early November. They are considered ripe when the hull (also called the husk) darkens and becomes loose.
Pecans mature from late September through November and are considered ripe when the outer husk splits open and the shell within is completely brown.
Almonds ripen from early August through late September. They are ready to harvest when the hulls split and expose the shell with the nut inside.
Pistachios ripen from late August to early September and are mature when the hull changes from green to red and you can easily remove the nut from the shell.
Chestnuts are ripe when they fall to the ground. The nuts on a chestnut tree don't ripen evenly, so do not knock them off to harvest them.
For other nuts, you can use a pole or rubber mallet to knock the crop from the trees. Wear head and eye protection to prevent injury, and spread tarps under the trees to keep the nuts clean and prevent contamination from soil fungus. Collect fallen nuts promptly to
Remove the hulls soon after harvest to prevent spoilage and nut darkening. Use metal hardware cloth with a half-inch mesh, available at hardware stores. Rubbing the hulls against the mesh will help break them off. To make the job even easier, mount the mesh screen on a wood frame. Wear rubber gloves to protect your hands when hulling walnuts. The hulls contain chemical compounds called phenols that can stain hands and irritate skin.prevent insect and animal damage.
For chestnuts, which have a spiny husk, you will need heavy leather gloves.
All nuts except for chestnuts need to be dried if you intend to store them. If you fail to dry them sufficiently, they may develop mold and turn rancid quickly.
To dry nuts, spread them in a single layer on trays or screens in a shady or partially shady location with good air circulation. Cover them with netting or an additional screen to foil birds. Stir the nuts daily and cover them completely if rain threatens.
Crack open a few nuts every few days to check for dryness. The kernels inside should be crisp, not rubbery. In late summer and fall, drying may take only three to four days. Pecans should be dried more slowly to prevent the hull from cracking. A drying temperature between 75 degrees and 85 degrees Fahrenheit is best.
Properly dried nuts, shelled or unshelled, can be stored for up to a year at 32 to 45 degrees F. A typical home refrigerator is between 38 to 45 degrees. Most home freezers are around 32 degrees. Chestnuts still in their shells will keep only about a month in the refrigerator.
For more detailed information, consult the following publication: “Harvesting and Storing Your Home Orchard's Nut Crop: Almonds, Walnuts, Pecans, Pistachios and Chestnuts” (UC ANR Publication No. 8005). You can download this document at no charge from anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/ or get it from the Napa County Master Gardeners office.
Napa County Master Gardeners (cenapa.ucdavis.edu) answer gardening questions Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m. to noon, at the UC Cooperative Extension office, 1710 Soscol Ave., Suite 4, Napa, 253-4221, or toll-free at 877-279-3065.
- Author: Cynthia Kintigh
Two free publications on nuts have recently been published by ANR — Nuts: Safe Methods for Consumers to Handle, Store, and Enjoy and Nuts: Safe Methods for Home Gardeners to Harvest, Store, and Enjoy.
Both publications outline the nutritional benefits of eating nuts, including information from the FDA affirming that:
- Including nuts in a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may help reduce the risk of heart disease.
- Almonds, pecans, pistachios, and walnuts contribute to health through their protein, dietary fiber and unsaturated fat.
The consumer publication includes a handy table outlining optimal freezer and refrigerator storage times for a variety of nuts as well information on nut allergies, nutrition and resources for recipes.
Home gardeners with nut trees will find useful information on harvest times and methods, hulling and drying procedures, safe handling procedures, storage, and nutrition information for almonds, chestnuts, pecans, pistachios and walnuts.
Inside both publications is a discussion of recent bacterial outbreaks in nuts and the steps producers have taken to minimize the risk of exposure to consumers.