National Pecan Day

Interesting Food Facts about Pecan

1. Pecans come in a variety of sizes – mammoth, extra large, large, medium, small and midget.
2. Before a shelled pecan is ready to be sold, it must first be cleaned, sized, sterilized, cracked and finally, shelled.
3. There are over 1,000 varieties of pecans.  Many are named for Native American Indian tribes, including Cheyenne, Mohawk, Sioux, Choctaw and Shawnee.
4. Texas adopted the pecan tree as its state tree in 1919.
5. 2 Pecans provide nearly 10 percent of the recommended Daily Value for zinc. 

Fun Fact:

Albany, Georgia, which boasts more than 600,000 pecan trees, is the pecan capital of the U.S. Albany hosts the annual National Pecan Festival, which includes a race, parade, pecan-cooking contest, the crowning of the National Pecan Queen and many other activities.
The U.S. produces about 80 percent of the world’s pecan crop.
Native Americans utilized and cultivated wild pecans in the 1500s. It is the only tree native to North America and is considered one of the most valuable North American nut species.