{"id":10211,"date":"2022-04-13T13:24:23","date_gmt":"2022-04-13T17:24:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/?p=10211"},"modified":"2022-04-13T14:29:30","modified_gmt":"2022-04-13T18:29:30","slug":"10211","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/2022\/04\/13\/10211\/","title":{"rendered":"Celebrate the Pecan"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Oh my golly, we had such a hilarious conversation at the dinner table last week. All I said was that April is National Pecan Month. Well, a lot of rousing discussion ensued, we all had to express our opinion of how to say \u201cpecan.\u201d<\/p>\n

Do you say PEE-can or pick-AHN? Or even pih-CAN or pee-CAN? Its like TO-mato or to-MAA-to, PO-ta-to or po-TAH-to. It\u2019s all a little nutty! Whichever way you pronounce pecan, you can rely on these nuts to add a delicious buttery flavor to snacks, desserts, salads and even fish dishes.<\/p>\n

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The only major tree nut that grows naturally in North America, pecans got their name from the Native American Algonquin tribes<\/a> to describe \u201call nuts requiring a stone to crack.\u201d These trees do well in warm, humid environments and can live for over 200 years. Albany Georgia, known as the pecan capital of the world, has over 600,000 pecan trees. Albany, like many other southern locations, hosts an annual pecan festival with activities and contests like parades, cooking contests and even the crowning of the National Pecan Queen. Check out this link<\/a> to find a pecan festival near you.<\/p>\n

Once we got past the discussion of pronunciation, we took a survey of what dish(s) came to mind that include pecans. Both my mom and brother immediately said \u201cPIE!\u201d This was no surprise to me as it is a favorite of them both. My mom makes a tasty pie<\/a>! I said \u201csalad\u201d because I love to add pecans to my salad. My daughter likes them raw as a snack. All the ideas sounded so yummy! The conversation made me resolve to add more recipes including pecans to our weekly DinnerTime Plan<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Not only do they add a wonderful touch to many recipes, but they are considered a \u201csuper food\u201d by nutritionists<\/a>. In fact, pecans are designated\u00a0 heart-healthy when consumed as part of a healthy eating pattern by the American Heart Association\u2019s Heart Check Certification Program<\/a>. The AHA and many other health organizations encourage consuming 1 ounce (15 halves) of pecans as a way to add 10% of the daily requirement of fiber plus healthy fats and protein. At 196 calories per serving, pecans are loaded with 19 vitamins and minerals including Vitamin A, Vitamin E, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and zinc. Pecans can aid in diabetic management, and even weight loss by improving satiety.<\/p>\n

Quick Tips for Cooking and Caring for Pecans<\/h2>\n

Freshness\"\"<\/h3>\n