Here at Ayoub’s Dried Fruit and Nuts, we are passionate about the products we sell. Not only do we endeavor to source the very best quality nuts, seeds, spices, and snacks for our stores, but we also like to learn as much about them as possible. So here are ten fascinating facts that we have learned about pecans. 

The History Of Pecans Can Be Traced Back Centuries

Although pecans were domesticated quite late compared to other nuts, their history can be traced back a long way. Nutritious and plentiful, pecans were an essential part of the native diet and grew wild across Northern Mexico and the Southern United States. 

Pecans Aren’t Really Nuts!

Like most nuts, pecans aren’t really nuts at all - they’re seeds. Almonds, pistachios, cashews, and pecans are all examples of seeds masquerading as nuts, and peanuts are technically a legume! 

Pecans Were First Grown Commercially In The 1880s

Pecans were eaten for centuries before they were first commercially grown. In the United States, the first commercially grown pecan trees appeared in the 1880s.

Pecan Trees Can Live For Centuries 

Pecan trees can live for a very long time and will continue to bear edible nuts for more than 300 years! That’s a lot of pecan harvests. 

Pecan Trees Are Deciduous 

Pecan trees are deciduous, which means that they shed their leaves each autumn. Trees that don’t shed their leaves are known as Evergreen because they maintain their green foliage all year round. 

Pecan Wood Is Also A Valuable Crop 

It’s not just tasty pecan nuts that make pecan growers a profit. Pecan wood is also valuable and is used to make wooden furniture and flooring, as well as to add flavor to smoked meats. 

Pecan Nuts Are High In Healthy Fats

Pecans are largely made up of fat. In fact, they’re more than 72% fat! But don’t worry, pecans are made from heart-healthy fats, principally monounsaturated fatty acids such as oleic acid and polyunsaturated fatty acids such as linoleic acid. 

80% Of Pecans Are Grown In The US 

The United States is responsible for more than 80% of global pecan production, supplying markets all over the world. The remaining 20% of pecan production comes from countries such as Peru, Brazil, Israel, South Africa, and Australia. 

Pecan Trees Have Off-Years 

A lot of energy goes into growing pecan nuts, so pecan trees tend to have off-years where they produce a much lighter crop. These off-years tend to alternate with bumper crop years on-off-on-off and so forth. 

About 78 Pecans Are Used In The Average Pecan Pie

Finally, we thought we’d end with one of the most random facts of them all - the average pecan pie contains approximately 78 pecans. That’s quite a lot of nuts!