Pecans

[chellers]

I've always called em' p'khans too.

Yeah, that's it, p'khans. That is a better description of my pronunciation. Thanks, Mr. Sailhorst.

 

[reading48]

While in the military stationed in S.C. ...You Good Old Boys/Gals...turned out Heavenly Pecan Pies...

 

[Albert Sailhorst]

No problem, Chellers.....It took me a while to figure out how to type it!!

 

[RobertP]

Native range of the pecan tree. Interesting in that I didn't realize it went so far north. In the deep South it was always puh-kahn', if you said pee'-can it was a sure tip off that you were a Yankee. (Well, that plus the Bermuda shorts, black socks and hard-soled shoes at the beach ).

And since praw'-leens, though French in origin, got their American start in New Orleans with the ready access to puh-kahns' and shug'-ah, and that's the way it's pronounced in the Big Easy, that's the correct way to say it.

 

[donna]

However, they are pronounced, they are delicious and make a great pie.

 

[RobertP]

However, they are pronounced, they are delicious and make a great pie.

Was researching Oak Alley Plantation house (my all time fav) for another thread and came about this really interesting note about the origin of the paper shell pecan - what we all use in cooking now. As you probably know, native pecans have a very thick shell with much less meat than native pecans have. The trade off is flavor. Native pecans are richer tasting and now used commercially in candy making but really darned hard to crack.

The most noted slave who lived on Oak Alley Plantation was a field slave named Antoine. He was listed as "Antoine, 38, Creole Negro gardener/expert grafter of pecan trees", with a value of $1,000 in the inventory of the estate conducted on J.T. Roman's death in 1848. Antoine was a master of the techniques of grafting and, after trial with several trees, succeeded in the winter of 1846 in producing a variety of pecan that could be cracked with one's bare hands; the shell was so thin it was dubbed the "paper shell" pecan. It was later named the Centennial Variety when entered in competition at the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, where it won a prize. The trees may be found throughout southern Louisiana, where the pecan was once a considerable cash crop. Although Antoine's original trees were cleared for more sugarcane fields after the Civil War, a commercial grove had been planted at nearby Anita Plantation. Unfortunately, the Anita Crevasse (river break) of 1990 washed away Anita Plantation and all remains of the original Centennial pecans.

 

[donna]

I recently posted recipe for Hickory Cake. Thought I would post this old recipe from the my Granny's Church's Cookbook. Someone had asked about a Pecan Cake. This is a delicious cake and was always popular at the cake sales held at my Granny's Church.

Kentucky Pecan Cake

2 cups sugar
4 cups flour
6 eggs, separated
1/2 lb. butter, oleo or margarine
1 1/2 lbs. golden raisins
1/2 lb. shredded coconut
4 cups shelled pecans
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup finely chopped candied orange peel
1 cup finely chopped candied cherries
2 teaspoons baking powder or 1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon nutmeg

Cream butter; add sugar and cream until fluffy. Sift and measure flour; put back in sifter and add nutmeg and soda or baking powder. To the butter and sugar add egg yolks, well beaten. Next add the sifted dry ingredients alternately with the liquid. Beat egg whites stiff and fold in. Dust fruit and nuts with extra flour (about 3/4 cup). Fold in using a gentle touch. Line a 9 inch tube cake pan. Tap the fruited batter as you fill so there will be no air pockets but don't tromp down. Bake at 300 degrees for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. To store, wrap in a whiskey or wine damped cloth. Place in airtight container.

This is a great cake for the upcoming holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas.

From: Cookbook, South Elkhorn Christian Church, South Elkhorn, Kentucky.

 

[chellers]

Oh, yeah, I am so ready for this year's harvest of pecans!

 

[Northern Light]

I've always called em' p'khans too.

On a trip to Florida many moons ago, a waitress was listing off the types of pies on the menu. When she came to pkahn. I could not figure out what she was saying, and asked her to repeat herself twice. Finally, she just told me they were"nawts that grow hereabouts" and I figured out what she meant. Although I grew up calling them pee-cans, in our family it is still "pkahn pie"!

 

[Northern Light]

Oh, yeah, I am so ready for this year's harvest of pecans!

View attachment 48115

I LOVE pecans, almost the only nut I eat! I don't really care for walnuts or hazelnuts. Almonds are okay, but pecans, YUMMMMMM!

 

[Northern Light]

Friends sent us 5 lbs of shelled Cane River (Louisiana) Pecans for Christmas and they are delicious. MrsP is planning to make a pecan pie this weekend - my very favorite - and I'm going to see if she will also toast a batch for snacks. Growing up, they were a staple at Christmas time and I haven't had any in a long time. She also has a recipe for cinnamon meringue pecans which is to die for. I'll see if I can find it.

How lucky! You must have nice friends.

 

[dlofting]

We went to a comedy play in Natchez during Pilgrimmage where one of the actors said that a pee-can is something you take on a boat with you when you go fishing......helps to remind me of the "southern" pronunciation.

 

[diane]

My pal Forrest couldn't make any money with cotton or corn on his Mississippi plantation in Coahoma County - but now it's growing luscious pecans and making a bundle! Think the general should have tried pecans...! However...I'm going to get pelted with spent pecan shells! - the world's largest pecan grove is in...Arizona. (Guy who started it failed at cotton growing, too!)

 

[donna]

March 25 was National Pecan Day, so thought bring this thread back up.

 

[MRB1863]

Miller's near Lancaster PA on Route 30 sells Chocolate Pecan Pie:
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Also near Caledonia on Route 30 there was a gift shop that sold pecan logs. They had signs all along 30. Reminded me of the Burma Shave style signs placed at regular intervals. They also sold moccasins don't know if they are still open or not.

 

[Northern Light]

Miller's near Lancaster PA on Route 30 sells Chocolate Pecan Pie:
Expired Image Removed
Also near Caledonia on Route 30 there was a gift shop that sold pecan logs. They had signs all along 30. Reminded me of the Burma Shave style signs placed at regular intervals. They also sold moccasins don't know if they are still open or not.

OH MY GOODNESS, chocolate and pecans together in a pie! Heavenly!

 

[nitrofd]

The best pecans are the Stuart variety also known as paper shelled pecans because you can put two in your hand and Crack them open.the largest pec a no come from Texas which are good but they tend to dry out faster.

 

[Awanita]

How do you say pecan? Are they pee-KAHNs, pee-CANs, PEE-cans, pick-AHNs or some other pronunciation? How do YOU say pecan? I say pick-AHN. But, anyway you say it, I'll eat 'em! They are my favorite nut!

Turns out, it depends on where you're from. Joshua Katz, a doctoral student studying statistics at NC State University, recently created interactive dialect maps using data from Bert Vaux at the University of Cambridge. For example, check out the map showing how people pronounce "pecan":
View attachment 26364
It shows that pee-KAHN is dominant nationwide, but in areas of Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Mississippi, pick-AHN reigns supreme. PEE-can is popular on the East Coast and in New England, while folks from Wisconsin, northern Minnesota and Michigan's Upper Peninsula go with PEE-kahn.

The linguistics department at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee just also shared a pecan pronunciation map that gives another option – where people may say pee-KAHN by itself, but then say PEE-can when using a compound word, like pecan pie. http://farmflavor.com/how-do-you-say-pecan-mapping-food-dialect-trends-across-the-u-s/

Mrs. P's cinnamon meringue pecans sound amazing! Looking forward to that recipe!

Well growing up in the delta flat lands of (Arkansaw) Arkansas we call them puh-kons Drop the E sound and make more of a short vowel sound of U. Doesn't matter how you say it they are still dang good. Peace Awanita

 

[Awanita]

The best pecans are the Stuart variety also known as paper shelled pecans because you can put two in your hand and Crack them open.the largest pec a no come from Texas which are good but they tend to dry out faster.

We have a cross between a stuart. Little bigger than the stuart and easy to crack. The flavor is great. we have one tree and year before last we put up 25 gallon bags then gave the rest away to my cousin. I never was so tired of hand shelling. Last year nothing. We should have a good crop this year. It is a huge tree, lord the squirrels have a hay day in that thing.

 

[28thNewYork]

Growing up in Western New York and having married someone from South Georgia, I have grown accustomed to hearing (and pronouncing) the words spelled "PECAN" and "PRALINE" in so many different ways that I have forgotten.

Miller's pie, previously mentioned, should at least be on everyone's "Bucket List". Indescribable....it's that good.