Pecans

Varieties
Desirable, Stuart, Stuart Blend, Western and Eastern Schley, Sumner, Wichita and more.

Availability
Harvest season is from October through February. After February, the recent harvest is still available the remainder of the year from our cold storage.

Packing
In-Shell 3, 5, 10, 25 mesh bags and 50 lb. bulk bags.

 Shelled 
• 8 oz., 12 oz. and 1 lb bags
• 30 lb bulk bag in boxes
*Flavored pecans are also available.

Storage
At room temperature, 70 degree F, the shelf life is about 4 months.
At 32 degrees F, the shelf life is about 18 months.
At 0 degrees F, the shelf life is 24-60 months.

Why Pecans
A one-ounce serving of pecans contains 196 calories, 2.7 grams dietary fiber and over 19 vitamins and minerals including vitamin A, vitamin E, calcium, potassium and zinc. Pecans are also a good source of oleic acid, vitamin B1, thiamin, magnesium and protein.

Antioxidants
A laboratory analysis and comparison of the antioxidant power of 100 foods completed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that pecans ranked among the top 20 foods for antioxidant capacity. The study also found that pecans have the highest amount of antioxidants of the nuts tested, including almonds or walnuts. The antioxidant compounds found naturally in pecans, including vitamin E, ellagic acid and flavonoids, are believed to help prevent disease-causing oxidation in cells. Such oxidative damage has been linked to developing a wide variety of diseases including heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s Disease.

Other health benefits include:
Blood Pressure
While eating pecans and other nuts can’t cure high blood pressure, they are an important part of the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating plan, developed by the National Institutes of Health.

Breast Cancer
Pecans are a rich source of oleic acid, the same type of fatty acid found in olive oil. Researchers from Northwestern University in Chicago recently found in laboratory tests that oleic acid has the ability to suppress the activity of a gene in cells thought to trigger breast cancer. A one-ounce serving of pecans provides about 25 percent more oleic acid than a one-tablespoon serving of olive oil.

Heart Health
Researchers from Loma Linda University in California and New Mexico State University have confirmed that when pecans are part of the daily diet, levels of bad cholesterol in the blood drop. Pecans get their cholesterol-lowering ability from both the type of fat they contain and the presence of beta-sitosterol, a natural cholesterol-lowering compound.

Prostate Health
The same natural compound that gives pecans its cholesterol-lowering power has also been shown to be effective in treating the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate gland in men.

Weight Control
Nuts are a part of most universally accepted balanced diets, such as the “Mediterranean Diet,” which includes fish, poultry, vegetables, fresh and dried fruit, nuts, grains, olives and olive oil.

Source: http://www.georgiapecans.org/health-a-nutrition/overview

Quality/Color
The color classifications at 51.1436 in the USDA's grades for standards of shelled pecans.
They are as follows:

1.     The skin color of pecan kernels may be described in terms of the color classifications provided in this section. When the color of kernels in a lot generally conforms to the "light" or "light amber" classification, that color classification may be used to describe the lot in connection with the grade.

• "Light" means that the kernel is mostly golden color or lighter, with not more than 25 percent of the surface darker than golden, and none of the surface darker than light brown.

• "Light amber" means that the kernel has more than 25 percent of its surface light brown, but not more than 25 percent of the surface darker than light brown, and none of the surface darker than medium brown.

• "Amber" means that the kernel has more than 25 percent of the surface medium brown, but not more than 25 percent of the surface darker than medium brown, and none of the surface darker than dark brown (very dark-brown or blackish-brown discoloration).

• "Dark amber" means that the kernel has more than 25 percent of the surface dark brown, but not more than 25 percent of the surface darker than dark brown (very dark-brown or blackish-brown discoloration).

Also, the following descriptions from the National Pecan Shellers Association Voluntary Guidelines for Purchasing Inshell Pecans are appropriate for determining grades:

# 1 Kernel (Fancy)
Bright colored, full bodied, solid

# 2 Kernel (Choice)
Light weight, bright in color; full bodied, slightly off color;

# 3 Kernel (Standard)
Amber colored; either full bodied or light weight

Grades
Fancy, Choice, Standard, Amber