Nutty Pecan Facts
Learn more about pecans in this video including these top tips:
- Roast them to add flavor
- Store properly to make them last longer
- Save money with pieces (especially if you are using a recipe that calls for pieces)
![American Made](https://ilovepecans.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/AdobeStock_93482538.jpeg)
American Made
The U.S. produces about 80 percent of the world’s pecan crop.
![Varieties](https://ilovepecans.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/NPSA_ChefSummit_IMG_0644.jpg)
Varieties
There are over 1,000 varieties of pecans. Many are named for Native American tribes, including Cheyenne, Mohawk, Sioux, Choctaw and Shawnee.
![Sizes](https://ilovepecans.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/AdobeStock_183010255-1.jpeg)
Sizes
Pecans come in a variety of sizes – mammoth, extra-large, large, medium, small and extra small. They also come in several forms including whole pecans, pecan halves, pieces, granules and meal.
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Heart Healthy
Since 2012 The American Heart Association®’ has certified select pecan halves and pieces as heart healthy food.
![Availability](https://ilovepecans.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/AdobeStock_184816537.jpeg)
Availability
Pecans are now more accessible than ever before. You’ll find them at your favorite grocery store, local farmer’s market or restaurant.
![Production](https://ilovepecans.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/pecans-1.jpg)
Production
Some of the larger pecan shellers process 150,000 pounds of pecans each day. That’s enough to make 300,000 pecan pies!
![Process](https://ilovepecans.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Pecan-sorting-567x372.jpg)
Process
Before a shelled pecan is ready to be sold, it must first be cleaned, sized, sterilized, cracked and finally, shelled.
![Albany, GA](https://ilovepecans.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Sunnyland-Farms-600x393.jpg)
Albany, GA
Albany, Georgia, which boasts more than 600,000 pecan trees, is the pecan capital of the U.S.
![Naturally Nutritious](https://ilovepecans.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/salad.jpg)
Naturally Nutritious
Pecans are naturally nutritious containing 14 vitamins and minerals in a single serving.
![Magnificent Tree](https://ilovepecans.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Harvest-tractor-600x393.jpg)
Magnificent Tree
It takes a magnificent tree to produce a great-tasting nut. Pecan trees usually range in height from 70 to 100 feet, but some trees grow as tall as 150 feet or higher. Native pecan trees – those over 150 years old – have trunks more than three feet in diameter.
![Texas](https://ilovepecans.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/AdobeStock_58478392.jpeg)
Texas
Texas adopted the pecan tree as its state tree in 1919. In fact, Texas Governor James Hogg liked pecan trees so much that he asked if a pecan tree could be planted at his gravesite when he died.
![FDA](https://ilovepecans.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/496532228.jpg)
FDA
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has acknowledged and approved the following qualified health claim: “Scientific evidence suggests, but does not prove, that eating 1.5 ounces per day of most nuts, such as pecans, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease.”