Words and Photos by Stephanie Cameron
When I was growing up, pecans always conjured the holidays. Pecans were mixed into my grandmother’s famous Chex mix, stored in decorated tins, and delivered to neighbors as gifts. They were placed on the coffee table, still in their shells and spilling out of bowls, with nutcrackers nearby. My brother and I would challenge each other to crack the perfect pecan, carefully lifting the halves from the shells with a metal pick to put forth the unbroken gems. But nine times out of ten, neither of us won, and we would quickly consume the bits and pieces as we snatched up another shell to try again.
This edition of Cooking Fresh is an ode to those pecan memories and provides make-ahead recipes for holiday get-togethers. Whether hosting the festivities or bringing food to another’s celebration, you can pick and choose from the ideas below or make them all for a pecan-themed party.
Mi Cocina denim placemats and napkins, A Bar Above cocktail set, Logan Wannamaker pottery, and Lauren Green serving tray, courtesy of Black Diamond Curio in Santa Fe.
Sourcing Notes
For these recipes, we sourced our pecans from Del Valle Pecans in the Mesilla Valley. Del Valle Pecans was first certified organic in 1994 and was one of only a handful of such pecan orchards in New Mexico at the time. Because they don’t use insecticides, their tree canopy supports a vast diversity of beneficial insects, including several kinds of ladybugs, lacewings, wasps, spiders, ants, butterflies, and beetles. They use minimal tillage to keep the soil healthy, build organic matter, and sequester carbon from the atmosphere. Healthy soil supports the microbes that feed the trees, enabling productive growth without the use of synthetic fertilizers.
Over the years, Del Valle has grown along with demand for organic pecans. Early on, the family orchard’s original operator, Sally Harper, helped a couple of neighbors and friends transition their small orchards to organic. Over the years, Harper mentored numerous other pecan growers in the valley, supporting them through the organic certification process and working with them to adopt sustainable farm management practices. Del Valle now partners with about ten small orchards to harvest, process, and distribute their pecans under the Del Valle Pecans brand. The Harper family, now in its second generation of pecan growers, continues to work closely with farmers, both those already growing organically and those who they hope will one day take the plunge.
Del Valle Pecans can be bought online or through Skarsgard Farms or La Moñtanita Co-op.
Storing Pecans
To keep raw pecans fresh and sweet, they are best stored in an airtight container in the freezer or refrigerator. Frozen, they will maintain their goodness for up to twenty-four months; refrigerated, they keep for up to twelve months. Cold storage helps keep the nutritious oils at their best. Pecans can be thawed and refrozen without any loss of quality.
Edible celebrates New Mexico's food culture, season by season. We believe that knowing where our food comes from is a powerful thing. With our high-quality, aesthetically pleasing and informative publication, we inspire readers to support and celebrate the growers, producers, chefs, beverage and food artisans, and other food professionals in our community.
