Locals Are Going Nuts Over Texas-Grown Pecans
In partnership with: Texas Department of Agriculture
Pee-can or puh-kaan? No matter how you say it, Texans are loyal to locally grown nuts fresh, roasted or in a pie.
Capable of growing in all 254 Texas counties, the pecan tree is the state tree of Texas and the only commercially grown tree nut that grows naturally in North America. While pistachios and black walnuts are grown in Texas, the state’s top tree nut is the pecan.
Of Algonquin origin, the word “pecan” was used to describe “all nuts requiring a stone to crack.”
With a steady increase in U.S. production from 2.2 million pounds annually in 1920 to close to 300 million pounds today, Texas is a leading pecan grower and the top producer of pecans where pecan trees are native.
“Pecan fossil remains show that the pecan tree and nut were prehistoric and predated the first arrival of humans in North America,” explains Blair Krebs, executive director of the Texas Pecan Growers Association and publisher of Pecan South Magazine.
With 600 members, the supports pecan growers with education, research, marketing, promotion and advocacy efforts.
“Texans are emotionally connected to pecans, and they span across many cultures, so it is a wonderful product to promote,” Krebs says.
A staple of Texas agriculture, pecans are also a healthy and tasty food to add to your regular diet, not just in sweets.
“It’s great everyone can enjoy pecans,” Krebs says. “They’re a healthy food and you can eat them whether you are looking for sweet or savory flavors.”
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Berdoll Pecan Candy & Gift Company
In Cedar Creek, Jennifer Wammack of Berdoll Pecan Candy & Gift Company also has a history of pecans in her backyard.
Her parents started Berdoll Pecans in 1980 when they planted 5,000 pecan trees on property her dad inherited from his parents. “The land has good soil and near the Colorado River, which is good for growing pecans,” Wammack says.
Her parents no longer own the pecan orchards, but many of the pecans sold at Berdoll Pecans are grown on the same land.
Wammack and her husband, Jared, now operate Berdoll, and everything is made on-site in their factory next to their retail store. They sell a variety of items from candles and wind chimes to Texas souvenirs, in addition to flavored pecans, homemade fudge and pecan pies.
“My husband and I want to be really good at what we do, making 20 flavors of candies and sticking with the really good options to make them the best,” Wammack says. Their 20 flavors range from Texas Mesquite Barbeque Pecans to White Chocolate Caramel Pecan Clusters, with Honey Glazed being their top-selling pecan. Home to Ms. Pearl, the famed giant squirrel statue, Berdoll is known also for its pecan pie vending machine and large online store, berdoll.com.
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Davis Mountains Nut Company
Back in the 1990s, Gus Billing in Fort Davis had 10 pecan trees behind his house and found that he couldn’t give away all the nuts they produced to his friends and family. However, he didn’t want them to go to waste.
His brother came up with the idea of selling the pecans at festivals and bazaars, which turned into the Davis Mountains Nut Company store in 2003.
“Everything here is made one small batch at a time without big equipment with excellent quality control,” he says.
Billing uses one sheller, also in Texas, and for his customers staying away from sugar, he says that roasted and salted pecans are his best sellers. “I sell 5 to 6 pounds at a time,” he adds.
With 12 pecan flavors from Cinnamon Toast to Jalapeno Salt, Davis offers free samples to customers in the store with all options found online at allpecans.com.
“Pecans simply have a great flavor,” Billing says. “They’re the best-tasting nut on the planet.”