Dallas Morning News – December 5, 2019
Crispy Pecans – and other nuts to you!
Crispy Pecans are easy to make and pretty much fool proof.
Mix 4 cups (about one pound) of pecan halves with salt and enough filtered water to completely cover the nuts. Use 2 teaspoons (or more) of a quality sea salt such as Redmond. For a little kick, you might try adding a little cayenne pepper (1 teaspoon) to the liquid soak. Then leave the mixture in a warm place for at least 8 hours. Drain and rinse in a colander.
 Season the nuts prior to roasting |
Spread the nuts on a stainless steel baking pan/cookie sheet coated with real butter and place in a warm oven (150 to 170 degrees) for 12 to 24 hours. Set the oven at the lowest temperature possible. Turn the nuts occasionally until they are completely dry and crisp. The soaking and slow over-drying enhances the wonderful buttery flavor of the nuts. Store the finished snack in an airtight glass container and enjoy a delicious and healthy treat often.
 Your kitchen will smell wonderful as these nuts bake slowly at the lowest oven setting |
An even more flavorful version I learned from a friend that can be done in less time (and tastes fantastic) is this:
Also for 4 cups of pecan halves, use 3 tbs butter, 3 tbs Worcestershire sauce. 1 tsp cinnamon powder, 1 tsp sea salt, ¼ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp garlic powder and a dash of Tabasco. Melt the butter in heavy skillet, add the rest and bake at 300 degrees 25 minutes stirring until pecans are crisp. Yummy!
 Almonds (pictured), walnuts, and other nuts are also excellent crispy |
These techniques can also be used with walnuts, almonds, and other nuts. Almonds are really good. No matter what you select, look for nuts that are plump and healthy looking. Shriveled and undersized nuts will not fatten up and get better. Of course, I also recommend organically grown nuts. Not only will they be free of toxic chemicals, they will have higher quality oil and better flavor. By the way – just as the most robust nuts are best, culling out the thinnest and smallest seeds when planting your tomatoes and other vegetables is a help in having bigger and stronger plants and produce.
A new recipe (June 2020) you might want to try:
An even more flavorful version I learned from a friend that can be done in less time (and tastes fantastic) is this:
Also for 4 cups of pecan halves, use 3 tbs butter, 3 tbs Worcestershire type sauce. My favorite is Organic Coco Aminos. 1 tsp cinnamon powder, 1 tsp sea salt, ¼ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp garlic powder and a dash of Tabasco. Melt the butter in heavy skillet, add the rest and bake at 300 degrees 25 minutes stirring until pecans are crisp. Yummy!
These taste-improved nuts also seem to be more digestible and thus better for you. Enjoy some soon and treat your friends and family to an unusual treat.