“What is the best pecan you have?” We hear this question daily at Bass Pecan Company’s retail store. The answer… “It depends.” The best pecan for you depends on how you plan to crack and shell the pecan, as well as how you plan to use it. Most people find it surprising that the taste of pecans varies widely by variety.
There are over 1,000 named varieties of pecans today. At our orchard, we grow about 15 of the most popular newer varieties, including many low-input varieties. During the fall, our crop’s best varieties will be sold to our customers online at www.basspecan.com or in our retail store located at our farm in Mississippi. Even within a particular variety, you can have slight variations of taste due to the weather and the terroir (the taste effects of the location where it is grown). Not only can you taste the difference in a pecan grown in certain areas of the U.S., you can also taste the variation sunlight and rain play on a particular year’s crop. Your favorite tasting pecan may not be my favorite tasting pecan. (By the way, my top 3 for each year will vary based on the pecan crop’s weather conditions.)
Are you planning to shell your pecans by hand? If so, I would recommend Forkert, Gift Pack or Syrup Mill for your eating pleasure. You believe the largest pecan is the best pecan? Then I would suggest Jackson, Cherryle, Excel or Ellis to eat. You want a richer flavored pecan? This is typically due to a very high oil content – Elliott, Lipan or a seedling (native) pecan may be best for you.
Are you cooking and plan to chop your pecans? Then go ahead and purchase our Pecan Pieces where we have already handled the laborious step of chopping just for you. You say you don’t want to crack and shell your own pecans, but you want them freshly cracked? Try one of our Almost Shelled varieties where we crack, shell and blow, removing approximately 90% of the shell and trash. You perform the final step in inspecting the pecans for packing material and shell. Finally, you want the best bang for the buck? At our farm, it is typically Creek or Lakota.
Ask anyone in our store, what is the best pecan? You will get as many answers as the number of varieties harvested and sold that day. It may take you years of purchasing pecans from us to find just the perfect one for you. In the end, I believe that you can’t go wrong with any of them!
FAQs
You want a richer flavored pecan? This is typically due to a very high oil content – Elliott, Lipan or a seedling (native) pecan may be best for you.
What is the best variety of pecans to eat? ›
ee . uht] / Elliot pecans have a small round hard shell making them a little harder to shell. The Elliot variety is one of the most flavorful pecans and a favorite with Georgia Pecan Growers. Elliot pecans produce an oilier meat than other varieties which give it the rich flavor.
What is the sweetest variety of pecans? ›
While thin or "paper-shelled" pecans are easy enough to crack with your bare hand, hard-shelled varieties like the Stuart can have a "discernibly sweeter taste," according to Nuts.com.
Where are the best pecans from? ›
San Saba Pecans set the standard. Regardless of the form you want your pecan to be in, San Saba, Texas is the perfect place to go in order to get quality pecans. Visit San Saba, Texas and enjoy the best pecan ever!
What is the difference between Type 1 and Type 2 pecans? ›
To make things a little more confusing, pecan trees come in type 1 and type 2 varieties, where their pollinating and receptivity are reversed from one another. Type 1 trees produce pollen and then have receptive female flowers. Type 2 trees are going to have receptive flowers first and then produce pollen.
What type is desirable pecan? ›
'Desirable' is supposedly one of the first pecan cultivars developed from a controlled cross. The cross was made in the early 1900's by Carl F. Forkert from Ocean Springs, Jackson County, Miss. The parentage is unknown but may be 'Success' x 'Jewett'.
What is the most expensive pecan? ›
Elliot pecans are generally the most expensive type of pecans.
Are Georgia pecans better? ›
Georgia's pecans are highly desirable due to their size, meatiness and flavor.
What are pecans so expensive? ›
“nu*ts are expensive due to a series of factors related to their production, processing, and shipping. To start, nut trees typically take several years to mature enough to produce a substantial harvest. Once ripe, harvesting nuts like macadamias is labor-intensive and manual.
What state is famous for pecans? ›
Georgia is the largest pecan producing state. Among fifteen pecan producing state, Georgia accounts for one-third of pecan harvest in the US which is nearly 88 million pounds of pecan.
Tropical Hawaii, sunny California, the Amazon rainforest in Peru: These locations are more than vacation destinations—they are a few of the growing areas around the world where Costco's Kirkland Signature™ nuts are sourced.
Which country eats the most pecans? ›
In 2021, the pecan consumption in China amounted to approximately 21,510 metric tons, an increase from 23,433 metric tons in the previous year. That year, China became the world's second-largest pecan market, only next to the United States.
Do all pecans taste the same? ›
Pecans are an incredibly versatile type of nut that you'll find in baked goods and recipes and as a right-out-of-the-bag snack. But no two varieties are the same, and some are better suited to certain purposes than others. Some are sweet, and some are savory. Some have paper-thin shells, and others are thicker.
What is the difference between mammoth pecans and regular pecans? ›
A mammoth half refers to the graded "size" of a pecan half. Our mammoth halves are normally of the Desirable variety. Mammoth is the largest graded-size pecan half on the market. It takes roughly 150 to 200 mammoth pecan halves to make up a pound of pecans.
Why do some pecans taste so bad? ›
Store pecans in cool, dry places away from heat: Because pecans contain such a high amount of healthy, plant-based oils, they are prone to going rancid if they spend too long in warm temperatures.
What are the different grades of pecans? ›
There are four grades of shelled pecans and their order of precedence is Fancy, Choice, Standard and Amber.
