The pecan is the state nut of Alabama, Arkansas, California, Texas, and Louisiana, but Georgia is the top pecan producing state in the United States—and has been since the early 1800s—with more than 170,000 acres planted in pecan trees. State pecan growers annually produce one-third of all the pecans in our country.

(In 2020, Gov. Brian Kemp declared the pecan as the official state nut of Georgia.)

The U.S. produces 50 to 60 percent of the world’s pecans, which are a tasty treat whether you crack them out of their shells and consume them raw or find them in all kinds of desserts.  Nothing like pecan pie to top off a meal.

Statistics provided by the University of Georgia confirm that an annual pecan harvest in our state is 80 to 100 million pounds.  Most of the production takes place in the middle of the state to the south, with some orchards measuring several thousand acres.

Growing up, my mother’s pecan pie was the greatest treat.  I didn’t care that it was loaded with sugar.  A single slice of an average pecan pie will have 30 to 50 grams of sugar, which would make a registered dietitian recoil in horror.

No nutrition therapist would recommend that you eat dessert to begin with, and they would be appalled if you ordered pecan pie at a popular restaurant in the heart of pecan country in South Georgia.

When you have had a delicious vegetable plate for lunch and then are blessed with pecan pie for dessert, who cares about what the dietitians and nutritionists say.

Internet research confirms that there are countless pecan treats, from the traditional pie to praline pecan French toast, to butter pecan ice cream sandwiches.

I’ll bet you don’t know just how many eyebrow-raising pecan dishes there are: red cabbage with cider and pecans; chicken salad with grapes and pecans; and brussels sprout slaw with apples and pecans.

My favorite pecan treat, which came about in the fall years ago, was when the pecans fell from the trees to the ground and we could gather a handful, crack the soft shell, and enjoy the tastiest snack.

The pecan is the only native nut in North America and (sugar content notwithstanding) contains more than 19 vitamins and minerals—which means pecans can help lower your cholesterol.  It can also aid in weight loss, according to the Georgia Pecan Growers Association.

Bobby Walden, who was the last great punter of the Wallace Butts–UGA era, honed his superb punting skills by kicking a football into the pecan trees in his yard to shake loose the pecan clusters, causing them to fall to the ground.

Harvesting pecans was a bit of a challenge since most homeowners of those times did not own any mechanical devices to release the pecans from their host trees.  You might ride by a neighbor’s house and see him with a long cane fishing pole, trying to knock pecans loose from their bunches.

I will always maintain a great affinity for pecan trees, which provided the greatest shade in an era when there was no air conditioning.  I could stuff a Crocker sack with leaves to fashion a pillow and lie down under those pecan limbs and read books—my favorite pastime. 

Casual research will connect you to the most interesting facts about pecans which were a staple of the diets of the native Americans, dating back to the 1600’s.

Presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson planted pecan trees on their plantations.  The pecan has been important to our nation for a long, long time.