THE FRESH HARVEST IS IN!!!

And we are very excited about the fresh harvest.  This year’s crop looks and tastes outstanding!!  Due to the late winter and the recent drought, we have definitely seen a delay in the pecans filling out on the trees.  However, the quality is excellent.  We know we are delayed in getting some orders out, but I will tell you, it is definitely worth the wait.  We are so proud of our pecans.  We are proud of our efforts that go on year round in taking care of our orchards to insure a quality product each and every fall.  

Early last month I was making a quick run in one of the national megastores near my house.  It shocked me when I walked in because there before me was an end cap that had a sign “Fresh Nuts”.  On the display were walnuts, almonds, and shockingly pecans.  I am not any form of an expert in walnuts nor almonds, but I feel quite confident when it comes to pecans.  That is why I was so stricken with seeing “Fresh Pecans” at a time when I knew our pecans were going to be late.  I took the package off the display and added it to my shopping for the day.  

For this newsletter I wanted to give you a visual so I took a photo of the product.  I removed any labeling so we could protect the somewhat innocent:

Do you notice anything about the packaging??  Pecans are sensitive nuts.  Pecans have a tendency to spoil and become rancid if not properly stored.  Pecans can be frozen up to two years if kept in a tightly sealed bag.  These pecans were wrapped in a light saran wrap with a foam bottom much like steak.  These pecans would have a hard time being kept in a freezer environment in the event you would want to eat or cook at a later time.  

Notice anything else?  Check out the next picture.

Fresh pecans have a beautiful, golden color not a dark brown.  Initially, I thought these may be roasted pecans because of the color.  I opened the package and tasted the pecans.  They were not roasted.  Surprisingly, they were not rancid, but honestly, there was not a taste. The pecans were just something crunchy in my mouth.  

My observation based on my knowledge of the pecan crop this year and the coloration of the pecans I had purchased…last year’s crop not properly stored.  

Things to keep in mind when buying pecans:

1. Don’t believe everything you read.  Just because it says fresh harvest doesn’t mean it is.
2. Look for an expiration date.  Pecans can be frozen up to two years.  If the package you pick up indicates that it can be frozen up to two years AND it discloses a 2011 date, you have prior year crop.
3. Look at the color of the pecans.
4. Make sure the bag the pecans are sold in is air-tight.  This will slow down the aging process.  It also will keep the pecans safe when they are frozen.

At Bass Pecan we always want you to have the best-tasting, highest-quality pecan.  That is why we have our 100% satisfaction guarantee.  If you are not satisfied, return the pecans and we will either replace your product or refund your money.