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Nut Sisters Excerpt from December 2001 newsletter Patsy Flanigan
Holiday baking time just wouldn't be right without the "nut sisters" PECANS and WALNUTS. Yes, these two popular nuts are actually related. More specifically, pecans are members of the walnut family. You might have guessed that when you notice that the nut kernels both have the distinctive wrinkled appearance.
Pecans are the sweeter of the two, famous in pecan pie, cakes and cookies. The Thanksgiving sweet potato dish, just has to have pecans to add a little crunch and extra flavor. Walnuts are also used in cakes etc., but also can be used where a more savory flavor is preferred such as in "meat" loaves and veggie burgers.
Both pecans and walnuts are what you might call American nuts. Today their growing area is most importantly on the North American continent. The "English" Walnut that is so popular in this country had its origin in the Orient. It was not known in England until about 400 years ago. China is still a major grower of Walnuts, as is India, but European production is comparatively low.
Pecans are actually indigenous to North America. Indians in the southern United States knew and used pecans long before the early Spanish explorers arrived. Today, pecans grow all across our southern states and have significant plantings in Mexico. They are beautiful and long lived trees. Some are known to be as much as 200 years old.
Nutritionally, pecans and walnuts are somewhat similar. Neither, of course, has any cholesterol since they are from plants; but their oils, while mainly the "good" kind, are different. Walnuts have more polyunsaturated fat while pecans have a greater percentage of monounsaturated fat.
An old favorite of the Holiday season is the fruitcake. There are many variations on this seasonal treat. Some use pecans and others use walnuts. You can use your imagination to create your favorite, choosing the kind and amount of fruit you prefer. In case you would like to enjoy baking an old fashioned fruitcake this year, we have included a recipe in this Newsletter. It can be your starting point as you customize to your taste.
Happy Holiday Baking! |
