Prized nut favored by squirrels and crows is tasty to humans, too, especially in a pie
With the arrival of fall’s cooler days and nights, Lowcountry cooks will be firing up their ovens, baking cakes, pastries and pies, getting an early start on the upcoming holiday season. They’ll make some to enjoy now and some to pop in the freezer for later. One of those goodies that really freezes well, a favorite of many, is a mouth-watering pecan pie.
Lucky for us — and also making squirrels and crows happy — this year’s pecan crop is falling early from the trees. Our front lawn is peppered with small seedling pecans that go flying from under the lawn mower with an end-of-summer mowing.
This seedling variety pecan tree, which I’ve watched grow from a mere twig into a 50- to 60-foot tree over the past 50 years, is making a lot of bushy-tailed squirrels happy as they scamper across the grass. They’re taking their share of nuts to store away for winter months. This variety of pecans may be small, but it’s jam-packed with tasty nut meats.
Gathering pecans in the fall
A cluster of really large pecan trees adjoins our property across Stoney Creek in what now is the home to Stoney Crest Campground. But back in the day, it was the home of the Niver family.
My older brother, Phillip Simmons, would take me on his bike, with me riding on the handlebars, from our home, a hop, skip and a jump to the pecan orchard, so we could pick up the fall harvest of pecans. Ruth L. Niver, owner of the orchard and revered teacher of 1st and 2nd grades at the original Bluffton High School, depended on us to gather pecans for her. She had taught me and my siblings, my parents, as well as a host of other natives, at the school, which at the time housed grades 1-12. In the ‘60s, she taught my sons, too.
Phillip and I picked up pecans for her each year, emptying our filled buckets on the floor of her bedroom. We literally covered the floor with just room enough left for her bed. Our payment for service rendered was a 50-pound crocus bag filled with fresh pecans, which made our mama deliriously happy. She stored them away in her kitchen closet until time for holiday baking.
Pecans become a booming business
Pecans are a prized commodity in any home, and they have put some small towns on the map. What the Tarver family started over 60 years ago as a small pit stop for travelers going through Tattnall County, Georgia, now has grown into a largest pecan-shelling and candy-making business in Georgia. Mascot Pecan Shelling Company began in 1953, starting out as a gas station and gift shop for tourists traveling from the northeast to Florida. Eventually, the business outgrew their mom’s ability to shell the pecans by hand. It now has many hired workers and machinery that can produce over 6,000 pounds of chocolate pecan candy in an eight-hour shift. Now that’s a lot of candy!
Pecan goodies from the kitchen
Back when we were dating, my soon-to-be husband, Harry, and I went to the State Fair in Columbia. On the way, traveling up Highway 321, we stopped at a roadside diner in Denmark, S.C., to grab a bite to eat. We had a slice of the best pecan pie I’d ever tasted. After practically begging for the recipe, our waitress went to the kitchen and came back with it written on the back of paper from her ticket book. I still have this prized possession and am sharing it, along with a photo of the resulting pie, specially made for this article.
Jean’s Pecan Pie
1 cup sugar, 2/3 cup white Karo syrup, ½ stick melted butter, 3 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 Tbsp flour, 1 cup chopped pecans, 1 unbaked pie crust. Combine all ingredients, pour into unbaked pie crust, bake at 350 degrees approximately 1 hour until firm to touch in center.
Jean’s Glazed Pecans
1 cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup water, ½ tsp vanilla, 2 cups pecan halves. Bring water and sugar to boil, cooking to soft ball stage (takes 1-2 minutes after boiling starts). Add vanilla along with pecans, stirring to coat, and spread on cookie sheet to cool. For folks that like a little sweet & spicy, sprinkle a dash of cinnamon to the sugar/water mix.
“Only those who will love longer than they expected to can truly love pecan pie, which doesn’t explain its status as death row’s most requested last dessert, or why chopped pecans, corn syrup, directions from the Karo bottle’s cherry-red side are what mercy tastes like to some. But there you have it.” -- anonymous