March 2020

Pecan Praline Honey Butter

Butter Pecan Ice Cream By Samantha, Five Heart Home Prep time: 5 min | Cook time: 10 min| Total time: 15 minutes Ingredients 1/4 cup pecans 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature 1/3 cup honey 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon salt Instructions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Measure out pecans and then finely mince. Spread minced pecans in...

House Passes COVID-19 Economic Stimulus Package

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the COVID-19 economic stimulus package today and sent it to President Donald Trump to enact. Supported by both Democrats and Republicans, the $2 Trillion stimulus package includes one-time cash payments to adults, emergency relief money for airports, public transportation and hospitals, up to four months of pay to laid-off...

APC’s February Position Report Shows Early Effects of COVID-19 & Offers Hope

Released the week of March 23, the American Pecan Council’s February 2020 Pecan Industry Position Report provides insight into pecans’ movement throughout February and also shows the early effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. While northern hemisphere growers spot their first buds and producers in the southern hemisphere enter the final phase of nut development, industry...

New Study Suggests Australians Should Increase Their Nut Consumption

March 11, 2020. A recent study, published in the journal Public Health Nutrition1, revealed that 40 percent of Australians were found to be “nut consumers,” but just 2 percent ate the recommended 30 grams of nuts a day (about a handful); the other 60 percent did not report eating any nuts.  This study, carried out...

Before You Fertilize, Understand What Your Trees Need

With the 2019 harvest behind us, it is time to get ready for the 2020 crop. Whether you are growing natives or improved cultivars, one of the first management decisions you need to make is your fertilization plan. Nutrient management is one of the most crucial tools to optimize pecan production. A nutrient plan must...

Remembering Pecan Shelling Pioneer Jasper B. Sanfilippo Sr.

Jasper B. Sanfilippo Sr., 88, was born on March 26, 1931 in Chicago, and passed away peacefully at home in Barrington Hills, Illinois, on Jan. 28, 2020 surrounded by family. Mr. Sanfilippo attended Lake View High School in Chicago and was a 1953 graduate of the University of Illinois. After graduation, he served six months...

Pecan Innovation Corner

The Pecan Innovation Corner returns for another month and another great pecan product. This month Pecan South presents Wicked Harvest’s Pecan Bourbon Whiskey! Owners of Wicked Harvest, Jim and Gloria Zion have created four craft Bourbon Whiskies out in Kentucky. These are Wicked Harvest Pistachio Bourbon Whiskey, Hazelnut Bourbon Whiskey, and two expressions of Pecan...

Are You in the Know on Industry Projects?

We always seek to keep the industry informed on the numerous projects being conducted by the American Pecan Council at any given time. Now that conference season is underway, we look forward to connecting and providing you with a detailed report in person, but we hope this article serves to give you a snapshot of...

ID’ing Varieties & Examining Nut Abnormalities

As I start to write this article, outside Old Man Winter is throwing everything at us—freezing rain, sleet, and snow, a wintry mix. Fortunately, we have just about finished up pecan harvest because it will probably be too wet to do anything in the orchard for a while. While 2019 wasn’t a great year for...

Don’t Forget About Zinc!

As we move into March and the spring weather it brings, here in the West we anticipate the arrival of budbreak and bloom. At this time of year, we’ve been able to finish all the necessary jobs associated with dormancy. Trees have been hedged and topped, necessary soil amendments have been applied, and if we’re...

March 2020 Advertisers

Letter from the Publisher: A Fireside Chat

Dear Readers, We decided to change up the opening letter, or fireside chat if you will, for the first issue of Volume 53. I am the Publisher for Pecan South, handling the business of the magazine and ultimately responsible for the magazine’s publication each month. I hope I have gotten to meet a good majority...

Container versus Bareroot Pecan Trees

Planting pecans is a “rendezvous with death,” according to Professor Fred Brison who wrote the 1974 book Pecan Culture and taught the pecan class at Texas A&M for over 30 years. When we plant a nursery-grown pecan tree in Texas, the chances of death are greater than the chances of survival. All aspects of tree...

Planting, Propagating, & Promoting Pecans in South Africa

Almost an hour’s drive outside of Kimberley, South Africa, the Vaalharts Storage Weir diverts water from the Vaal River and feeds it into the Vaalharts Irrigation Scheme. Here marks the start of South Africa’s entire pecan industry. Without the Valhaarts Irrigation Scheme and this dam, the South African pecan industry wouldn’t exist as we currently...