How do you crack Pecans?

IaGary · Nov 6, 2008

Last Friday this guy shows up at the field I am combining from South Carolina.

You guys know him as KEH (Keith). We had a nice visit. Other than when we hit the washout along the ditch and he thought the combine was going over. Kinda scared me also.

He leaves me this bag of pecans. I love pecans buy usually buy them prehulded.

What is the best way to crack them without breaking the meats all to heck? I have tried pliers and a plunger type nut cracker which seems to work the best. How do they do it at the nut plants?

Thanks for the pecans Keith.

The guys on this forum are some of the nicest you will ever meet.

Gary

John S-B · Nov 6, 2008

We always did it by hand with a nut cracker, a real P.I.T.A.! I'd like to find an easy way to do black walnuts, we have lots of them around here.

ricky green · Nov 6, 2008

John , my name is Rick , I live in SC , just stand the pecan on its end whack it with a hammer , you will get the feel for how hard after you do a couple, You might can find a pecan sheller but probaly not if you arent close to the south If you need any info please asks.

john in la · Nov 6, 2008

Cracking pecans without breaking the meat is not easy even in modern plants using machines.

Pecan plants soak the shell in a water/chemical mix or steam before cracking. This sterilizes the pecan and conditions the shell for cracking.

Cracking the shell from the ends is best but you got to be careful. You are trying to crack the shell not crush the pecan. Another way some like is using a pair of vise grips. This works because you can set them to where they will not close to much no matter how hard you push.

Anonymous-0 · Nov 6, 2008

You can buy a nutcracking kit at Walmart. Has a pair of lobster claw like pliers and several picks.

Bob from the south · Nov 6, 2008

The best nut cracker was made up kinda like a sliding hammer and used big rubber bands,would crack it whole kernel intact. I'm sure there's still some out there,just do a search.Boiling your pecans and let them dry will make it easier. HTH

Anonymous-0 · Nov 6, 2008

Gary, if they are this years pecans, they are still a little green to crack good. Let them set a while, month or more. they will crack much better. In this area we have commercial cracking businesses that can do it really well. that is if you have very many. They will crack much better in Jan than they will now.

Anonymous-0 · Nov 6, 2008

Paper shells are easy so I guess you have native pecans,my neighbors dad gave me a cracker kind of like slide hammer with rubber bands.I like it the best as I can crack a bowl full in about 10-12 minutes.If I'm out checking cows and find some pecans I want to eat I just break the ends off with pliers and then just gentley break the rest of the shell.It may take a few try to get good at it.Might be some crackers on E-bay

Bud in FLA · Nov 6, 2008

While you're in SC, try to get some pruned pecan limbs for adding to the smoker - adds a great flavor to grilled meat - better than hickory!

rustyfarmall · Nov 6, 2008

John, I'm working on a batch of black walnuts myself and have not yet found a REALLY good method. So far, I have found that nothing less than a hammer will crack them open and then I sometimes put the cracked walnuts in a bench vise and gently open them up even more without crushing the meat. A pair of common mechanics side cutters will allow you to trim away that hard shell and if You're lucky, you might get a complete half.

HughB · Nov 6, 2008

John has the best way to do it. I have been cracking pecans now for about two weeks. I put them in a large pot. add water until covered. bring to a boil for a couple of minutes.Put the pot in the sink. Use a large strainer to get the pecans out of the water a few at a time. (keep the lid on the pot while you work.) next crack all around the shell with a pair of large pliers.
be carefull not to crush the shell. carefully pull the shell apart trying not to break the halves. when the water starts to cool bring back to a boil again. this takes a little practice but you will soon catch on to how to crack them without breaking the meat.

El Toro · Nov 6, 2008

Here's the one I used on pecans. The pecans were sent to me by a man in AL that had posted on the Farmall forum and after I told him how to get his tractor started. He raises a lot of these and he takes them where they're shelled professionally
by machine. I haven't seen him posting in the last 2 years. Hal

Anonymous-0 · Nov 6, 2008

Gary, I was at the Clay Co. fair a few years ago and they were running peacans though a cracking machine, and they were coming out pretty much perfect, I think the machine was cracking the peacans
end-wise. I am not sure of this but they were selling peacans in a bag and the meats of the peacans looked whole. So there is a way. Try it once and see what happens. Which reminds me of the time I was at Winner SD. on a cattle buying trip and there was a grain truck loaded with English walnuts that he was selling out the grain gate, he had it hoisted up and would fill a paper bag full of walnuts. I had never obsured such.

El Toro · Nov 6, 2008

That cracker I posted the pic of won't crush the pecan halves if you don't get too wild when cracking them. Cost is around $23.00. Hal

Bob85355 · Nov 6, 2008

There"s a pecan sheller named for its inventer, Shorty York. Just do a Google search for York Pecan Sheller and you"ll find a number of sites in Texas and Georgia selling these things for around $20.

I"ve got a couple of pecan trees and have used the York Sheller for 8 or 9 years. They resemble pliers and have angled teeth cutting edge on one side. You snip off the ends of a pecan and then cut the sides off. If I pay attention to what I"m doing, I"ll get around 98 percent whole kernels out.

Bob
Central Arizona

big fred · Nov 6, 2008

Waterboarding. Most of 'em crack after only 20 seconds or so.

Walt Davies · Nov 6, 2008

Put them in the microwave they will pop like popcorn.
Walt

sheeptick · Nov 6, 2008

I would try and trade the sack of nuts for a jug of whiskey, not as stressful

sheeptick · Nov 6, 2008

I would try and trade the sack of nuts for a jug of whiskey, not nearly as stressful.

keh · Nov 6, 2008

Gee, I learned a lot about my pecans! Never tried the soaking routine. JohninLa summed it up quite well. A quick way when you want a snack is to put 2 pecans in the palm of your hand and squeeze. One will crack and you can turn the cracked one around and finish cracking it with the one not cracked.

BTW, those were South Georgia pecans from near the FL line. Lady I bought them from said some trees 100 years old were still bearing.

KEH

joe e tx · Nov 6, 2008

sounds like the way i crack them here in tx. other way is hold the two flat ends in thumb and for finger and bite down with molers,just till crack sound . hopping its not your teeth making the noise. owner of 32 pecan trees.

How do you crack Pecans?

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