Pecan Trivia

Assuming that a pie is 9 inches in diameter, it would take 97,812,000 Pecan pies to circle the earth! 

Every Pecan pie uses 1/2 lb- 3/4 lb of Pecans. It takes about 310 pecans halves to fill a one-pound bag. So there are about 78 pecans used in every pecan pie!

Pecans are the only tree nut that is truly native to the United States.
Georgia leads the nation in Pecan production. Georgia has been the top Pecan producing state in the nation since the late 1800s.

Georgia pecans complement and enhance almost any food type. They add texture, depth and nutritional value to recipes.

Pecans are one of the largest fruit-bearing trees. One irrigated, managed acre of Pecan trees will produce about 1,000 pounds of Pecans.

Pecans can be frozen and refrozen for at least two years without loss of flavor or texture.
Over 500 varieties of Pecans exist today. Over 1,000 cultivars have been released over the history of pecan culture. Only 3 are common and all 3 are available Georgia orchards. 

Pecans are one of America's favorite nuts and are a good source of oleic acid, Vitamin B1 - Thiamin, magnesium, protein, and fiber. 

Pecans can help lower total blood cholesterol and combat heart disease. Pecans are believed to be helpful in fighting some cancers. 

According to the Iowa Women's Health Study in 1993 women were 60% less likely to have heart trouble if they ate nuts more than twice a week.

In 1992, Loma Linda University in California found that people who ate nuts at least 5 times a week had about half the rate of heart disease as people who never ate nuts.

According to research funded by the International Nut Council, Washington, D.C. - Nuts have been proven to be effective for diabetics, especially those placed on low-fat diets.

The fiber in pecans and other nuts is mostly insoluble which has been linked to reduced cholesterol levels and shown to be helpful in warding off colon cancer.

According to Frank Sacks of Harvard Medical School, Pecans contain phytochemicals which make them protective against cancers of the colon, stomach and rectum.

Georgia Pecans are a terrific way to add quality and variety to all types of foods.

Nuts are a part of most universally accepted balanced diets, such as the "Mediterranean Diet," which includes fish, poultry, vegetables, fresh and dried fruit, nuts, grains, olives and olive oil.

America's President, food connoisseur and gardener, Thomas Jefferson, was very taken by the flavor of pecans and had trees imported from Louisiana for his Monticello orchards.

In 1995, Georgia pecan wood was selected by the Atlanta Committee to make the handles of the torches for the 1996 Olympic Games. The torches were carried in the 15,000-mile U.S.A. relay and in the lighting of the Olympic flame in Atlanta on July 19, 1996.

Source: Georgia Pecan Commission