Pecan Day

A slice of pecan pie or a handful of roasted and salted pecans are in order today because it's Pecan Day! Several online sources indicate Pecan Day is observed on today's date because it was on March 25, 1775, that George Washington planted pecan trees at his Mount Vernon estate that he received from Thomas Jefferson. While we found no records of Washington planting pecans on that date, we did find that Washington planted pecans earlier that month. Regardless of Washington's pecan planting schedule, pecans are celebrated today with Pecan Day.

The pecan tree is native to North America, being most common in the Southern United States, with the pecan being the only major tree nut native to the continent. The trees can reach up to 160 feet and be over 6 feet in diameter. The name "pecan" comes from an Algonquin word that described "all nuts requiring a stone to crack." Pecans come in various sizes, and by one count there are over 1,000 varieties of them.

Pecans are high in calories and fat, but despite this, are considered heart-healthy when eaten raw. They have a number of vitamins and minerals, as well as protein and fiber. They can also be roasted, sweetened, and salted, and be used to make many recipes and sweets. They are often used with chocolate and to make pastries such as coffee cake. They are used to make pecan cookies, such as pecan sandies or butter pecan cookies. Butter pecan ice cream and cake is also a favorite. Another common cake made with pecans is pecan torte. There's also pecan pie and pralines, both traditional sweets in the Southeastern United States.

How to Observe Pecan Day

Enjoy pecans or foods made with pecans!

• roasted pecans that are salted or sweetened
• pecan sandies
• butter pecan cookies
• butter pecan ice cream
• butter pecan cake
• pecan pie
• chocolate pecan pie
• pralines

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