Beyond sensational pies, pecans can provide a flavorful and nutrition-packed addition to any meal or serve as a healthy snack. But the oils rich in omega-3 fatty acids that make pecans so good for you also make them vulnerable to spoilage. Proper harvesting, drying and storage are necessary in order to keep hulled pecans fresh.
Harvest
Botanically, a pecan is closer to a drupe than a nut, meaning that the edible part grows inside a hard shell that in turn grows within a soft fleshy outer layer referred to as a husk or hull. When pecans are ripe and ready for harvest, this outer layer drys out and opens. Pecans will often start falling from the trees at this time. Nuts that cling to the trees usually remain partially covered by the hull and require a gentle nudge with a long pole to make them fall. Commercial growers use machines that shake the trees vigorously to dislodge the nuts. Regardless of how pecans are harvested, they should be collected off the ground as quickly as possible to prevent damage from pests and rot.
Drying
At harvest time, pecans can still contain a high percentage of moisture and must be dried properly before storage. To test for excess moisture, remove the nutmeats from a few of the pecans and try bending them in half. Nuts that are dry enough to store will break crisply; overly moist pecans will bend. Dry pecans in the shell by spreading them out in a warm, dry place.
Storage in the Shell
Pecans in the shell stay fresh at room temperature for around three months if they have been dried properly and are stored with adequate ventilation. Refrigeration can extend the storage time anywhere from six months to a year, depending on temperature. Frozen pecans will last even longer, conceivably up to eight years.
Storing Shelled Pecans
Although they can be stored for a longer period of time, unshelled pecans take up a lot of room. Once removed from the shell, pecans should be stored in air-tight containers in the refrigerator, or in tightly sealed plastic bags in the freezer. Shelled pecans can be frozen for two years or more without loss of quality, and they thaw and refreeze well.
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