Sweet & Spicy Pecans Recipe for Parties (2024)

FAQs

Why do you soak pecans before roasting? ›

Wet pecans allow the salt to stick easily to the nuts. Plus, soaking nuts helps neutralize enzyme inhibitors, which can harm your digestion, and reduce phytates, which decrease nutrient absorption. Just submerge your nuts in water while the oven is heating up and you'll be good to go.

For this method, preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the nuts evenly onto a rimmed baking sheet and bake until they begin to brown and become aromatic, making sure to toss halfway through, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Soaking Instructions

Great! Now you need to know how to soak your nuts before using them. Soak your nuts and seeds anywhere from 20 minutes to 2 or 3 hours, or even overnight in the refrigerator. In general, harder nuts will take longer to soften.

Now, some of you may be wondering, “What's the difference between roasting and toasting a pecan?”. The answer is simple. Roasting is when the nut is cooked fully through, and is usually done in an oven. Toasting means to brown the nut on the outside, and is usually done over a fire or on the stove.

Some of the tannin and all of the corky material can be removed by washing the kernels before cooking. To "sweeten" the pecan meats (kernels), simply put the pecan kernels in a bowl and fill with lukewarm water. Stir and tumble the meats in the water for several minutes and you will see the discoloration in the water.

These nuts are toxic for dogs. Eating them can result in pets becoming sick and needing immediate veterinary care. “The reason pecans are considered toxic is that they contain a compound called juglone, also found in walnuts, that is harmful to dogs,” advises Dr. Klein.

I recommend toasting pecan halves and then chopping after baking. Unfortunately chopped pecans are less likely to toast evenly and are more likely to burn. However, if you only have chopped pecans on hand you can use this method but check and stir the pecans after 3 minutes.

Can you eat raw pecans? ›

Raw. Raw pecans can be eaten alone, salted, or sweetened. In savory dishes, pecans can lend a burst of rich buttery flavor. Some cooks like to candy pecans and sprinkle them on salads or pastas, especially in combination with rich cheeses like Gorgonzola and blue cheese.

Soaked nuts and seeds are hydrated, so their flavor is a bit more buttery and creamy. As the nut absorbs more and more water, it becomes plumper and the texture softens (hint: it is always a good idea to soak your nuts and seeds in a larger container to give them plenty of space for expansion).

I started doing some research, and I found a little-known trick to making pecans taste sweeter: Soaking and rinsing the shelled nuts in lukewarm water before roasting removes the tannins and pieces of corky material that can cause pecans to taste bitter.

Heat a heavy-based pan over a medium heat. Toast the nuts for five minutes, or until they begin to colour. At this point, you can stop and serve them as they are, or you can flavour them with a variety of toppings.

Just as with grains and legumes, soaking nuts is essential for proper digestions. When eating nuts that haven't been soaked, the phytic acid binds to minerals in the gastrointestinal tract and can not be absorbed in the intestine and to many bound minerals can lead to mineral deficiencies.

To keep the pecan meat from shattering, the nuts are moistened or “conditioned” before cracking. There are two methods used to accomplish this. The cold water method soaks the pecans in chlorinated water for as long as eight hours.

Get your nuts raw—they're already expensive enough! —and roast them yourself. Just be sure to soak them first. In addition to being less oily and less expensive than your typical party mix, roasting your own nuts will allow you to experiment with different flavors and spices.