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| One of 3 Pecan Trees |
If you’ve been a faithful reader of this blog, you know we’ve already had several close calls when large limbs suddenly broke off of our pecan trees and crashed to the ground. Fortunately, nobody was hurt and there was minimal property damage. However, two occurrences in just a few months was enough for Larry and me to begin thinking about whether we should be making plans to prune or maybe even take down these trees. But that was in July and August and now it’s November. Fall is time for gathering pecans, and boy did we do our share of harvesting!
According to the NC Cooperative Extension Service, North Carolina produces 5 to 6 million pounds of pecans annually. Pecans are harvested when the shuck opens, allowing the nuts to drop to the ground. This natural process is fostered when strong winds prevail, as we had with Superstorm Sandy on October 29 and 30th. For a small-scale operations like that at The Big Yellow House, mechanical aids can also be used to speed nut fall. In our case, those devices were neighborhood boys swinging long sticks.
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| Our Neighbors Enjoy the Harvest |
After gathering our first crop of nuts, Larry and I carried them to the attic and laid them out on window screens to dry. When we went back to the attic two weeks later, I was delighted to learn either we have no “attic critters” or those critters don’t like pecans and decided not to share in our stash. Not one pecan had been disrupted; they were all spread out on the screens just as we left them.
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| Pecans Drying in the Attic |
The following week while Larry’s Dad and his girl friend were visiting from California, Jane and I bagged the nuts so they could be shared with those who attend The Big Yellow House Open House on December 2nd.
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| Bagging Nuts to Give Away |
While Larry and I collected about 6 gallons of these tasty treats, our trees also provided an ample supply of delicious tidbits to several of our neighbors, the mailman, one of the salesmen from the local Sherwin Williams paint store, and a group of four women driving by on their way home from church.
We were delighted to share our harvest and hope we are able to do so again next year. There’s been no more discussion about those trees coming down any time soon.
According to the NC Cooperative Extension Service, North Carolina produces 5 to 6 million pounds of pecans annually. Pecans are harvested when the shuck opens, allowing the nuts to drop to the ground. This natural process is fostered when strong winds prevail, as we had with Superstorm Sandy on October 29 and 30th. For a small-scale operations like that at The Big Yellow House, mechanical aids can also be used to speed nut fall. In our case, those devices were neighborhood boys swinging long sticks. 
After gathering our first crop of nuts, Larry and I carried them to the attic and laid them out on window screens to dry. When we went back to the attic two weeks later, I was delighted to learn either we have no “attic critters” or those critters don’t like pecans and decided not to share in our stash. Not one pecan had been disrupted; they were all spread out on the screens just as we left them. 
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