An introduction in how to harvest pecans and prepare them for your seasonal cooking. Join me in this written and video tour of my parents’ pecan orchard to learn how pecans are harvested and prepared!
My parents own a pecan orchard in Louisiana called DanDee Farms (My Dad’s name is Danny and my Mom’s nickname is Dee. Cute, right?!). We were able to visit their orchard during peak harvesting season to get a glimpse of the process of bringing these delicious pecans to your table!
Video of us Visiting the Pecan Orchard
If you want to see video footage of the beautiful orchard, you can check out this YouTube video:
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How to Harvest Pecans: Equipment Needed
If you are just wanting to visit an orchard or a local pecan tree to pick some pecans for your family, then you need very few things. A bucket and your hands will suffice. If bending down is difficult for you, a pecan grabber that rolls would be helpful. You can find a pecan grabber like that here.
For an operation like an orchard with several trees on the property you will need heavier machinery.
- Tractor: The farmer’s number one tool for most projects
- Shaker: A machine that shakes the pecans out of the tree
- Blower and Sweeper: Blower and Sweeper attachments for tractors that can create windrows of pecans
- Harvester: Drives over the windrows of pecans to blow them into the wagon
- Picker: Scoops up pecans that have already fallen onto the ground
My parents run a smaller operation, so they do not own all of the equipment larger orchards use for their harvesting. Currently, they own and use a tractor and a picker, so this article will be focusing on those tools. You can find other great resources about the other equipment here and here:
How to Harvest Pecans with a Tractor and a Picker
A picker is an attachment for the back of a tractor, making it relatively easy to use. It is also a tool that can be easily found second-hand, making it more affordable.
The pecan picker works by rolling along the ground to pick up the pecans. It then sorts the pecans from the dirt and debris, placing the pecans in a bag at the front of the picker and throwing all of the debris out of the back of the machine. The pecan picker can be very loud and will kick up a lot of dust, so be sure to wear proper protective clothing like headphones and goggles!
When placing the bag on the front of the machine, make sure to secure it tightly. The bag should not be touching the ground and can be rolled up to avoid this. Once the bag to hold the pecans is in place, you are good to go!
To gather the pecans around the tree, simply make a wide circle with the tractor and picker. Keep looping around the tree making the circle smaller each time until you reach the center where the tree is located. You might have to hand pick pecans right at the base of the tree where it is too tight for the tractor to circle.
This process will be repeated as many times as needed throughout the pecan season as more pecans continue to fall. The amount of trees that can be picked at a time will depend on the size of the picker. My parents have a small one that picks the pecans around one tree at a time.
How to Clean Pecans
The pecans then need to be cleaned and processed to separate the good pecans from any bad ones. This is a simple process in the small orchard business. Simply take a handful of pecans, put any bad pecans in the trash bucket and any good ones in the keep bucket. Remove any husks that are still on the pecan shells at this time. Now, the pecans are ready to eat or sell!
How to Crack and Prepare Pecans
Cracking pecans is also an easy process. A pecan cracker like this one is a helpful tool to open the pecans. Simply place the pecan in the middle of the pecan cracker and squeeze your hands together to open the shell. The picks in this set come in handy if the pecan is stuck in the shell.
Once the shell is open, you can enjoy the pecan right away as a delicious and nutritious snack! My toddler absolutely loves to eat the fresh pecans. They can also be used in any pecan recipe you like!
Storing Pecans
The shelled pecans will stay fresh in an airtight container or bag in the refrigerator for up to 9 months and the freezer for a couple of years. You can learn more about storing pecans here.
Pecan Fun Fact!
There are MANY varieties of pecans and my parents have many of those tree varieties on their property. While they are all delicious, the most desired type of pecan is the Elliott variety. This adorable, petite pecan is most likely the variety you eat and love! This is also the variety that will bring in the most money if you are hoping to sell pecans.
Materials to Harvest Pecans and Prepare Them
I hope you enjoyed this educational tour of DanDee Farms! This pecan orchard is so peaceful and inviting. If you ever get the chance to visit an orchard, I hope you take it!
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Thanks for choosing us to help make your house a home! Be sure to tag us in any Pecan Orchard adventures or recipes you make with your fresh pecans!
I recently collected pecans, many of which have dried husks tightly closed around them. Are these still good, and is a nutcracker good enough to remove the husk?
Hello! If the husk is still green and tight around the pecan, it is not ripe yet. You can wait for a few days until the husk starts to peel away from the nut, then it will be easier to roll it around and get the husk off. If it does not begin to peel away after a while, it may have just been premature and dropped too early. I hope this helps!