PECANS ELLIOT HALVES 1

When our grower asked us if we’d like a pecan that is big or one that is easy to crack open, I told him we are really after a good FLAVOR. Well that must have been the magic word because the farmer lit up and told me all about these little pecans called Elliot. Our farmer’s personal favorite, he said his wife won’t let him bring home any of the other 15 varieties they grow.

Elliot pecan halves are small, plump, round, and filled with delicious flavor; perfect for baking or snacking.

These pecans are grown using Integrated Pest Management techniques and are sprayed as little as possible. Harvested January 2012.

Try a salad made of torn lettuce, chopped apples, chopped Elliot pecan halves, dried cranberries or raisins, grated white cheddar cheese, and top with a simple olive oil and vinegar dressing.

We always avoided making pecan pies because the recipe calls for corn syrup, which we don’t eat. But we recently discovered you can make wonderful pecan pies by substituting agave nectar or pure maple syrup in place of the corn syrup. Now, I’m not going to tell you pecan pie is healthy this way, but at least we can enjoy our pecan pie knowing we aren’t eating corn syrup.

Try a pecan pie made with Emma’s flaky pie crust (video).