INSHELL Pecans - Bulk | In Shell

Buying in the shell is the most traditional way to enjoy pecans, and there are a few good reasons folks still prefer them. First, the shell is nature's own packaging and keeps the nut meat at peak freshness for a long time. Second, there is something deeply satisfying about sitting around the table cracking pecans with family, a tradition many of our customers remember from growing up. Third, you can usually get more pecans for the price compared to fully shelled halves, since you are paying for the nuts in their natural state. They also make a beautiful presentation in a bowl on the counter during the fall and winter months.

There are several ways to go about it. Our family favorite is the Texan Pecan Nut Sheller, which is a hand-crack tool designed specifically for pecans and tends to keep the halves intact. A good companion tool is a pick called the Goodie Getter, which helps you ease the pecan meat out of any shell crevices without bloodying your fingers. Some folks boil their pecans for ten to twelve minutes first to soften the shell, though opinions vary on whether that helps. The old orchard trick is to hold two pecans in one hand and squeeze them together, which works fine for a snack but is not the way to crack a whole bag.

Think of it as a spectrum based on how much work you want to do at home. In-shell pecans are the least processed, give you the longest shelf life, and require the most effort with a nutcracker. Our cracked pecans come pre-cracked so you only have to pick out the meat, which is a nice middle option. Shelled pecan halves are fully ready to use right out of the bag for baking, snacking, or recipes. All three come from the same family orchard, the same harvest, and the same Grade 1 sorting. The choice is just about how much hands-on time you want to spend.

This is one of the great things about in-shell pecans. The natural shell protects the nut meat from light, air, and a fair amount of temperature variation, so they keep beautifully. At cool room temperature in a dry pantry, in-shell pecans hold their flavor for many months. If you want to stretch them through next year, an airtight container in the freezer will keep them fresh for a year or longer. One pound of fresh in-shell pecans yields about two cups of pecan meat once you crack and pick them, which is handy to know when you are planning recipes.

Our Texas pecan varieties have been selected over five generations to have what we call a soft shell, which means they crack cleanly with a regular home pecan cracker. They are not the kind of thick, woody shells that take a hammer and a prayer to open. That said, soft shell is a relative term in the nut world. You will still need a proper pecan tool to get clean halves, and we do not recommend hand-squeezing your way through a five-pound box unless you have very strong hands and a lot of free time.