Write to:
1240 E Caldwell
Visalia CA, 93292
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Harvest |
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Scroll down to take a
virtual tour through the life cycle of a pecan nut. The process
starts here (to the right) every spring when tiny flowers emerge
throughout the tree. Less than 1/8 inch in size, the green flower
has a sticky surface that catches the microscopic wind-blown pollen
from adjacent trees and begins to grow into the seed we call a pecan
nut. |
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The pecan nut grows inside of a green
protective covering called a 'shuck' or 'husk' (left photo). When
the nut has matured, the shuck splits open and exposes the shell of
pecan. This is the optimal time for harvest of the pecan. |
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Pecan trees are the only nut trees
indigenous to the U.S. and the largest of all nut trees grown in the
U.S. They are planted in rows (right) and grow to a height of over
60 feet. Some orchards in the southern U.S. are referred to as
"native" pecans. These trees were not planted, but were native to
the area when the first explorers to America found them. These trees
are even larger, but produce small nuts of lesser quality than the
improved varieties planted during the last 100 years. |
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Because of the large size of pecan
trees, the nuts must be mechanically shaken from the tree with
specially designed equipment (left) that grabs the tree trunk and
'shakes' the nuts to the ground. |
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The nuts, leaves and sticks that fall
from the tree are then mechanically swept into windrows (right)... |
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...and then picked up by a harvester that
separates the leaves and sticks from the pecans in preparation for
transport to the processing facility.
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Processing includes removing the shuck,
dehydrating the nut to remove excess moisture, sanitizing, cracking,
shell removal, sizing, and color sorting (right). |
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Our final inspection is made by trained,
quality assurance personnel. All pecans at Blain Farms are visually
inspected prior to packaging. |
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All Blain Farms pecans are placed in
30-pound boxes containing a sealed, nitrogen flushed bag with an
oxygen barrier, to ensure that our pecans are just as fresh when the
box is opened as the day we sealed it. |
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Visit the
California Pecan
Growers Association
to learn more about pecans including:
- In-depth research and articles
about pecans
- Pecan recipes
- Lowering cholesterol and other
health benefits of pecans
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