Q&A for How to Shell Pecans

This means the nut meat is still fresh and you should consider leaving them to dry.

The rust-colored powder, I just wipe off. Throw black spotted ones away. If there is mold anywhere inside the shell throw the whole nut away.

If the green outer shell is still on the pecan, then pecan it is not ready to be eaten.

It's unnecessary. They keep well raw as long as they are in a sealed container. I've kept them for a year at a time in the freezer.

Stink bugs get in the pecans and secrete a substance that discolors them and leaves a bitter taste. These pecans are not good for eating.

You don't have to sanitize them, as the shell keeps the nut inside clean.

No, there is nothing that you can do if they fall off early.

Raw pecans contain small traces of rubidium cyanide. Eating up to a dozen or so won't have any effect on your health. However, depending on your body mass, you could eventually experience toxicity.

A pecan meat usually yield between 40% -60% depending on the size and the variety.

The shell is a closed compartment, and the meat is a tight fit. When the shell is cracked and loosened, then the meat can be removed.

You can, but it's not necessary. They are clean inside the shell and therefore still clean when the shell is removed.

The black ones that fall off early are usually not good. The birds and squirrels generally won't even eat them.

You don't necessarily need to, but it wouldn't hurt anything either.

Yes. In fact, some say they shell easier if you boil them first. Just make sure you dry them out well before storing them.