Pumpkin pie may reign supreme on Thanksgiving, but the true hero of the dessert table is pecan pie.  Unlike its gourd-based friend that falls out of favor after the holiday season, pecan pie remains a popular dessert year-round. Pecan pie is an American creation.

History

Pecans are native to North America; the nuts were propagated by Native Americans as far north as Illinois and the southern part of Iowa, according to Edgar Rose, a former engineer and self-made pecan pie expert who lives in Illinois. Pecans grew along areas watered by the Mississippi River, spreading a bit to the east into Alabama. Following the Civil War, commercial developers brought in a few varieties of pecans to grow in Georgia.

By the beginning of the 20th century, recipes for pecan pie had started appearing outside of Texas, but the pie wouldn’t surge in popularity until the mid-1920s. That’s when the manufacturer of Karo syrup began printing a recipe for pecan pie on cans of the product, as James McWilliams noted in The Pecan: A History of America’s Native Nut. Wide distribution of Karo syrup introduced many people to pecan pie, who found it was quite simple to make.

Nutrition facts

Nutritional Facts: For a Serving Size of 1 slice (113g) Calories 480 Calories from Fat 189(39.4%)% Daily Value *Total Fat 21g–Saturated fat 4.5g–Cholesterol 40mg–Sodium 360mg15% Carbohydrates 68g–Net carbs 66g–Fiber 2g 8%Glucose 21g Protein 5gVitamins and minerals Vitamin A 0μg 0%Vitamin C 0mg 0%Calcium 20mg 3%Iron 0.8mg10% Fatty acids Amino acids* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs.

Based on a 2,000 calorie/day diet, that’s a quarter of your daily calories and almost half of your daily fat intake in just one slice! Although the impressive calorie count could deter even the most passionate of pie lovers, the real danger here is the sugar and fat content, The World Health Organization (WHO) The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that less than 10 percent of your total energy intake come from sugar. However, A single slice of pecan pie contains 31 g of sugar, that’s 3x the amount!

FUn FActs

America National pecan pie day is July 12th. The word “pecan” is a Native American word that was used to describe nuts that needed a stone to crack it. Albany, Georgia was named the pecan capital of the world for having more than 600,000 pecan trees. Pecan trees are native to North American and 80% of the worlds pecan crop comes from the United States. Pecan pie was originally created by the French who settled in New Orleans. The pecan is heart healthy and contains antioxidants, 19 vitamins and minerals and healthy fat. One of the mineral components is zinc, which is important in producing testosterone in both males and females. One ounce of pecans is 10% of the recommended daily fiber intake. About 78 pecans are used in each pie and a pecan tree can live up to be 200 years old.

Recipe

IngredientS

Original recipe yields 8 servings

• 1 3/4 cups white sugar
• 1/4 cup dark corn syrup
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 tablespoon cold water
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vinilla extract
• 1 1/4 chopped pecans
• 1 (9 inch) unbaked pie shell

Directions

• Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
• Step 2: In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, butter, water, and cornstarch. Bring to a full boil, and remove from heat.
• Step 3: In a large bowl, beat eggs until frothy. Gradually beat in cooked syrup mixture. Stir in a salt, vanilla, and pecans. Pour into pie shell.
• Step 4: Bake in preheated oven for 45-50 minutes or until filling is set.

Sources

“Pecan Pie.” Allrecipes, www.allrecipes.com/recipe/9487/pecan-pie/.

“Top 10 Pecan Fun Facts.” Tropical Foods, 27 Aug. 2019, www.tropicalfoods.com/blog/pecanfunfacts/.

Hatic, Dana. “A Brief History of Pecan Pie.” Eater, Eater, 23 Nov. 2016, www.eater.com/2016/11/23/13575790/pecan-pie-history-about.

“Classic Southern Pecan Pie.” House of Nash Eats, 18 Aug. 2020, houseofnasheats.com/classic-southern-pecan-pie/.

Bertone, Rachel, and Name *. “Think Outside the Pecan Pie.” Farm Flavor, 22 July 2020, www.farmflavor.com/lifestyle/think-outside-pecan-pie/.

Network, Ree Drummond : Food. “Pecan Pie.” Food Network, Food Network, 11 July 2014, www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/pecan-pie-recipe-2042433.

Jillymom. “Pecan Pie.” The Whole Food Plant Based Cooking Show, 22 Nov. 2019, plantbasedcookingshow.com/2018/12/23/pecan-pie/.

Blog Post by: Nico Martinez