I finally found a pecan opener that doesn't leave my fingers feeling bruised after five minutes associated with work. If you've ever sat lower with a large bag of unshelled pecans and the standard, flimsy nutcracker, you know precisely what I'm talking about. It starts out fun, almost healing, but by 10th nut, your hands are sore and you've mostly just succeeded in turning the shells in to a million small, sharp projectiles that will fly across the particular family room.
Intended for years, I just thought that was the price you paid with regard to fresh pecans. I'd use those little silver pliers-style veggies that come in the particular cheap sets, or even worse, I'd try to use a hammer upon the back patio. Neither method is definitely particularly efficient, and you usually end up with "pecan dust" instead associated with those beautiful, unchanged halves the thing is within the grocery shop. It wasn't till a neighbor demonstrated me their heavy duty pecan opener that I realized I had been doing it wrong my whole life.
Exactly why a Simple Nutcracker Isn't Enough
Let's be sincere: pecans are tough customers. Unlike walnuts, which have the fairly predictable seam, or peanuts, which usually you can basically breathe on to open, pecans have a structure that likes to combat back. In case you use pressure to the wrong spot, the cover shatters inward and destroys the nut meat.
The main problem with the "old-school" portable nutcrackers is the insufficient control. A person squeeze and squeeze with nothing happening, and then— snap —the shell gives method at one time. Because you're utilizing your own grasp strength, it's almost impossible to prevent that will momentum. The result? A smashed pecan. The dedicated pecan opener , especially the lever-action ones, changes the physics of the particular whole operation. This allows you to apply the very specific amount of pressure that will cracks the layer without crushing the interior.
I've also found that those small portable crackers really are a problem for anyone with even a little bit of bit of joint disease. My grandmother used to love making pecan pies, but she eventually stopped due to the fact her hands just couldn't handle the particular cracking anymore. As soon as we got the girl a mounted pecan opener , she was back in the game. It's funny how a simple device can in fact change just how much you like your own own kitchen.
Different Styles of Shellers to Consider
If you're looking to upgrade, you'll notice there are a few different directions you are able to go. It really depends on how several pecans you're preparing to tackle.
First, there's the lever-action style. These are usually mounted on a wooden foundation. You place the nut in a little cradle plus pull a deal with down. These are my personal favorite because they're extremely satisfying to use. They use the cam-action mechanism that multiplies your strength, so you don't need to be a bodybuilder to get through a five-pound bag.
Then you definitely possess the "inertia" crackers. These appear a bit such as a weird technology experiment. You put the particular nut inside plus essentially make use of a plastic band or a spring-loaded mechanism to fire the striker contrary to the layer. It sounds intense, but it's really surprisingly gentle on the nut itself. The particular shock breaks the particular shell, but the "meat" stays entire. It's a little bit louder, but it's definitely a discussion starter when you have close friends over while you're prepping for a holiday meal.
Lastly, there are the particular electric powered versions. Now, unless you have several pecan trees in your backyard, this might become overkill. But if you're processing bushels associated with nuts every autumn, an electric pecan opener is really a lifesaver. You just drop them within, and it also does the work for you personally. It's fast, but you reduce a bit associated with that "craftsman" experience of doing it by hand.
Guidelines for Getting Entire Pecan Halves
Buying a great tool is just half the battle. If you desire those perfect, magazine-quality halves, there are a few tips I've picked up over the years.
A single of the greatest things you can do—and this sounds odd, I know—is to soak your pecans before you start cracking all of them. I'm not talking about making them saturated. Just toss all of them in a pot of water plus bring it to a boil with regard to about five in order to ten minutes. After that, let them amazing and dry off.
This particular does two items. First, it softens the shell just enough that this doesn't shatter quite so violently. 2nd, much more the nut meat inside slightly more flexible. Whenever the shell splits, the nut is definitely less likely to snap in fifty percent. If you use your pecan opener on "conditioned" nuts like this particular, your success rate with regard to whole halves goes through the roof.
Another suggestion is to pay interest to how you're orienting the nut in the cracker. Many people just throw it in arbitrarily. However, if a person place the pecan so the pressure is applied to the ends (the "poles") rather than the edges, you often obtain a much solution break. It requires an additional second of focus, but this saves you from picking tiny shell fragments out of your nut butter later.
Keeping Your Tools within Good Shape
Like any kitchen tool, a pecan opener needs a little like to remain functional. If you have the manual lever-style one, the moving components can eventually get a bit stiff. A tiny fall of food-grade nutrient oil on the particular joints every season usually does the particular trick.
You also want to make certain you're cleaning out the "cradle" exactly where the nut rests. Pecan shells create a lot associated with fine dust and oils, which may gunk up the system over time. A fast wipe-down with the damp cloth after a big cracking session is usually just about all it takes.
I've noticed some people leave their crackers out there within the garage or a shed, but I'd advise towards that. The moisture can cause the particular metal parts in order to rust or the wooden base to warp. Keep this in a dried out pantry or a kitchen drawer. In the event that you take care of a high-quality pecan opener , it's the kind of thing you may eventually pass straight down to your kids. It sounds cheesy, but there's something good about using the same tool regarding decades.
What to Do Along with Your Freshly Damaged Bounty
As soon as you've mastered the particular art of the crack and a person have a bowl full of ideal pecans, the actual fun begins. Presently there is a massive difference in flavor between the pecan you simply cracked and the ones that have been sitting down inside a plastic bag on a store shelf for six months. The oils are usually fresher, the structure is crunchier, plus the taste is much more buttery.
I keep a container of them on the counter regarding snacking, but my absolute favorite thing to do is to toss all of them in a pan with a little bit of butter, brown glucose, and a crunch of cayenne spice up. Toast them until they smell amazing, and you've obtained a snack that's much better than any candy.
Associated with course, there's usually the classic cake, but don't overlook using them within savory dishes too. I love tossing crushed pecans over a sweet spud mash or making use of them as the crust for baked chicken. When a person have an effective pecan opener , a person stop viewing the cracking process because a chore plus start seeing this as just an additional quick step within your cooking program.
At the end of the day, it's all about getting the right tool for your job. We spend so much cash on fancy blenders and high-end capuccino machines, but sometimes it's the simplest mechanical tools that will make the greatest difference in the kitchen. If you're still struggling with those old-fashioned pliers, do yourself the favor and appear straight into a better pecan opener . Your fingers (and your quiche crusts) will give thanks to you.