PECANS anyone??

Is your cholesterole a bit too high? Did you know that if the avg adult would eat 1 1/2 oz of pecans a day (35 lbs a yr), they could help reduce their cholesterol, and increase fiber, improve their nutrition, and good fats, increase their intake of antioxidants, all at the same time? More information is available from the national pecan growers association. See www.ilovepecans.org/nutrition.html for more information.

This time of year, folks out around East Texas normally are out gathering up all the fruits of the fall harvest in the area. But this year is different. I and a friend of mine have an Organic Pecan Orchard... a "you pick" if you will, located out off St Hwy 198 SE of Dallas about 60 miles between the little burgs of Mabank and Malakoff. If you are not familiar with the area, it's out towards Athens, Camden, Palestine, or maybe you've heard of Gun Barrell City Texas?? Normally, we have lots of "pickers".... folks who like a day outing with their families, who come pick pecans at our U-Pick pecan farm.

This year there are so very few pickers. We dont' know what has happened to all of them. Our trees have been marked with ribbons, pointing out the best trees to find the best, biggest, nicest, sweetest tasting pecans. If you're used to the store bought variety....you might try your hand at going and picking up some ORGANIC ones.... the taste is entirely different....sweeter, nuttier, and no bitter after taste like many of those grown with chemicals.

You don't have to "pick them up off the ground"... though you can.. We have some little nut rollers... on a stick. You just roll it along the ground and can pick up about a pound a minute under a good tree. When you come to pick... you don't even have to pay for the nuts if you pick your own, since we have people pick on shares. You keep 1/3 of all you pick. But, you need to see the man at the pecan shack and have him show you how to tell a good pecan from a bad one. Usually... the bad ones still have the shuck on the shell, or they are very light weight, or even cracked. Just holding them in your hand you can tell a good pecan from a bad one. We like good pecans....

So round up your kids, and maybe even Aunt and Uncle, Grandpa or Grandma, and come out for a nice afternoon in East Texas for an afternoon of "gathering nuts".. You'll have more than a good time... you'll get fresh air, have fun with your family, and get some of the best tasting pecans you can find anywhere. There are over 13 varieties on the farm..and not all of them produce every year.

To locate the farm, go East from Dallas on Hwy 175 til you seen signs for Gun Barrel City, or Mabank. Take Hwy 198 south and east, following it around til you see a little blue pecan shack on the edge of the pecan orchard. This is about 9 miles east of Gun Barrel City. The road will curve sharply to the right, heading towards Malakoff if you've gone too far. See the man at the Shack or go up to the house if the gate is open. Hours are Mon-Sat 10am to 4pm.