Salted Oven Roasted Pecans Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the best way to roast pecans? ›

Your oven is also a great tool for toasting pecans. For this method, preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the nuts evenly onto a rimmed baking sheet and bake until they begin to brown and become aromatic, making sure to toss halfway through, 7 to 10 minutes.

Wet pecans allow the salt to stick easily to the nuts. Plus, soaking nuts helps neutralize enzyme inhibitors, which can harm your digestion, and reduce phytates, which decrease nutrient absorption. Just submerge your nuts in water while the oven is heating up and you'll be good to go.

Now, some of you may be wondering, “What's the difference between roasting and toasting a pecan?”. The answer is simple. Roasting is when the nut is cooked fully through, and is usually done in an oven. Toasting means to brown the nut on the outside, and is usually done over a fire or on the stove.

Bring water to a boil and add salt. Whisk until salt dissolves. Add pecans and let soak at least 15 minutes (or over night). Drain pecans.

Antioxidant Rich

These antioxidants can help prevent chronic diseases like cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer's. So, munching on roasted salted pecans is not only tasty but also helps keep your body healthy and strong.

There are four ways to salt unsalted nuts: heat them in a pan, steam them, soak them in brine, or spray and dry them in oil. Heating them in a pan is quickest, steaming is healthiest, brine is best for shelled nuts, and roasting is best for maximum crispness.

Instead of roasting, soaking raw nuts can make them easier on your stomach. Some naturally occurring enzymes and acids in nuts are broken down during the roasting process making roasted nuts more digestible. To make raw nuts easier to eat, always chew them well and eat in moderation.

Pecans have two sources of bitterness -- naturally occurring tannins in the kernel and pieces of corky material from the inside of the nut which can adhere to the kernel. Some of the tannin and all of the corky material can be removed by washing the kernels before cooking.

How long do roasted pecans stay good for? ›

If refrigerated, shelled pecans in air-tight containers can stay fresh for up to six months and in-shell pecans can stay fresh for up to twelve months. Roasted pecans when properly cooled and packaged in air-tight containers can be refrigerated for up to thirty days.

Always toast your nuts whole and then chop if chopping is needed. Toasted nuts actually chop easier than raw anyway. To oven toast, heat your oven to 400 degrees and put a rack in the upper third of the oven. Lay your nuts in an even layer in a sheet pan.

Two teaspoons sea salt to 4 cups nuts is a good rule of thumb. I don't usually measure this, but just toss some in and it is always fine. Be sure that nuts stay submerged throughout the soaking process. Then simply drain, rinse and spread nuts on a baking sheet to dry in 150 degree oven over night.

Soaking Instructions

Great! Now you need to know how to soak your nuts before using them. Soak your nuts and seeds anywhere from 20 minutes to 2 or 3 hours, or even overnight in the refrigerator. In general, harder nuts will take longer to soften.

The soak water from nuts and seeds should always be discarded and never used as water in a recipe. Be sure to rinse the nuts well after soaking them.

Toasting raw pecans is generally optional, but in my cases, it's highly recommended. The nut-toasting process adds a deeper taste, golden brown color, nutty flavor and aroma, and a delicious crunch.

Some of the tannin and all of the corky material can be removed by washing the kernels before cooking. To "sweeten" the pecan meats (kernels), simply put the pecan kernels in a bowl and fill with lukewarm water. Stir and tumble the meats in the water for several minutes and you will see the discoloration in the water.

To keep the pecan meat from shattering, the nuts are moistened or “conditioned” before cracking. There are two methods used to accomplish this. The cold water method soaks the pecans in chlorinated water for as long as eight hours.

I started doing some research, and I found a little-known trick to making pecans taste sweeter: Soaking and rinsing the shelled nuts in lukewarm water before roasting removes the tannins and pieces of corky material that can cause pecans to taste bitter.