With plant oils trending high, especially those from gluten-free, non-GMO sources, oil from native Texas pecans has come out of the gate at a full gallop.
The Art of Pecan, LLC, presses American native pecans—rather than the highly cultivated orchard-grown varieties. The latter, called “paper shell,” have been cultivated largely for size, appearance, and how easily their shells crack.
Native pecans, in contrast, are the original “wild” pecans that grow all over the American south, along rivers and on ranches. They are small, dark, and much harder to shell. However, they have much more flavor than the cultivated varieties, and contain more oil, with higher levels of polyphenols and other antioxidants.
The high polyphenol levels in The Art of Pecan pecan oil improves its oxidative stability despite a low saturated fat/high polyunsaturated fat content. Combined with a high smoke point of 470°F, pecan oil makes an excellent cooking oil as well a flavorful oil for dressings and other cold formulations.
The Art of Pecan works with many small cooperatives that harvest native pecans from ranches across central Texas. In many cases, these are not from pecan growers; they are from property owners who have natural, wild pecan groves. Professional harvesters gently shake each tree to ensure only the ripe nuts are harvested. Although organic certification is difficult since these are wild trees, all nuts are able to be certified pesticide-free.
Once cleaned and shelled, the pecans are cold, expeller pressed in a commercial kitchen just outside of Austin. No chemicals or solvents are used, and nothing is added. The oil is allowed to settle for three weeks, then cold-separated to remove any water or contaminants before bottling with the result being a beautiful golden oil that is as good for you as it is lovely to look at.
The Art of Pecan is proud to present what it believes is the best — and most overlooked — culinary oil available.
Contact:
Wendy Abony Polland
The Art of Pecan LLC (PURE PECAN OIL)
wendy@theartofpecan.com
www.theartofpecan.com
