Pecans, even though they grow throughout the South, symbolize Texas like longhorns and bluebonnets. Whether you find your favorite nuts at a farmers' market, a roadside stand, the grocery store, or pick them up in a park, homegrown pecans are fresher and tastier than any others.
According to official nutritional information, the Texas pecan is part of a healthy diet, too. The native nuts are an excellent source for monounsaturated fatty acid, similar to olive oil, that has been shown to be effective in reducing the risk of heart disease by lowering the "bad" cholesterol. Add to that 13 essential vitamins and minerals, and that extra helping of Thanksgiving pecan pie is darned near health food.
That's why Larry Newkirk at Great San Saba River Pecan Co. says, "A handful a day keeps the doctor away." Newkirk and his wife Martha raise more than 10,000 pecan trees outside of San Saba, about 110 miles northwest of Austin. Along with a pick-your-own orchard, they have a store selling shelled and unshelled pecans, candies, cakes, and gift packages. Their peach-with-amaretto preserves won first place in a recent food show in New York City.
Evidence suggests that pecans may have originated in Texas along the San Saba River. Fossilized nuts have been found in the area. Native Americans called the San Saba "the river of nuts," and it had nothing to do with the local residents.
Pecan trees grow in just about every corner of the state, with 70% of the state's counties claiming at least one commercial orchard. When settlers came to Texas, pecan trees were so plentiful that they were chopped down for wood and land to plant cotton.
By 1900, the pecan tree was in trouble across the state. If it hadn't been for a couple of horticulturists working independently to increase the commercial viability of the tree, it might have gone the way of the horned toad.
In northern Central Texas, J.H. Burkett's sons found a pecan that was bigger and thinner than the usual nuts. After a search, they found the tree and grafted buds to seedlings. By the 1930s the Burkett papershell pecan was highly prized. The original tree still stands on the north side of I-20, one-half mile east of FM880, near the Eastland-Callahan county line.
About the same time, an Englishman named Edward Risien was traveling through Texas on his way to California. Along the river in San Saba he noticed the difference in the fruit between pecan trees. Risien stayed a while and experimented with different trees. The result was the San Saba Desirable, and San Saba now claims title to the "Pecan Capital of the World." Both trees led to the development of even better varieties of pecan trees.
Proclaimed the state tree by the Legislature in 1919, the pecan tree produces a bumper crop every other year. Even though Texas produced 70 million pounds of pecans in 2001, it still lags behind Georgia. Larry Newkirk says that the 2002 harvest won't be as big as last year, "but it will be excellent quality."
The Great San Saba River Pecan Co. is on the western edge of San Saba on U.S. 190. Newkirk recommends calling 800/621-9121 to be sure the orchard is open before making the long drive. The store is open Monday-Saturday from 8am-6pm.
In Seguin, the Pape Pecan House offers shelled and unshelled pecans along with candies, honey, jellies, and gift boxes. The Papes also have "the world's largest nutcracker collection" with more than 3,000 examples. At 101 S. TX 123, 830/379-7442, the store is open Monday-Friday, 8am-5:30pm, Saturday, 8am-4pm, and Sunday, 10am-4pm.
Between Austin and Bastrop on U.S. 71, Berdoll's Pecan Farm raises the pecans they sell and use for candies and condiments. Call the roadside stand at 512/321-6157, or visit them daily, 9am-6pm.
If you're looking to pick up pecans for free during the harvest season that runs from late October through early January, the best places are city or county parks along the rivers. Good locations to scout are in San Marcos, Bastrop, Gonzales, and Victoria. Lady Bird Johnson Park outside of Fredericksburg does not allow harvesting. Likewise, state parks do not allow collecting of any sort on state property.
595th in a series. Day Trips, Vol. 2, a book of Day Trips 101-200, is available for $8.95, plus $3.05 for shipping, handling, and tax. Mail to: Day Trips, PO Box 33284, South Austin, TX 78704.
