   Camp Verde Pecan Show - January 25, 2006 Jeff Schalau, County Director, Associate Agent, Agriculture & Natural Resources Arizona Cooperative Extension, Yavapai County The Camp Verde Pecan and Wine Festival is coming up on February 10, 11, and 12. The Festival features locally grown pecans for sampling and purchasing, Arizona wines, hayrides, tours of Summer Place Pecan Farm, demonstrations provided by the Yavapai County Master Gardeners, antique vendors, homemade pecan pie, as well as live jazz entertainment. The Pecan and Wine Festival also features a pecan contest. Read on to learn how to prepare a pecan sample and how to enter the contest. At a pecan show, a sample of 40 nuts taken from a single tree is judged based on: (1) size, (2) percent kernel (the percent of kernel in proportion to the whole nut), (3) kernel color (actual color of the kernel with bright yellow being ideal), (4) in-shell appearance, (5) uniformity (size and shape), (6) number of whole kernel halves after shelling, and (7) degree of insect damage. The first three of all the characteristics listed above are the most important and are used by the judges in determining winners in each class in most cases. Characteristics four through seven are used when large numbers of samples are being judged. The following suggestions should aid you in collecting and selecting the best pecans for a show once they become mature. 1. Select nuts from young trees when possible. Young trees have greater vigor and produce larger, better-filled nuts. 2. Select nuts from trees with lighter crops and/or fewer nuts per cluster. Heavy crops cause excessive drain on the tree resulting in poorer quality nuts. 3. Harvest pecans immediately following drop. Generally, pecans that fall early are of better quality than those exposed to the elements for longer periods. 4. Do not pick nuts from the shuck if the shuck is green or the nut is still attached to the shuck. This means that the pecan has not dried properly and the shell of the nut will turn a light color, which is abnormal and viewed as undesirable by judges. These nuts will also contain excessive moisture at the time of cracking and shelling. 5. After collecting pecan samples, leave them at room temperature for two or three days so that they will dry to a moisture content suitable for shelling. After they have dried, place them in a cool environment (refrigerator) until they are submitted to the show. The sample can be placed in a cool, dry environment for a couple of weeks if air circulation is adequate. Make sure that nuts are open to the air and not clustered together. 6. If there is more than one tree of a particular variety to select a sample from, crack and shell a few nuts from each tree and observe the interior quality. Look for solid, well-filled kernels as opposed to kernels with openings in and around the kernel. Also, observe the color of the kernel to check for stink bug damage (black spot). If damage is evident, select another tree or location if possible. 7. Do not alter the physical in-shell appearance of the nut such as polishing or rubbing. Again, avoid nuts that show evidence of insect damage on the shell. 8. If time permits, determine the weight of each individual pecan for entry so that a uniform sample will be selected. The heaviest nuts should be used for the sample. It is better to have a uniform sample than an assortment of large and small nuts. Check also for abnormal shape, cracks, splits, or blemishes. 9. Harvest sample pecans from healthy undamaged areas of the tree. Sometimes a portion of a tree will be defoliated by a pest or environmental factor prior to nut maturity. This causes poor quality. 10. A qualified sample consists of 40 nuts. It is better to enter 41 or 42 nuts to be sure of your count because sometimes a nut can be lost during handling. Entries consisting of 39 or less nuts will be disqualified. 11. Prevent nuts from getting wet prior to harvest and selection. If a pecan gets wet, it will cause the kernel to darken and adversely affect the natural in-shell appearance of the nut. Contest entries can be taken to Camp Verde Parks and Recreation, 395 S. Main Street, Camp Verde any time between now and February 9. They are open between 8 AM and 5 PM Monday through Friday and each entry costs $1. I hope this helps you in sample preparation and I'll see you at the Festival. The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension has publications and information on gardening and pest control. If you have other gardening questions, call the Master Gardener line in the Cottonwood office at 646-9113 ext. 14 or E-mail us at mgardener@verdeonline.com and be sure to include your address and phone number. Find past Backyard Gardener columns or submit column ideas at the Backyard Gardener web site: http://cals.arizona.edu/yavapai/anr/hort/byg/. |