How to Make Traditional Candied Pecans
The pecan has a long history of use, as for thousands of years before European contact it was a part of Native American diets. Delicious as well as nutritious, pecans are made into a sweet dessert through candying, the process of coating something with sugar, also known as sugaring. Once candied, pecans make a nice gift or a pleasant snack. Various traditions exist for candying pecans, and this recipe makes use of several of them.
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Things You'll Need
- Butter
- Cookie sheet
- Pecans
- Large bowl
- Medium-sized pot
- Sugar
- Small bowl
- Wooden spoon
- Powdered sugar
- Airtight container
Instructions
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1
Grease the cookie sheet with the butter, and set it aside.
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2
Decide on the amount of pecans you want to be candied, in terms of cups. Place the pecans into the large bowl.
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3
Place the pot on a burner. Pour 1 to 2 cups of sugar into the pot for each cup of pecans. Pour water into the pot slowly until it barely covers the sugar.
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4
Place ice water in the small bowl and set in the fridge to keep it cold.
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5
Turn the burner on, and cook the sugar-and-water mixture until it reaches the "soft ball" stage, which is 235 to 240 degrees Fahrenheit. To test if the sugar has reached this stage, remove the small bowl of ice water from the fridge. Place a small amount of the melted sugar into it carefully with the wooden spoon, and see if it forms a soft ball.
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6
Pour the sugar mixture over the bowl of pecans and stir constantly with the wooden spoon to coat the pecans completely with the melted sugar. Alternately, pour the pecans into the pan, stirring constantly and removing them from the pot before they cool completely.
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7
Set the candied pecans on the greased tray. Roll the candied pecans in powdered sugar. Roll any broken up pieces of pecan into balls before rolling them in the powdered sugar.
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8
Store the finished candied pecans in the airtight container.
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Tips & Warnings
Instead of using butter to grease the cookie sheet, use parchment paper.
Add vanilla to the melted sugar right before coating the pecans.
Take care not to handle the candied pecans while they are still uncomfortably hot.
References
- Exploratorium: Science of Cooking: Candy-making Stages
- The Free Dictionary: Encyclopedia: Pecan
- "Atlanta Woman's Club Cook Book"; Atlanta Woman's Club; 1921
- "A Practical Cook Book"; Trinity Church, Ladies of the Trinity Church"; 1899
- "The American Kitchen Magazine"; Volume 6; Home Science Publication Company; 1897
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/liquidlibrary/Getty Images
