How to Easily Shell Pecans in a Few Simple Ways

Who doesn't love fresh pecans in the shell? Not only are they a delicious snack to have around the house, but they are also a very versatile nut and can be used for baking and cooking as well. So, if you have a bag of pecans in the shell you need to use up, here is how to easily shell those pecans in just a few easy steps.

Try Using Your Hands

How do you think Europeans and Native American settlers would shell their pecans? Well, with their hands of course! When they wanted to indulge in their pecans in the shell, they would use their hands to crack them. To do this, try to find a few good sized pecans. Put them in the palm of your hand, close your hand into a fist, and squeeze your pecans as hard as you can.

If you squeeze hard enough, you will eventually hear the pecan shell crack. Turn the pecans over the other way and squeeze them again to crack the other side. Keep doing this until the shell is completely cracked open and you have access to the delicious pecan inside.

Try Using a Nutcracker

Seems obvious, doesn't it? If you don't want to spend the time and energy cracking your pecans in the shell by hand, then grab a nutcracker to do the work for you. Place your pecan between the rods of the nutcracker and squeeze them together until the shell cracks open. Voila!

Try Using Tools

Don't have a nutcracker handy? Head on out to your toolbox. A pair of pliers will work just as well as your hands or that fancy nutcracker you packed up with your Christmas décor. Just make sure to wipe down and sanitize the pliers before using them to crack open your afternoon snack.

Try Boiling Them

One last way to crack your pecans in the shell when all our other methods have failed you is to boil the pecans to soften the shell. This is a good method if you just purchased a bag of pecans in the shell and want to do them all at once.

Add the pecans to the boiling water and simmer them for 15 minutes. Drain the water and place the pecans on a baking sheet to cool. Once they have cooled down completely, you can easily crack them open.

As you can see, there are many ways to enjoy your delicious and versatile pecans in the shell. Have a more creative idea on how to get the nut out of the shell? Share those ideas with us!