Pecan

Spread them in a single layer on a baking tray and toast at 160 °C for about 8–10 minutes, stirring once. Take them out when they smell nutty; they continue to darken slightly as they cool.

Keep shelled pecans in an airtight container in a cool, dark cupboard if you’ll use them soon. For longer storage, refrigerate or freeze them; their high oil content means warmth and air can make them taste stale or rancid.

Choose kernels that look plump and smell mild and nutty. Avoid shrivelled pieces or any with a bitter, paint-like or stale smell, which can indicate rancidity.

Toast them for salads, porridge or roasted vegetables, or fold chopped pecans into biscuits and quick breads. They’re also used in pralines and can add crunch to a savoury stuffing.

Yes: use walnuts in the same amount in most cakes, biscuits and pies. They taste more assertive and slightly bitter, while pecans are generally milder and sweeter.

No. They are different nuts from the same botanical family; pecans tend to be sweeter and more buttery, while walnuts have a firmer, more bitter flavour. They can often be swapped in recipes, but the flavour will change.

Yes, pecans are commonly eaten raw as well as toasted or cooked. They are tree nuts and can trigger serious allergic reactions in people with a pecan or other tree-nut allergy.