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And now that I sent the above post, and cleared the “blurry screen” problem I had while posting it, I must know more. Pecan storage, anyone? We picked up about 8 gallons yesterday. My mom always puts them in the freezer in the shells. Is that the best way? How about already cracked or shelled nuts?

Wow, a goldmine! (pecans)
I've got to tell you that your Mom's method - putting the nuts in the freezer first may have some merits - it would kill any insects and I think I will try that on my walnuts. I have tried many times to use some of the walnuts I have growing around here. The problem always is that by the time the husk has dried, so you can run it through a corn sheller to remove the husk, the bugs have totally consumed the nut inside. Like I do with my wheat, barley, rice, I am going to try giving them a week in the freezer before I proceed with drying. Maybe that will work.

Your post got me looking as I was planning to plant some pecan trees (this was reinforced yesterday in the grocery store - 4 oz. of shelled pecans ready? $7.49 1 oz. $2.29 ) So, I found the following from a Google search:

Harvesting Pecans

Pecans are usually harvested from mid-October through November when the shuck loosens from the shell or splits. The trees in commercial production are harvested with trunk or limb shakers that literally shake the nuts off the tree to be collected by various means.

Homeowners usually use a long cane pole to whap the nuts down or find some 10-year-old kids willing to spend an entire afternoon throwing baseball gloves or old sneakers up into the tree to knock nuts down. That's how my mother got hickory nuts for cakes and cookies many years ago. Wait to pick up the nuts that fall to the ground naturally, and you're competing with the wiley squirrel-and may well lose.

Squirrels can be a real barrier to successful back yard pecan growing. It has been estimated that a single squirrel can consume about 50 pounds of pecans in a single season-the total production of two trees. Nuts can be stored in their shells for about four months at room temperature before becoming rancid. They'll last up to nine months in the refrigerator and a year or two when stored in the freezer.
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Harvesting Pecans:
Pecans are mature and ready to harvest anytime after the shuck begins to split and open.

Storing Pecans:
We prefer to store pecans in airtight heavy-duty plastic freezer bags with a zipper-type closure. Pecans can be stored in jars or plastic cartons that can be made airtight. Label with the month and year of purchase.
Pecans should be stored in the refrigerator for six (6) to nine (9) months or preferably in the freezer for up to two (2) years. Pecans can be thawed and refrozen and not lose their quality. Also, frozen pecans need not be thawed to be used in recipes. If pecans appear shriveled or smell too strongly, discard them.
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"Sweetening" Pecans:
Pecans have two sources of bitterness -- naturally occurring tannins in the kernel and pieces of corky material from the inside of the nut which can adhere to the kernel.. Washing can eliminate this bitterness.
To "sweeten" pecan meats, place the kernels in a bowl and fill with lukewarm water. Stir and tumble the meats in the water for several minutes; the water will be discolored. Pour off the water and repeat the process at least once more. Spread the pecans on paper towels and allow them to dry for 15 minutes or so.
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Harvesting & Storage

Harvesting pecans occurs from mid October through November, and occasionally into December. For home harvesting, gathering falling nuts can be an option, but you usually have to fight the squirrels, who are master nut gatherers. Small harvests can be achieved by tapping limbs with a padded stick to help with nut drop, or commercially tree shakers are used. Mechanical shakers are fascinating to watch. Once secured on the trunk of the tree, they are turned on and the tree shakes rapidly, causing the nuts to drop like pelting rain. Standing nearby, even the soil vibrates. Then the nuts are gathered, removed from their outer husks and sorted. Pecan nuts lose quality very quickly on the ground, especially during wet weather, so it is important to harvest soon after shaking. Fresh pecans need to be air dried for two to three weeks before storing.

Pecans will oxidize or turn rancid more rapidly in light and out of their shell, so nuts will store longer when they are in their shell. If you don’t intend to use them right away, you may want to buy unshelled nuts. They are best stored in a cool, dry, protected location. If you plan to store them for more than a month, you might consider freezing them. For the highest quality product it is recommended that they not be stored for more than one year in the freezer, but they have been known to do fine for several years.

Mmmm sticky buns, pecan pies, homemade fudge loaded with pecans Makes my mouth water!

Also found the following from University of New Mexico for storing times for pecans:

Table 1. Relative storage life of pecans held at various temperatures

Temperature In-shell (Months) Shelled (Months)

70°F 4 3

47–50°F 9 6

32–36°F 18 12

20–25°F 20–40 18–24

0°F 24–60 24–60

Pecan storage, anyone?

I grew up in a pecan bottom. We shelled 'em and froze what we kept. Sold a lot to get by through the winter. Before Ziplock bags sometimes we'd get freezer burn but after Ziplocks I've kept them for years in the freezer and they're still good.

My Grama used to put them in quart jars dry and process them in a water bath without the water covering the lids so the jars would seal. I don't know how long she processed them to get them to do that but it might be worth an experiment if you have too many for the freezer. These days I worry about the electricity going out and having no freezer so I'm trying to do everything I can without freezing. We have a generator but in a catastrophe will not be using it for long term things like the freezer. I've agreed to use other methods of storage for the "catastrophe stash."

My mom and dad still live in the pecan bottom but I didn't get any nuts from them this year. If I get time I should get some pecans from them and experiment with that "canning" method. Will keep you informed of that. Please let me know if you happen to try it.