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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!

Years ago Mom harvested a bumper crop of pecans from a friends tree. We froze them, just loose in the freezer bottom, and ate on them for 4-5 years.

.We recently ran into an old friend we had lost touch with, who offered us all we could pick up from his yard. Even though others had picked up buckets full before, we found all we can use and more on the 10+ old trees in his yard. All are small to medium size, and NO paper shells. I think the older varieties taste much better than the paper shells. The smaller nuts take longer to pick out, but offer a superior flavor, higher percentage of good nuts, and stay good longer due to the thicker shell.

Today, I'm going back for more nuts, and have been invited to fish in his spring fed pond for crappie and catfish. Crappie caught during cold weather is the best tasting fish on this earth (that I've ever eaten). Ummmmmm, fried crappie, hush puppies, and fries. I'm salivating just thinking about it.

We are approaching the point that we have more pecans than we can use. A friends aunt always told us that having that bounty available and not taking advantage of it is a sin. Maybe it is. If there is anyone in the area that would like some, I'm in Tipton county, and would gladly share a few. Just freepmail me or respond to this post.