Activated pecans - sooo delicious and fine!

Pecans are not one of the best known nuts. When you see them for the first time, you could almost confuse them with walnuts. And that's right: the two are even distantly related! However, pecans taste more tender, milder and sweeter than walnuts. Especially activated pecans are a delight! If you don't know them yet: definitely try them!

Where do pecans come from?

The pecan tree is native to North America and was an important food source for the indigenous people even before the first Europeans arrived. Today, pecan trees are also found in South Africa, Australia, Israel and China, for example. We source our pecans from small-scale organic farmers in South Africa who care for the trees with great dedication and provide us with nuts of outstanding quality.

What are activated pecans?

As with all our nut varieties, we at 2DiE4 take great care to ensure that we receive completely raw pecans. In other words, nuts that have not been heated at any time during harvesting or shelling. Because only raw nuts can be activated!

We first soak the raw pecans in a perfectly balanced mixture of spring water and sea salt to initiate the germination process and then dry them very slowly at gentle temperatures. During the germination process, certain defence substances are broken down in the pecan that previously served as protection. These defence substances (e.g. phytic acid, bitter substances) have the effect that minerals are firmly bound in the nut and are therefore not available to the human organism. By activating them, they are released. This is why activated pecans are so much richer in minerals than raw ones and are so good for your body!

If you want to know more about activating, have a look here: link to blog article - "The 2DiE4 process to activate nuts"

Do activated pecans make you fat?

Admittedly, the fat content of pecans is a whopping 70%. That sounds like quite a calorie bomb at first. But similar to the related walnuts, most of the fat consists of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, which in turn are very healthy. They can have a positive effect on cholesterol levels and help prevent cardiovascular diseases. The gentle temperatures used in the 2DiE4 activation process also preserve these valuable fats. This is the big difference to roasted pecans.

What vitamins are in activated pecans?

The special thing about pecans is their high content of B vitamins. Of particular interest to vegans and vegetarians is vitamin B1, which is otherwise very rare in non-animal foods, but at the same time very important. It is involved in the energy metabolism of the cells and in the maintenance of nerve and heart muscle tissue.

Pecans also provide a lot of biotin, which is part of various enzyme systems in the body. It is especially known as a "beauty vitamin" because it ensures healthy skin, hair and nails.

In addition to the B vitamins, pecans also contain a lot of vitamin E. It acts as an antioxidant, protecting our cells from harmful influences and helping preserve the valuable unsaturated fatty acids that are also present in pecan nuts.

What minerals are found in activated pecans?

Due to the activation process, pecans generally contain a lot of freely available minerals, such as magnesium, calcium, zinc and iron. A special feature is the high content of potassium. This is involved in the transmission of impulses in the body and is therefore very important for muscle contractions and a steady heartbeat.

Pecans are good for your heart!

As you can see, pecan nuts are good for your heart in many ways! They provide you with healthy unsaturated fats and a generous dose of potassium, both essential for heart health. And when you enjoy our activated pecan nuts, your heart will warm up with happiness!

A heart for pecans 💚!

Enjoy them!