The pecan was an important part of the diet of Native Americans before the arrival of the European settlers. The first successful grafts of the pecan tree were done in 1846 by a Louisiana plantation gardener, a slave named Antoine.
Pecans are available in many forms; you'll find them vacuum-packed in jars, sealed in plastic bags, or packed in cans. For the freshest and most flavorful pecans, choose whole ones in the shell. When choosing whole unshelled pecans, look for nuts that are heavy for their size and don't rattle when shaken. There shouldn't be any cracks or holes in the shells.