Caramelized Pecans (Stovetop Recipe) (2024)

FAQs

Why are my candied pecans soft on the stove? ›

If your pecans are soft, it's most likely because they weren't baked long enough and are still retaining moisture. The sugar needs to bake long enough to caramelize and form a brittle coating on the nuts.

The cinnamon can be swapped out for ground ginger or apple pie spice or even something savory, like barbecue rub, Old Bay seasoning, or Italian seasoning. How do you keep candied pecans from sticking together? Under-cooking the pecans is the likely cause of stickiness, but the risk is low when they're oven-baked.

Tips for making Candied Pecans

If your nuts don't harden fully, that means the sugar wasn't cooked long enough and didn't caramelize. Cook the nuts longer next time!

Pecans should be stored in relative humidity of about 65-70%. Humidity higher than these values can cause the pecans to become soft and grow molds.

Stovetop method: Place the nuts in a dry skillet (no oil) over medium heat. Heat, shaking the pan and stirring often with a wooden spoon, until the nuts are fragrant and golden brown or one shade darker, about 3 minutes for pine nuts and 4 to 5 minutes for harder nuts like pecans, walnuts and almonds.

Now, some of you may be wondering, “What's the difference between roasting and toasting a pecan?”. The answer is simple. Roasting is when the nut is cooked fully through, and is usually done in an oven. Toasting means to brown the nut on the outside, and is usually done over a fire or on the stove.

Toasting Pecans in the Oven

Bake until the nuts are fragrant and a deeper shade of brown, 6 to 7 minutes. Use a spatula to flip the nuts halfway through. Keep a close eye on them, since they can easily burn.

Candied pecans will keep tightly sealed in an airtight container for one to two weeks. They will keep for at least three weeks in an airtight container in the refrigerator and may be frozen for several months.

Signs/Symptoms

Pink mold will develop on nuts that are infected with the pecan scab fungus. A white to pink, moldy growth will develop in old scab lesions. If the fungus invades the kernel, it becomes oily and produces a rancid odor.

Either you used raw nuts, or you added them before the sugar had a chance to fully caramelize. Why is the sugar all crystallized and grainy looking? It means that the sugar has crystallized before caramelizing.

Why do you soak pecans in water? ›

"Essential nutrients like iron, protein, calcium, and zinc are better absorbed by the body when you soak the nuts. The water removes the phytic acid present in acids which causes indigestion. So, soaking nuts helps in digesting them properly and reaping the benefits of these nutrients.

You'll find out fast that boiling pecans lessens the likelihood of the shell shattering into a lot of smaller pieces. Boiling shouldn't affect the taste of the pecan, though.

The simplest way to revive a stale nut is by dry roasting or toasting it in a pan over a medium heat.

Usually if the almonds are soft after candying it means that they weren't cooked for long enough. However, this recipe cooks all of the water out of the sugar syrup and then takes it a step further where the the sugar then re-caramelizes allowing the almonds to harden.

Throw all of your pecans in a sauce pan, and pan-fry for about 2 minutes. This will soften the pecans, and really accentuate the nutty flavor.

Candied Walnuts Recipe FAQs

These last for up to 1 week at room temperature, 2 weeks in the refrigerator, and 2 months in the freezer. Why are my candied walnuts soft? If they are soft you likely did not bake them long enough.

A final way to crack open pecans is to soften the shells first. Fill a saucepan with water and turn your stovetop to high. Wait until the water boils. Then, bring the boil to a simmer by slightly turning down the heat.