I'm not sure why the rush. Pecans are not a cheap ingredient where I am, and I actually have to slow myself down from using too many.
A perhaps unusual preparation is to grind your pecans and coat whatever your main is with them as if the pecans were bread crumbs. This could be done with egg plant, for example.
As an omnivore I really enjoy fish coated with ground nuts.
One of my favorite ways to do green beans is to roast them under a broiler with onions and pecans until all ingredients are toasty and golden.
Pecan pie is one of my favorite desserts, and with a replacement for heavy cream my recipe could be made vegan. Google appears to agree that this is a definite option for vegans. Another excellent recipe if you can save your pecans for fall is a pumpkin pie base with a pecan pie topping. Oh. My. Goodness. So decadent. There are many options out there.
I rarely make cookies without pecans. In fact, my ideal cookie is pecans held together by cookie dough. I love pecans in muffins. They also taste good in quick breads - zucchini, banana, and many others. You can also grind the pecans and use them with white or whole wheat flour in a bread recipe.
Your best methods are to use the tools nature gave you:
- Visually inspect the nutmeats; you should not see signs of mold or discoloration
- Smell the nuts; they should not have that rancid odor, nor (according to Eat by Date) smell like paint
- Feel their weight; they should not feel light or dried out, nor slimy or wet (although the latter is very unlikely unless they have been stored in wet or very humid conditions)
None of these are absolute, but together they give you the best indication that you can probably get at home.
I found several anecdotal accounts that the float test, also described by MaxS (the nuts should float in water) will help separate bad nuts, but I could not find credible documentation.
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Best Answer
A great idea is to make nut butter. Mix it with chocolate--and you've got Nutella!