5 Easy Ways to Make Your Southern Pecan Coffee Taste Even Better

Coffee is such a staple in our lives, and it’s easy to fall into habits that can indirectly affect the taste of our morning brew. We drink Southern Pecan Coffee pretty exclusively here at the farm, and our biggest coffee fanatics put together the below list to help you get maximum enjoyment from your Southern Pecan Coffee. 

1. Use cold, filtered water.
1. Coffee is 98% water, so it’s important to use filtered water to let the rich taste of your coffee shine through. Starting with cold water allows your drip machine to bring the water up to the correct temperature for the best extraction. 
2. Avoid distilled water or mineral water. Tap water is fine, filtered water is best.
   
   
2. Make sure the coffee is ground to the right size…
1. Different methods of coffee brewing require different size grounds for the best flavor and profile. For a drip machine, a medium ground is best. This is what we will default to when you order ground coffee from us. We grind the coffee to order, so you always get the freshest coffee. 
2. For other brewing methods like espresso you’ll want a finer ground, and for a French press you’ll want a coarser ground. If you’re unsure what you need, contact us and we’ll custom grind your coffee. 
   
   
3. …And make sure you use the right amount!
1. Coffee is measured in 6oz servings, so a “cup” of coffee is 6oz. Use 1-2 tablespoons (10 grams) of ground coffee per 6oz cup. Your drip machine will have cups marked on the carafe. 
2. Use 1 tablespoon per 6oz for a lighter brew, and 2 tablespoons for a stronger brew. For a delicately flavored coffee like our Southern Pecan, we use 1 heaping tablespoon per 6oz. 
   
   
4. Let it brew/Trust the process.
1. Once your drip machine starts brewing, let it finish before removing the carafe.  Removing the carafe before its finished can affect the flavor of the pot making it a little bit more bitter due to over extraction. Your patience will pay off, we promise. 
2. Use this time to prep your coffee - grab your milk, sweetener, and cup. Slice some Banana Pecan Bread to go with your breakfast. Whatever you do - let the coffee finish brewing first!
   
   
5. Don’t let it sit.
1. Pour your coffee and enjoy it. We like a little bit of cream in the Southern Pecan coffee, but it tastes fantastic black. Whichever way you prefer it, we recommend serving it within 20 minutes or insulating it to keep it warm. Avoid reheating the coffee when possible, and try not to let it sit for too long. 
2. If you like iced coffee, turn the coffee pot off as soon as it's finished brewing, and remove from the heat if possible. Let the coffee come up to room temperature before putting it in the refrigerator to cool down.

Try this earthy and rich vinaigrette on your next salad. Be sure to @royaltypecans in your social posts! We love seeing how creative you are with our Always Fresh pecans!

Toasted Pecan Vinaigrette

Prep time: 5 min     Cook Time: 10 min    Servings: 1.5 cups

Ingredients

• ½ cup Royalty Pecans Pecan Halves
• ¼ cup white wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 2 tbsp chopped shallots
• ¾ cup Royalty Pecan Pecan Oil
• Vegetable broth or water for thinning around ½ cup
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place Royalty Pecans Pecan Halves on a cookie sheet.

2. Bake the pecans, stirring occasionally, until toasted and fragrant. Around 10 minutes. Cool completely. Coarsely chop the pecans.

3. In a high-powered blender or food processor, add pecans, vinegar, syrup, and shallots. While blending, slowly add in Royalty Pecan Pecan Oil. Blend until completely smooth. Add broth or water as needed to thin.

4. Season the dressing with salt and pepper.

5. Store in the fridge for up to 3 weeks

The past 4-6 weeks in the orchard have been busy. Our field crew has been battling the cold and wet Texas weather to hedge our pecan trees in anticipation of bud break and sunnier weather.

We use a unique piece of equipment to trim the pecan trees; you won't find another exactly like it.

 Andy, our Orchard Manager, was able to grab this video of Nekota hedging this block of pecan trees. It's important we hedge the trees this time of year for a couple reasons. One, the trees are still dormant so there's less leaves and debris. Two, bud break is just around the corner. We hedge the trees now, so the leaves that come in over the next month or two have less competition for nutrients and sunlight, and are better positioned to yield a beautiful crop. If the trees aren't hedged regularly, the leaves and branches can become overcrowded and reduce sunlight to the inner most or lower most branches. 

Next month is bud break. Isn’t April a little late for trees to be leafing out? Let’s talk about that next time.

You can find out more about our orchard by joining us on an Orchard Tour, hosted by Andy Sherrod, our Orchard Manager. Book tickets here.

I'm Andy Sherrod, Orchard Manager at Royalty Pecan Farms. 

Royalty Pecan Honey, it's back! But let me clear one thing up. This is not pecan honey. Pecans don't need pollinators, like bees, to spread the pollen. The wind does that. This is honey from Royalty Pecan Farms. We have about 15 hives on the farm. An area beekeeper has a few and I keep a few, just as a hobby. 

So why do we sell honey at all? Well, it's local. Consuming local honey that's loaded with local pollen can help with allergies. Buying honey from Royalty Pecan Farm supports the local economy. And honey? Well, it's just plain good. You can buy liquid honey or honey comb from our Farm Store or online, while supplies last. Sweet!

Orchard Manager Andy Sherrod explains how earthworms keep the soil healthy and benefit pecan trees.

Next time you’re in a bind for a simple and delicious dessert, try this easy version of a “Dump” Cake. This dessert is a cross between a cobbler and cake, and gets its name because the ingredients are dumped into the pan it’s baked in - no mixing bowl necessary. 

We used berries for this cake, but you can use apples, strawberries, pineapple, or any other fruit. Fresh pecans add delicious flavor and crunch, and pecan flour adds light texture to the cake. It’s perfect on its own or with a scoop of fresh vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 (21 oz) can blueberry pie filling
2 cups fresh mixed berries
8 oz pecan pieces
1 box yellow cake mix
Pecan flour
1 stick of butter

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a 9x13 inch pan, mix pie filling and fresh berries. Add dry cake mix over the berry mixture. Add the layer of pecan pieces on top. Add a thin layer of pecan flour. Finish with a layer of thinly sliced butter on top of the pecan flour.

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown