We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Kitchen

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What Is a Pecan Sheller?

By Carol Luther
Updated: May 16, 2024
Views: 14,781
Share

More than 80 percent of all pecans sold in the U.S. are already shelled, because many consider this to be the most convenient way of buying and using the nut. Those who buy pecans still in the shell may need a pecan sheller, which is a device that cracks the pecan’s shell enough for one to gain access to the meat inside. In commercial operations, a pecan sheller is a machine that uses vibration to separate the nutmeat from the shell after it has passed through a cracking machine.

Pecan shellers sold to consumers are advanced nutcrackers. One particularly efficient type of consumer pecan sheller resembles a pair of pliers fitted with two rows of teeth. Placing a pecan in this device and applying pressure creates several vertical splits in the pecan’s hard shell. One also may use the sheller’s teeth to break each end of the pecan’s shell to remove the entire shell. Once one completes both procedures, the majority of the shell falls off the pecan, though a removable shield may help to keep the broken pieces of pecan shell in a contained area to aid in cleaning up after a shelling session.

In a commercial shelling facility, the pecan shelling process requires two machines. The pecan cracker splits the nut by hitting each end simultaneously. A cracked pecan then moves from the cracker to the pecan sheller. This machine is normally a mechanical or electrical device that vibrates cracked pecans vigorously to separate the nuts from the shells.

Intact pecan halves command higher retail prices, so a commercial pecan sheller ideally removes the two pecan halves from the shell without breaking them. Once the outer shell is off, a commercial sheller also extracts the bitter woody divider between the two halves of the pecan.

To reduce the potential for damage to the nutmeat inside pecans, processors condition them prior to cracking and shelling. To accomplish this, processors often soak the whole pecan in a solution of water and chlorine. This is the preferred conditioning method, because it lets processors harvest more whole nuts. Steam conditioning of whole pecans is an option that decreases the time required for conditioning. Fewer processors use this method, though, because it gives the nutmeats an unattractive color.

While pecan processors and home pecan enthusiasts can benefit from having a pecan sheller device to help in the shelling process, some pecan enthusiasts prefer a simpler method. Squeezing an in-shell pecan in one's hand can crack the shell, allowing one to pick out the nutmeat without help from any device, mechanical or otherwise. At the same, the process requires care, because too much pressure can crush the nutmeat along with the outer shell and render the effort frustrating and somewhat useless.

Share
DelightedCooking is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Discussion Comments
By Rotergirl — On Mar 27, 2014

Point of order, here: the pliers mentioned in the article are nut *crackers,* not nut shellers. When using these nutcrackers, the shellers are actually my two hands and ten fingers. The crackers don't take the nut out of the shell. They just crack said shell.

I wish I had one of the commercial crackers when I'm shelling a batch of pecans. My hands would be much happier.

Share
https://www.delightedcooking.com/what-is-a-pecan-sheller.htm
Copy this link
DelightedCooking, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

DelightedCooking, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.