Many holiday recipes, especially for baked goods, feature tree nuts in them.
Nuts can contribute wonderful sensory qualities as well as terrific nutritional value when used in moderation as part of a healthier diet.
That said, what’s up with nut prices this holiday baking season?
Are dramatically higher prices a one time fluke or are they here to stay for awhile?
So many of us have wonderful memories associated with holiday nuts in winter time, as immortalized in this classic song made famous by Nat King Cole called “Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire” aka “The Christmas Song” (best quality vocal)
Music video by Nat King Cole performing the Christmas Song (chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire
King Cole Productions, LLC under license to Beach Road Music, LLC
Music Copyrights Solely Owned by Nat King Cole Produced By Sanchia www.houseofavalonuk.co.uk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kzolzj1tyeA
In years past, I can remember my late mother telling me how she used to love buying a small bag of freshly roasted chestnuts at holiday time from the NYC street vendors.
In my own cooking, I’ve sometimes added roasted chestnuts to bread stuffing just for a little added sensory twist.
There are so many kinds of nuts. Photo courtesy of: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/437587 ©2006 by channah
Tree nuts are a specific segment of the nut market. Tree nut prices have increased dramatically in this year 2011 as compared to year 2010.
Unfortunately, it is reported that agribusiness advisory experts are predicting that this situation may well continue through 2015.
A number of factors are involved in the price pressures being seen right now, where many nut prices are double what they were just a year ago.
For example, reported drought conditions in the two largest pecan producing states (Georgia and Texas) have continued to drive that nut’s prices upwards as current supply and nut size is down and also short-term future supply is expected to be down.
Weather conditions in year 2010 had produced an exceptional off-year harvest of pecans unlikely to be repeated in another off-year. Drought, unfavorable pollination conditions, freeze damage, nut drop, and mold fungus, etc., have affected the lower crop production in 2011 and also meant fewer nuts formed this past Fall, which will affect future harvests.
Sadly, on the other side of the world, flood conditions in Australia have meant that country has become an importer rather than an exporter of food items and that includes bringing in more food items such as nuts from the US.
Increasing demand in China and elsewhere in Asia, including Hong King, Singapore, Taiwan and Vietnam among their middle class for various nuts, including almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, pistachios and walnuts is exerting pressure on market pricing as well. It is expected that US tree nut prices may remain high for the next four years or so since export growth has outpaced increased production in the US.
It is thought that the “rapid increase in demand is partly due to increased global awareness of nuts’ health benefits” according to that Rabobank report.
Per another report, last year in 2010, 75 million pounds of pecans alone were exported just to Asia! US retail prices for pecans were less than half of what they are at the time of the publishing of this blog post as compared to prices at the start of 2010.
Among the most expensive prices right now for raw nuts (from higher to lower in descending order) are those for pine nuts, pecans, walnuts, and almonds; prices are also up for other nuts as well including pistachios, hazelnuts, and even peanuts.
Although the US exports many tree nuts, curiously, most pine nuts imported into the US right now come from China.
To save some money on your holiday nut purchases:
–Sometimes it is cheaper to crack them yourself and it can be a fun family activity and the “nut meats” will be fresher.
Although often it is most efficient to use a metal nut cracking device with a nut pick, the wooden toy looking nutcrackers are also decorative and festive to have around if family are gathered near a hearth in the background while cracking nuts as a family activity.
–Shelled nuts are convenient, but go rancid faster. Keep air-tight sealed packages in the refrigerator or even the freezer to prevent nut quality from rapid decline. Broken nut pricing often is more favorable than say more intact pecan halves or walnuts halves pricing.
–Toast nut halves, broken pieces, or slices to get the maximum flavor out of the nuts and often you can use less nuts that way in a recipe and still get a wonderful sensory and nutritional contribution from the smaller amount of nuts you do use.
–Sometimes whole grains (such as rolled oats) or ground seeds (such as ground flax seed or perhaps sesame seeds or pumpkin seeds) or wheat germ, etc., will contribute desirable flavors with some (not all!) of the same sensory qualities and/or perhaps some of the nutritional contributions to the diet that nuts offer.
For more information on various tree nuts, visit some websites associated with them.
almonds (Almond Board of California)
chestnuts’ newsletter archives
pecans (also see: http://extension.uga.edu/agriculture/ag-fruits-vegetables/pecans/)
walnuts (California Walnuts)
BTW, you can find all sorts of facts, recipes & resources here .
Dietitians and nutritionists will appreciate the specifics about the healthful flavonoid and phytosterol contributions of various tree nuts, as well as their general nutrient profiles per 100 grams (~3+ ounces) found here and per ~ 1 oz found here .
Research studies into the health contributions of nuts are ongoing and fortunately we continue to discover new health properties of nuts.
Another site has some good information on nuts as well mentioning the various minerals, antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, and other nutrients, including even some vitamins, that can be found in varying quantities in a wide variety of nuts.
So here’s to those who enjoy nuts or nut butters in their holiday baking or year round–Cheers!
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