# Am I nuts? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 2, 2015, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-nuts/708781 "2015-01-02T16:51:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![southkcman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@southkcman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/southkcman)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2015, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-nuts/708781/1 "2015-01-02T16:51:34Z")
Please help solve a great nut mystery. No, not that kind or even the crazy kind! When I go to the store and look to buy nuts for snacking enjoyment, I’ve noticed that there are all kinds of canned or jarred nuts, except pecans. They have pecans in mixed nuts, which means pecans can be canned. Plus, when mixed nuts are placed out in a bowl for a social occasion, the pecans are the first to go, so I assume there is a demand. But, you can’t buy a can or jar of just pecans. You can buy a bag of non-branded pecans, but why no bans or jars of pecan? \> ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2015, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-nuts/708781/2 "2015-01-02T17:05:54Z")
Around here they are branded and available in 1 lb. plastic bags as pieces, complete halves, or in the shell. But you’re right I’ve not seen them in cans in the national brand names. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2015, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-nuts/708781/3 "2015-01-02T17:15:28Z")
I could swear I’ve seen Planters Pecans in cans, but I couldn’t tell you how long ago or how available they are, as this is not an item I normally shop for. I do see that they are up on the Walmart website, but only as a shipped item (at least for all the locations I checked, there was no stock of canned pecans in store). Interesting question. Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve often seen walnuts (which I prefer to pecans), just the stuff in bags. But Planters, apparently, does also sell them in cans like the pecans. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2015, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-nuts/708781/4 "2015-01-02T17:22:34Z")
They have a lot of options at Amazon, so I expect it is simply the demand is not there at the local level. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2015, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-nuts/708781/5 "2015-01-02T19:14:28Z")
I’ve seen supermarkets place different nuts in different parts of the store. I suspect you’re looking in the snack aisle. For pecans, you have better odds in the baking aisle, or maybe produce. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2015, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-nuts/708781/6 "2015-01-02T19:29:25Z")
Pecans are really expensive compared to other nuts these days. I suspect the problem is that the price of a can of pecans is so far ahead of the price of other cans of nuts that they don’t sell well. People like pecans, a lot, but mixed nuts or, say, almonds, are an attractive substitute. ---
**Author:** ![misling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3ab097/32.png) [@misling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/misling)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2015, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-nuts/708781/7 "2015-01-02T19:29:57Z")
I have seen cans of pecans for snacking, but not this year. I’ve noticed that what’s in the Planter’s cans varies from year to year. One year tons of cashews, the next more peanuts, etc. I suspect it depends on the crops for each year. Maybe pecans are especially expensive this year. (Just speculation). ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2015, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-nuts/708781/8 "2015-01-02T19:39:23Z")
To clarify–if you can sell pecans for $12/lb as part of a mix (even though the mix costs $8/lb or whatever, the pecan portion may be effectively $12/lb, the other nuts less) but you can’t sell 100% pecans for any more than $10/lb, you just sell them in mixes. And that could quite easily be the case. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2015, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-nuts/708781/9 "2015-01-02T19:45:51Z")
I checked the Planters website, and pecans are available in halves, pieces and bits-in bags only. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2015, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-nuts/708781/10 "2015-01-02T20:02:18Z")
> [@MandaJo](#): > > Pecans are really expensive compared to other nuts these days. I suspect the problem is that the price of a can of pecans is so far ahead of the price of other cans of nuts that they don’t sell well. People like pecans, a lot, but mixed nuts or, say, almonds, are an attractive substitute. This. And you can blame [Chinese](http://www.slate.com/articles/life/holidays/2013/11/pecan_prices_why_china_s_demand_has_made_thanksgiving_pies_more_expensive.html) demand. Ten years ago or more I used to see cans of honey roasted pecans in Florida and Georgia but they were expensive then and are now hard to find.