If you have a large number of pecan shells, you may be wondering what to do with them. One option is to grind the shells into coarse pieces to use as mulch. You could also add a few shells to the fire when you are grilling to give your food a hint of pecan flavor. Since these nuts do burn easily, they are useful as kindling when starting a campfire. They could also be painted and glued to make a variety of craft projects.
One common use for pecan shells is to make mulch from them. In order to do this, you will need to grind the shells into small chunks without creating a powder. You might want to rent a commercial grinder in order to accomplish this task. Chunks that are around 1/2 inch (1.27 cm) are ideal for use in most gardens.
Many people like to add pecan shells to a charcoal or wood fire when grilling. Doing so can give meat a light pecan flavor. Some things you may want to try cooking in this manner are chicken and pork. If you are unsure that you will find the flavor appealing, you may want to add a small handful to the fire the first time and add more the next time if you enjoy the taste.
Pecan shells burn easily, which makes them ideal to use as kindling. When starting a fire with pecans, you do not need to break or grind them up first. You can simply lay them underneath smaller pieces of wood or wrap them in newspaper or a cardboard roll. This method is useful both indoors and out, so it can be tried in a portable fire pit as well as a wood stove.
If you are looking for an inexpensive craft project, there are a number you can complete using pecan shells. Pecans could be painted or stained and then glued together to make various animal shapes. You could also attach items such as feathers, twigs, or flowers to make a unique arrangement. They might also be glued onto a piece of cardboard as part of a collage. If you like making handmade soaps, you could add ground shells to your recipe in order to create a body scrub.
Pecan shells generally take a long time to decay, which means it is important to put them to good use. Many possibilities exist, so it can be easy to find a suitable purpose for these objects. By experimenting with different methods, you can find one that best suits your needs and is helpful to the environment as well.