Spice up your holiday appetizers with this spicy pecans recipe. Add a dash of fresh flavor with rosemary from your Rise Garden.
Spicy Rosemary Pecans Recipe
Serves: 4-6
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 15 mins
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups pecan halves
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
Directions
- Step One: Pre-heat the oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Step Two: Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the sugar, cayenne pepper, and half the salt. When the sugar has combined, add the pecans and toss to coat them.
- Step Three: Transfer the pecans to the baking sheet in a single layer. Bake until toasted, approximately 10 minutes. Stir at the 5 minute mark.
- Step Four: Top with the rosemary and toss in a bowl to combine. Serve warm for best results but room temperature is great too!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you grow rosemary in a Rise Garden?
Yes — rosemary is a wonderfully rewarding herb to grow in a Rise Garden (an indoor hydroponic system — a method of growing plants in nutrient-enriched water rather than soil — that lets you cultivate fresh herbs year-round), producing fragrant, pine-like sprigs that can be harvested continuously over many months. Rosemary is a slower-growing herb than basil or cilantro, so plan for about 6-8 weeks before your first significant harvest, but the wait is absolutely worth it. Once established, rosemary is a robust, low-maintenance plant that thrives under the Rise Gardens LED light system, which consumes up to 75% less energy than traditional HPS grow lighting.
How do you make spicy rosemary pecans?
Toss whole pecans with melted butter or olive oil, a tablespoon of fresh finely chopped rosemary, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, salt, and a touch of maple syrup or brown sugar for balance. Spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast at 325F (165C) for 15-20 minutes, stirring once, until toasted and fragrant. These spicy rosemary pecans make an excellent cocktail party snack, charcuterie addition, or holiday gift when packaged in a decorative jar. For the freshest flavor, start your rosemary from one of our seed pod collection options so you always have a steady supply of fragrant sprigs ready to harvest.
What are the best culinary uses for fresh rosemary?
Fresh rosemary — the needle-like, aromatic leaves of the evergreen shrub Salvia rosmarinus — pairs beautifully with roasted meats especially lamb, chicken, and pork, as well as roasted potatoes, focaccia, compound butters, and infused olive oils. Its pine-resin intensity means a little goes a long way, and typically one to two teaspoons of fresh chopped rosemary is sufficient to flavor an entire dish. According to the USDA's FoodData Central, fresh herbs like rosemary can contain significantly higher concentrations of antioxidants and essential oils compared to their dried counterparts, making home-grown, freshly harvested rosemary particularly valuable in the kitchen. Infusing rosemary into simple syrup creates a sophisticated base for cocktails, lemonades, and even desserts like rosemary-olive oil cake.
Is rosemary a medicinal herb as well as a culinary one?
Yes — rosemary has been used in traditional medicine for centuries for its reported properties as a memory enhancer, circulation stimulant, and anti-inflammatory agent. Modern research has supported some of these traditional uses, finding compounds in rosemary like rosmarinic acid and carnosic acid that have antioxidant and neuroprotective properties. Research from Cornell University's Center for Excellence in Controlled Environment Agriculture has also highlighted that hydroponically grown herbs can contain up to 50% more vitamins and beneficial compounds than store-bought equivalents, since they are harvested at peak freshness without extended transit time. Whether enjoyed for its flavor or its wellness associations, growing fresh rosemary at home means you have access to the most potent form of this remarkable herb year-round.
