There is only one commercial pecan grower in Illinois and it is right here in Clinton County: Voss Pecans. The family-owned Carlyle, Illinois, company may be under the radar, but they’re a big deal when it comes to nuts.
Voss Pecans has 140 acres filled with around 3,000 trees. The trees are native to the area, growing naturally along the Kaskaskia River. Unlike pecans shoppers most often find in stores, Voss Pecans are smaller with a golden honey color. Due to our shorter growing season (compared to pecan-rich Georgia, for instance), Illinois pecans mature quicker, packing the nut with rich—yet a more delicate—pecan flavor. (An interesting tidbit: a history of pecans notes that Thomas Jefferson planted Illinois pecan trees at his Monticello home. Who knew?)
2017 has been a good year for pecans, and visitors will be able to take advantage of the bountiful harvest starting November 14, 2017, when Voss starts selling this year’s crop of Pawnee/Kanza pecans—just in time forThanksgiving’s pecan pies!
Voss sells its pecans whole, cracked, and shelled in sizes that range from one pound to 30 pounds.
Voss Pecans
10101 Slant Road, Carlyle, IL
618-594-4122
November 14 – December 31, 2017
Tuesday- Friday, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.; Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.; Sun.day, 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Open year-round by appointment
We’d love to know how you use pecans during the holidays. Share your ideas and recipes with us on our Clinton County Facebook page!