Pecans are a delicious nut with a crunchy, buttery taste. They can be eaten both raw or cooked. Pecan pie is an American favorite, especially during the holiday season. Pecans are also used to make the famous New Orleans praline candy. The U.S. harvests the majority of the world's pecans. The yearly crop is close to 200,000 tons. Many Americans, especially those in Georgia, New Mexico and Texas, have one or more pecan trees in their backyard. These trees can produce more than just pecans. They can actually make money for their owners.

Grow the finest pecans you can. Nuture each tree with fertilizer, water and other nutrients. You want to become known for having a high-quality pecan crop so you can earn the highest dollar for your pecans.The shell-out rate of the pecans determines how much value the crop is worth. If your pecans have a low shell out rate of 50 percent or less you will not make much money.

Sell directly to commercial purchasers if you have a large pecan crop. Commercial buyers will often eye the crop and give you a price for your pecans based on their appearance. Keep in mind that to sell to a commercial dealer you will have to have at least a ton of pecans that are cleaned and bagged. See "Resources" for a link to commercial pecan sellers.

Sell your pecans online. Package your pecans in baggies and sell at auction sites like eBay. To set prices, look at the going rate on eBay; this will vary from season to season. You may also want to develop a personal website to market your pecans.

Set up a booth at community events such as craft fairs, school functions, carnivals, farmers markets and other local events and sell bagged pecans. Sell plain bags of pecan nuts and sell bags set up to be gift items. You can find inexpensive mugs, baskets and tins at dollar and thrift stores. Line these with tissue paper and place bags of nuts in them to encourage buyers to purchase them for gifts for others. Be sure to factor the price of the mugs, baskets and tins in your price and add a little extra to make a profit.

Advertise your pecan nuts for sale at free classified ad websites such as Craigslist and in local shopping guides that have a free for sale section.

Tip

Keep in mind it costs close to $2,000 to grow an acre of pecans. Factor this into your profit potential.

Take into account all fees for selling such as Paypal, eBay and the price of a booth at a craft fair when determining price so you can make a profit.