[Sca-cooks] ISO: Source for Pecans

[Barbara Dodge]

I am in search of a source for pecan halves.  I tried a recipe for "candied pecans" at Christmas, and now my husband is asking for more.  He deploys with the US Navy for 5 months next week, and I'd like to be able to make more to send to him in goody boxes.  Paying $10.00 a pound in the local (Norfolk, VA) grocery stores seems to me to be just crazy and I'm hoping to find a less expensive source.  Does anyone on this list have a favorite on line vendor for nuts?

For anyone who is interested, the basic recipe is:

1 egg white
1 cup sugar 
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons water 
1 pound pecan halves

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

In large bowl, wisk egg white until foamy.  
Add sugar, salt, cinnamon, water to egg whites and mix well.  The mixture will be very grainly, this is OK.
Stir in the pecan halves until well coated with egg mixture.
Spread nut mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.

The recipe is very forgiving.  After my first batch, I made the following changes:

I substituted half the white sugar for brown.
I substituted half the water for vanilla extract.
I added cloves, ginger, and nutmeg of various amounts (I didn't measure) in addition to the cinnamon. 

Thanks in advance.

Felicia
Barony of Marinus
Atlantia