That is funny that many Aussie's would recognize pecan trees! I actually use the pecan cracker and apply pressure to the pecan from both top and botton and then gently crack the shell around the middle and they slide out easily enough - often in whole pieces!

I don't have any tricks either, but like Aussie m8 I don't buy any pecans either. I'm fortunate to have an old pecan grove here in town at the town park. They're free. It's surprising how few people seem to know the trees are there. I picked up 2 five gallon buckets full this year.

I don't know about pecan nuts but I can tell you that this works with brazils.

Bring a pan of water to the boil, enouth to cover the nuts, drop in brazil nuts, leave to boil for one minute, tip into a seive, run under cold water, hey presto easy peel brazils

If you want the the brown inner skin removed from the nut simply boil the nuts for two minutes.

By the way can anyone put me in touch with a site that sells walnut keys.
I used to have a few of them, the bags of walnuts would be supplied with a key. Not any longer, back to the nut cracker now, slow and tedious.

There may be a possibility of finding one on E-bay:confused:

one thing i have learned thru trial and error about picking up pecans is if they still have the outer hull attached, don't waste time or energy picking them up, won't have any meat in them.