Margaret Hale, who gave us the following recipe, is the daughter of Sanders Upshaw. She told us the story of Miss Bertha and the cloth measuring tape and also the delightful history of the two houses.
2½ cups pecan halves
½ cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
Preheat the oven to 375°. Toast the pecans in the oven for 15 minutes. In a small saucepan cook the water, sugar, cinnamon, and salt to a soft boil stage without stirring. Add the pecans to the mixture and mix well. Pour onto waxed paper and separate the pecans immediately. Cool before serving.
Hint: Shelled and unshelled seeds and nuts keep best and longest when stored in the freezer. These can be used directly from the freezer. Unshelled nuts will crack more easily when frozen.
YIELD: 10 TO 15 SERVINGS