**5. Conclusions**

The application of PEF to dry pecan nuts did not increase OEY nor OEYTOTAL of pretreated kernels (69.1–74.3% and 79.8–85.0%, respectively) in comparison with kernels without soaking nor PEF processing (88.7%). These results could be due to changes in oleosomes characteristics and their localization within the cotyledon tissue of dry kernels submitted to water immersion. Kernels processed at 0.8 kJ/kg were used for the microstructural analysis showing a reduction of the cell size and oleosomes fusion in the intracellular space. These changes might help oil flow during mechanical extraction. Comparable values of acidity, AC, OSI and LOX activity between extracted oils showed that the application of PEF did not negatively affect pecan nut oil quality. Furthermore, the 0.8 kJ/kg pretreatment increased CT and AC of generated cakes compared to cakes from untreated kernels and kernels soaked for 3 min. These results showed that the effectiveness of PEF to increase OEYTOTAL of pecan nuts is dependent on not only kernels- moisture and oil content but also on the drying process. It appears that the rehydration of dry kernels produced a negative effect on their microstructure and oleosomes characteristics. Thus, further research focused on these variables is necessary along with other microscopy techniques and analytical procedures to better understand the effect of PEF pretreatments on oil extraction from pecan nuts.

**Author Contributions:** Conceptualization, L.M.R.-P. and M.M.-d.l.P.; resources, M.P.R.-F., O.M.-B. and J.W.-C., data curation, L.M.R.-P. and J.W.-C.; writing—original draft preparation, L.M.R.-P.; Writing—review and editing, M.M.-d.l.P., M.P.R.-F., O.M.-B. and J.W.-C. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

**Funding:** This research was funded by Tecnológico de Monterrey and Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACyT) scholarship programs (CVU 418204).

**Data Availability Statement:** The authors confirm that the data supporting the findings of this study are available within the article.

**Conflicts of Interest:** The authors declare no conflict of interest.
