Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Grease a 13x9 inch baking pan (metal).

Mix oats, wheat germ, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt together in a big bowl. Stir in the pecans.

Combine syrup, oil and water in a microwave-safe glass measuring cup. Microwave for about 1 minute or until mixture boils. Stir in the vanilla, then pour over oat mixture and stir very well. Mixture should seem slightly moist and you should be able to form clumps by pressing it together with your fingers. If it is too dry to do this, add a little more water (I didn’t need to).

Transfer the oat mixture to the baking pan and using your fingers, squeeze together as many clumps/clusters as you like.

Bake the granola for about 45-50 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to avoid burning. It should be golden and should not smell burnt (timing granola is kind of an art) Granola will come out of the oven kind of soft, but will crisp as it cools.