table of contents
- Ripe hazelnuts
- Dry hazelnuts
- Store hazelnuts
- frequently asked Questions
Fresh hazelnuts from your own garden are a culinary dream. Here are instructions for harvesting the local nuts and then successfully drying hazelnuts.
In a nutshell
- Hazelnuts are only ready for harvest when they easily fall off the hazel
- Drying is possible in small bags as well as when roasting in the oven
- It is also stored in small bags or when frozen
- After drying, the hazelnuts can be eaten for up to a year
- The shell of the hazelnuts is inedible, while the skin is healthy, but it produces a bitter taste
Ripe hazelnuts
The hazelnuts ripen between September and October. During the Harvest time you will always find nuts on the ground under the tree. At the same time, the trees and bushes are full of nuts. Just shaking the branches gently will cause the hazelnuts to fall off.
Tip: It is best to catch the falling nuts with foil or a cloth and then pour them into a basket or bucket for transport home. You should definitely pick up hazelnuts from the ground every day. Otherwise, mold can develop on damp autumn days. Directly sort out the damaged nuts. These are suitable as food for the squirrels.
If you have to laboriously pick the hazelnuts from the branch, the harvest time is still ahead. Ripening is only complete when the hazelnut tree produces its own fruit.
Dry hazelnuts
After the harvest, the hazelnuts are dried. This is necessary for a period between four to six weeks. The first step is to examine the hazelnuts to see if they are still intact. Damaged areas can allow moisture to gain access, causing mold to develop. Common damages are the following:
- Fractions
- Cracks
- Holes
You can then dry the hazelnuts in different ways.
Breathable containers
Put your harvest on a plate or in a basket. At the same time, you can fill the hazelnuts in bags. Turn the hazelnuts every two to three days to ensure even drying. Overall, the drying process takes between four to six weeks.
Oven or pan
At the same time, the hazelnuts can be preserved by roasting. Roasted nuts have a delicious aroma. First, crack the nuts and remove the shell. Then roast the nuts in a pan without fat or put them in the oven.
Tips: Make sure you turn the hazelnuts regularly so that they dry and roast evenly.
Store hazelnuts
After drying is before storage. There are also two options available to you for this:
- Freeze
- Breathable sachets
There are different options for freezing. For one thing, you can grind the hazelnuts beforehand. The nuts can also be pitted using a nutcracker. On the other hand, you can also freeze the whole hazelnut kernels.
The hazelnuts also keep longer in air-permeable bags. Find a room in which the humidity is low. Clamped basement rooms are not suitable. Then pack the dry hazelnuts in small bags and hang them on the wall.
frequently asked Questions
Fear of the hungry squirrel, many garden owners harvest their hazelnuts early. However, the nuts are not edible when they are unripe. In addition, the fruits of the hazelnut tree do not really ripen, so you cannot dry unripe hazelnuts. There is a slight post-ripening. However, it is necessary that the hazelnuts were at least ready for harvest beforehand. Green nuts should stay on the tree.
After drying, the hazelnuts can be eaten within a year without any problems.
The so-called shake test is ideal. Take a hazelnut in your hand and shake it tightly. If it rattles when shaken, it is older and already dried specimens.
The shell of the hazel nuts is inedible. However, there is often a thin skin between the nut and the shell. This is healthy. However, the skin of the hazelnut often produces a bitter taste. Consequently, you can remove the skin by rubbing it.
