Wild Hazelnuts

[Moggle]

I have noticed what seems to be a hazlenut bush/tree on my walk to work. I have picked a sprig and will try to post pics tonight for confirmation. It looks like online pics I have found of Common Hazel.

When do common Hazel's ripen? Husks are green still, and I am not sure if they are just not ripe yet, or if the squrrels have nicked all the ripe ones.

Can I pick them green and ripen at home?

Thanks

[Moggle]

[cleo]

It`s a fine line-almost hours ???,between picking them semi ripe enough to mature and the squirells getting them.

If you do get some you will know where the saying "as sweet as a nut" comes from

[Moggle]

I finally got around to photographing these hazlenuts. They were picked about a week ago now, and some of the shells are starting to go nice and brown. Sorry for the blurriness of the pic, I seem to be having a few problems with focus. If you can tell despite the blurriness, do you think I have picked them too early? Or will they ripen okay, and how long will that take?



Thanks

[Leonnie]

those look like what we have in our garden, we call them cobnuts. They are ripe when they've gone brown and fall to the ground, you'll have to race the squirrels for them. :)

[organicartist]

Pick them from now on & store them in an airing cupboard of somewhere warm and dry for a few months, I usually save mine until xmas time.

Make sure you discard any with tiny holes bored into the nuts.

[jennym]

I like to crush them with a rolling pin, mix with a bit of brown sugar and put onto foil under the hot grill until the sugar caramelises, makes a nice crunchy topping for ice cream etc, and keeps for ages in a jar. Unless I eat it first.  ;D

[Moggle]

Cheers guys! I have already picked a small bowlfull, but have now identified several more trees/bushes in the same area, so will be picking more!

organicartist do you think they need to have air-flow, or could I put them in jars/plastic containers for storage once dry?

[Money_Bunny]

We went to the local woods and picked a carrier bag full last week, the kids had great fun and there are so many hazle trees there.

We've dried them off on trays on top of the kitchen wall units and so far all looks well. Hoping to get some more before the squirrels eat them all.

[Moggle]

This is my modest haul so far. Some of the ones picked last week are definitely ripening up. Hoping to head off in a bit to pick more (day off work today :) )

[Palustris]

Hopefully I am wrong, but as far as I can find out hazelnuts will NOT ripen properly off the tree.
Maybe if they have begun to turn then they will, but green ones, I am not sure about.
Picking is normally done when the nuts begin to loosen from the cups.

[Leonnie]

that's what I thought too Palustris.

[Palustris]

Had a look down our lane today, they are beginning to loosen. If you flick the clusters some of them drop out. The brownest one I opened was not ripe though. I would think, here at least, another fortnight. Mind there will not be any by then, they are cutting the hedges now,back to the main stem.

[Moggle]

Darn, I thought I was on to a good thing there   :-[

Well it's too late with that lot, so I will just see what happens with them. There are 3 massive trees just off the footpath so I will wait and see if the squirrels leave me any :)

[artichoke]

I pick them every year and they certainly do "ripen" off the tree. I prefer them brown and dry, and just leave them spread out on a tray until that happens. If you leave them until later, either the nuts fall out and disappear in the grass, or squirrels and other people get them.... I picked mine yesterday from a particularly good tree at the bottom of our allotment site.

They are in local shops at the moment, fresh and green, and I know from previous years that they gradually dry out and go brown and taste sweeter than when fresh. A friend grows and sells them, and told me they pick them when green because they are heavier, and they can charge more for them!

I have often used them as material for illustration classes to paint, and the same happens over the few weeks we draw them - they go brown and dry and sweet, and everyone eats their models.

[artichoke]

PS I live in East Sussex and used to live in Kent. Nuts everywhere at the moment.

[Palustris]

I did say I hoped I was wrong, but having picked them green in previous years they never seem to have the correct texture, even when the shells have gone brown. Mind, the ones down the lane are beginning to fall so, they must be ready for picking. Hopefully I can get there before the hedge cutters!
RHS site says "Harvest cobnuts, hazelnuts and filberts when husks begin to yellow, but before they start dropping."