| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| Treacodactyl |
Hazel nut types, observations & tipsAre these all just hazel nuts or would you class some more as cobnuts, filberts or something else?They are all from a small patch of land, the smaller ones from old trees and the larger ones from trees planted 10 years ago. Some of the nuts are over an inch long and completely fill their shells. 
As we managed to gather several kilos of them and we could easily collect more is there an easy way to shell them? |
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| sean |
Several kilos, you lucky, lucky person you. There's no easy way to shell them though so I recommend posting them to me. | ||
| tahir |
Or me |
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| lettucewoman |
the large ones with very frilly covers which completely cover the nut are cob nuts I think...
....................and you could post some to me too...the squiggles have had all ours 
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| Treacodactyl |
I think it's worth looking around. Even where I picked these some trees had been stripped (not by squirrels but mice or voles, you can tell by the discarded shells) but then other trees were covered and many had fallen still intact. I've also walked past trees in the street that have piles of whole nuts underneath. | ||
| colour it green |
they are all hazelnuts imo - they come in many shapes and sizes
we are gathering loads this year.. and just like the blackberries, we notice they come ripe in turn depending on location. the best tree is the one over bare gound, so we can see what has fallen as well as roll them out of their husks on the tree. Lots are being had by mice etc, but there are plenty to go around. the squirrrel has vanished.. in a wonderful moment of timing. I reckon our cat had him.. he's had two to our knowledge this year already (he's very proud and likes to show us) ..I love my cat. next time someone wonders why we keep a cat.. must remember this.. |
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| mochyn |
Well, there are three names for nuts found in Britain from the genus Corylus: hazel, filbert and cob. Which is which and what (if any) the differneces are I don't know... | ||
| hedgehogpie |
Have a look here: http://www.kentishcobnutsassociation.org.uk/ | ||
| Treacodactyl |
I've looked at KCA but I don't think they make it clear. Looking at Wiki and a few other places Hazel is the blanket term for all hazels, common hazel (corylus avellana) is the one found in the wild and refered to cob nuts and has cultivars which are commercially grown. Filberts is a different variety (Corylus maxima).
Now, I'm not sure if the ones that are large and oval are just a selected common hazel or a filbert. I think it's probably just a common hazel but there's a few walnut trees about so perhaps something more cultivated was planted? |
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| welsh lamb |
We have a lovely old cob nut tree in our garden but have NEVER managed to beat the squirrels to them 
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| colour it green |
I spose they could have mixed with some cultivated genes?
but we have been picking from our hedgerows - these are really old hedges with a lot of hazel amongst them, and the size and shapes of the nuts just seem to vary a lot. |
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| orangepippin |
I think that is right. I vaguely recall that filberts have long husks covering the nut ("full beards"), and cobnuts have short husks ... not 100% sure though. |
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| Treacodactyl |
From the pics I've seen filberts have much longer husks than the shell, often twice as long. I think mine aren't filberts as the husk is shorter than the filberts I've seen. | ||
| sarahloo |
Ever thought of sharing your cat's dinner? I've often wondered if cats could be trained/encouraged to do a bit of hunting for us... mine, however, prefers moths and spiders to squirrels and rabbits... |
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| Treacodactyl |
I wasn't looking forward to opening these but I've just found out something very useful. Having left them for a week, the nuts that have fallen out of the husks have dried a little and it makes them much easier to crack without squashing the edible core. The nuts still in the husks are fresher, so I guess leaving them in the husks means they'll keep longer.
I'm quite pleased to find an easier way to open them, looks like they could provide a decent amount of food for people in the UK without much bother. I've picked out some of the largest nuts, the longest is just over an inch, and the ones I've just shelled and they make a nice piccy. 
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| Sally |
I planted a few hazel nut trees last year. Several of the common variety and one cultivar. No nuts yet, but early days.
Those nuts look fantastic. Now what do you plan to do with them next? |
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| Treacodactyl |
Tonight we had hazelnut, garlic and basil pesto again, this time with just a hint of chilli. The rest of the shelled ones will go into some oat biscuits and I'll have a think what to do with the rest. I'd like to try some ground up in a cake mix, a bit like ground almonds, and I would like to try something savoury like a maize tortilla but made with ground hazel nuts, just to see what they're like. | ||
| Sally |
Sounds delicious. I want to come to your house for dinner.  
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| Treacodactyl |
Unfortunately the dining table is covered in hops, but in a few weeks some of them will be various home made beers to go with the hazelnuts. All I need is a spaghetti tree for the whole meal to be home made. 
Just been reading Ray Mears wild food book and he suggests roasting the hazelnuts in their shells and then they can keep for a couple of years which sounds ideal. This morning I'm nibbling fresh, plump, home grown sunflower seeds, I wonder if I was a parrot or dormouse in a previous life? |
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| Midland Spinner |
A friend has a cultivated hazel nut tree and told me I could pick some. Sadly all the ripe / brown ones I have collected so far have had big fat grubs inside, but the majority aren't ripe yet.
Is it like plums where the ones that 'ripen' early are the ones with bugs in and if I am patient and wait for the rest they may be grub free? |