The late-season is the ideal time to pick hazelnuts and harvest walnuts in the orchard. How should you carry out their harvest and storage, so as to prevent mold and other issues inherent to storage? Here’s the rundown.
How to dry fresh hazelnuts?
Depending on the varieties, hazelnuts are harvested from August through November. The early varieties, from which you can enjoy fruit as early as August, include the ‘Aveline de Piémont’, the hazelnuts ‘Butler’, the ‘Géant de Halle’ and the hazelnuts ‘Kentish Cob’. The seasonal varieties, typically harvested from September to October, are: ‘Bergeri’, ‘Fertile de Coutard’, ‘Nottingham’ and ‘Web’s prize Cob’. Finally, the late-maturing hazelnuts, picked in late October and running into November, are the hazelnuts ‘Merveille de Bolwiller’ and ‘Ferwiller’.
When to pick hazelnuts?
How do you know when it’s time to harvest? As soon as the hazelnuts take on their pretty brown color and begin to fall to the ground. By the end of autumn, the husks that protect the nuts dry out and retract. That’s why these nuts end up on the ground or detach very easily with a touch. You should then pick them up promptly to avoid any contamination.
Can fresh hazelnuts be eaten?
Hazelnuts can indeed be eaten as soon as they’re freshly picked or gathered from the ground, as soon as they are sufficiently ripe. The hazelnut is delicious both fresh and dried, and it will keep much better if you follow a few storage tips.
How to store fresh hazelnuts for many months: what to do
To enjoy your hazelnut harvest for several months without their flavor diminishing, it is best not to remove them from their hull, which contributes largely to their protection. However, take care to remove the involucre, which can mold; molds could then spread to the fruit.
The hazelnuts thus freed from their involucres should be stored in open crates, baskets or bowls, in a cool place that is well-ventilated and away from rodents who love them. Ventilation is important, which is why you should regularly turn the hazelnuts. Stored this way, the hazelnuts will dry properly and you can enjoy their virtues as well as their subtle flavor for many weeks.
Tips to know if a hazelnut is good:
- To tell if a hazelnut will be good, shake it while it’s fresh. If you don’t hear anything, that’s a good sign! Indeed, if the kernel taps against the inner walls of the shell, the hazelnut is “aborted.”
- When it’s dry, the hazelnut shell should be bright, a nice brown color, and free of cracks or holes, even small ones.
How to store walnuts after harvest?
The walnuts also harvest in autumn, and to best enjoy their delicious flavor as well as their very attractive nutritional benefits, a few tips are also worth following.
Knowing when walnuts are ripe
Depending on their varieties, but also the regions where they’re grown, walnuts are usually harvested from September to November. How to know when they’re ripe? As soon as they begin to fall to the ground. The hull turns brown, splits, and lets the fruit fall to the ground in its shell. Quickly gather walnuts from the ground to protect them from any contamination.
Storing walnuts for many months: what to do
Only the so-called dry walnuts, i.e., those whose hull has turned brown and split to drop the fruit to the ground, can be stored for months. Prefer storing them in an open crate, basket or open bin, to allow air to circulate properly. Choose a relatively cool and well-ventilated area, making sure the walnuts are out of reach of rodents that could wipe them out. Like hazelnuts, remember to stir your walnut stock regularly for better aeration.
Stored this way, you’ll be able to enjoy your walnuts for many months, cracking the shells to release the kernels, rich in vitamin E, B3, B5 and B6, as well as potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, and fiber!
In short, to best preserve fresh hazelnuts and walnuts from the garden, store them in an open container placed in a cool, airy room, away from rodents. Also remember to stir your harvest from time to time, so you can enjoy their benefits until the next harvest.
