Signs of nut ripeness are yellowing and browning of the wrapper, cracking at the base, and shedding of nuts. Ripening times may vary depending on the variety, location and weather conditions.

Early ripening (in August) varieties include: Cherkessky-2, Kerasund long, Kerasund round, Kudryavchik, Sivrimazi, Lombard white and red. Late-ripening (in September) - Cosford, Long Landsberg, Fichtverdsky, Miracle of Bolwiller, Gallic Cellian, Furfulak, Atababa. Industrial plantations It is advisable to create from varieties with different ripening periods of nuts in order to extend the harvesting period.

Before collecting nuts, the plantation is cleared of weeds and clutter. If grasses are sown between rows, they are mowed low and removed. All this makes it easier to collect fallen nuts. Nuts are collected by hand and using nut harvesting machines made in the Azerbaijan SSR. The collected nuts are laid out in the sun or in a well-ventilated dry room, where the wrapper withers, after which it is easily separated. If the farm does not have a plusko-cleaning machine, then the nuts are separated from the plush by threshing, large remains of the plush are combed out with a rake with fine teeth, and small ones are winnowed.

The moisture content of nuts delivered to procurement points should not exceed 12%. Such humidity can be obtained within 8-9 days by drying the nuts in a 5 cm thick layer at a temperature of 16-21 ° C and stirring them once a day. If you extend the drying period of nuts in such conditions, their moisture content will drop to 3-4%.

In rainy and damp weather, nuts are dried in dryers or a heated room with a temperature not exceeding 40 ° C. Nuts with a moisture content of 12% are handed over to procurement organizations or for storage in a warehouse, where they are poured into bags or boxes in a layer of up to 1 m. The nuts in the boxes are periodically shoveled. Hazelnuts are transportable, which allows them to be transported over long distances. This is their big advantage over others fruit crops. When stored properly, hazelnuts do not lose taste qualities up to 3 years.

The economic efficiency of hazelnut production is quite high and significantly exceeds the production of perennial plantations of other fruit crops.

The cost of 1 centner of hazelnuts in the farms of the Black Sea zone of the Krasnodar Territory is 72-126 rubles, in the Makharadze state variety plot of the Georgian SSR - 61 rubles. 45 k., in the specialized Zagatala walnut state farm of the Azerbaijan SSR - 47 rub. 60 k. and in the fruit farm “Lozovskaya”, Kharkov region. - 90 rub. Accepted in the Ukrainian SSR, for example, the procurement price for grade I hazelnuts is 4 rubles. 05 k., II - 3 r. 25 k. and III - 2 r. 10 k.

By mechanizing the collection and cleaning of hazelnuts, their cost will decrease, and the profitability and gross harvest of hazelnuts will increase due to timely harvesting without losses.

I heard that unripe hazelnuts are poorly stored, but how do you know that these fruits are ready for harvesting, since the nuts themselves are hidden in the “shirt”?

Larisa Makeeva, Stavropol

The ripening time for hazelnuts (approximately from the end of July to September) depends on its variety and weather conditions, approximately from the end of July to September. By mid-summer, the nuts can already be eaten, but they are not yet ready for harvesting, since unripe fruits are not stored for a long time; their kernels dry out quickly. At the same time, it is also impossible to delay the harvest; fallen nuts may get wet in the rain or be stolen by rodents and birds.

In fact, hazelnuts do not ripen at the same time. On the branch, some nuts are already peeling and falling off, while others are still completely green. Therefore, you have to take a closer look and choose: fruits in which the plus (the wrapper in which the nuts ripen) have turned yellow and began to turn brown, and the nut shells have become light yellow or brownish, can be picked (or shake the bush well and then collect) together with the plus. Then the hazelnuts are peeled from the vegetable shells and all nuts with traces of cracks, insect damage or rancidity are rejected. unpleasant smell.

Harvested hazelnuts must be dried, since only dried fruits can have a long shelf life. There are several ways to dry hazelnuts.

If the nuts will be stored shelled, then dry them either in a frying pan (stirring constantly, frying them for three to five minutes) or in an electric dryer (at a temperature not exceeding 90 degrees for 5-6 hours, periodically changing trays for uniform drying). Dried hazelnuts without shells are stored in a tightly sealed container. glass jar in a dark, cool place. You can put the peeled nuts in a bag and put them in the refrigerator. But even with such storage, nuts are able to retain their beneficial features no more than six months.

If you plan to store them in shells, then you can dry them in the sun (three to four days in a sunny, well-ventilated place, spread the nuts in a thin layer on a clean sheet of paper, and at night and during rain, bring the nuts indoors so that they do not collect excess moisture) or in the oven (on a baking sheet in an oven preheated to 120 degrees for several hours). Readiness for storage of hazelnuts is determined by sound. If you take a handful and pour them out, you will hear a characteristic ringing sound, the nuts are ready for storage, preferably in a cloth or paper bag in a dry, cool, dark place at a temperature of 3 to 12 ° C (within a year) or at even colder temperatures from 0 to 3 °C with the same other parameters (up to 3 years). IN plastic bags If they do not allow air to pass through, you cannot store nuts for a long time, as they can suffocate and become moldy. Hazelnut stocks are periodically checked for mold and rot. If this is discovered, then in no case should you try to “resurrect” the nuts, since eating moldy nuts can cause a severe allergic reaction or poisoning, they form dangerous substances - aflatoxins, which are produced by mold fungi, and most importantly - they are not afraid heat treatment and are not excreted from the body.

And hazel stands out from its nut brothers with its beneficial properties. At the same time, hazelnuts not only have a unique composition, but are also very tasty. Today we will start preparing these nuts for the winter.

When is the best time to collect hazelnuts?

If you decide to stock up on hazelnuts for the winter, then you must not miss their ripening season, which, depending on the natural and climatic conditions of the place where the nuts grow, as well as their variety, falls in July-September.

You, of course, can collect green hazelnuts, because even they already have all their inherent beneficial properties, but you can save them for no longer than a month. Therefore, it is recommended to harvest only ripened fruits, since you can preserve them for a very long time if desired. A sure sign of maturity hazelnut brown and sometimes yellow color of the peel is considered. Such nuts are found on bushes already at the end of August, but hazelnuts continue to ripen until mid-September. At the end of September and beginning of October, the nuts become overripe and begin to fall off the bushes, thus marking the end of the harvest.

How to collect hazelnuts

Hazelnuts are collected in the same way as the more common walnuts - they spread a soft cloth under the bush and begin to shake the walnut bush.

After this, the collected fruits must be peeled. To do this, we advise you to use a small hammer, which you should carefully hit on the shell to avoid damaging the kernel. However, you can preserve nuts in their shells.
Now we move on to the next stage - drying.

How to dry hazelnuts at home

Only dried hazelnuts have a long shelf life. That is why, after the nuts have been harvested, you should take care of how to dry them.

There are several ways to dry hazelnuts:
In a frying pan
In an electric dryer,
In the oven,
In the sun.

Drying hazelnuts in a frying pan

Pour the shelled hazelnuts into a heated frying pan and put it on the fire. Stirring constantly, fry the nuts for 3-5 minutes. This time will be enough to increase the shelf life of the nuts, and at the same time all the beneficial substances in them will be preserved.

Drying hazelnuts in an electric dryer

Only peeled nuts are suitable for drying in an electric dryer, since electrical appliances of this kind are not designed for high temperature, which is necessary for drying nuts in shell.

The nuts should be dried at a temperature no higher than 90 degrees for 5-6 hours, periodically changing the baking trays for uniform drying.

Drying hazelnuts in the oven

If you decide to dry the nuts in the oven, it is not at all necessary to peel them first.

Place the nuts on a baking sheet and place them in an oven preheated to 120 degrees for several hours.

You can also dry peeled nuts in the oven, only in this case the temperature must be reduced to 90 degrees.

Drying hazelnuts in the sun

If in the region where you live the sun pampers you with its warm rays even after the harvest hazelnuts has been collected, you can dry them outdoors.

Spread the nuts in a thin layer on a clean sheet of paper and place it in a well-ventilated, sunny place. At night and during rain, nuts should be brought indoors so that they do not gain excess moisture. In a couple of days, the nuts will be dried and ready for long-term storage.

How to store hazelnuts

As mentioned above, only ripened hazelnuts that have been well dried in compliance with all recommendations can boast a long shelf life.

Dried, unshelled hazelnuts should be stored in a tightly sealed glass jar in a cool, dark place. You can put the peeled nuts in a bag and put them in the refrigerator. However, even with such storage, nuts can retain their beneficial properties for no more than six months.

Be sure to periodically check the nuts for signs of mold and rot. If this is discovered, then under no circumstances try to “resurrect” the nuts, they have only one way - in the trash. Eating moldy nuts can cause a severe allergic reaction and cause a serious blow to the liver, since they produce dangerous substances - aflatoxins, which are produced by mold fungi, and most importantly, they are not afraid of heat treatment and are not excreted from the body.

Dear visitors to our portal, you may know other ways to collect, dry and store hazelnuts; we would be grateful if you share them with us in the comments to this article.

Material prepared by:

President of the Association of Gardeners of Russia (APYAPM), Doctor of Agricultural Sciences

Specialist of the Association of Gardeners of Russia (APYAPM) for testing and certification planting material fruit and berry crops

Using website material indasad.ru and hazelnut.rf

Harvesting and storing hazelnuts

Catalan hazelnut variety

It is not for nothing that hazelnuts are called the favorite nut of gourmands. Fragrant, deliciously tender and not too hard, it is actively used in the confectionery industry and is rightfully considered one of the most popular nuts in the world. Not only the inhabitants of southern countries can grow their own hazelnuts on the plot: where there are harsh winters, many can bear fruit hybrid varieties. And although the size of the nuts is inferior to the Mediterranean selected specimens, their taste is deliciously rich. True, to enjoy them, you need to know a lot of tricks for properly storing hazelnuts.

Hazelnuts are rightfully considered one of our most popular representatives of nuts. Today, a cultural relative of the hazelnut has turned from an inaccessible delicacy into almost an obligatory inhabitant of gardens: giving bountiful harvest hazel bushes are one of the most spectacular garden shrubs with a very beautiful lacy pattern of branches, unusual foliage and an inimitably transparent silhouette. The most beautiful and large nuts are produced by low-winter-hardy hazel varieties, but among the plants suitable for growing in regions with harsh winters there are many high-yielding crops. To enjoy their own harvest of the long-awaited delicacy, gardeners will have to not only remember the essential components of caring for hazel, but also be patient: these nuts reveal their legendary taste only after a considerable time. And, accordingly, the key to a tasty harvest is proper storage hazelnuts

Timely harvesting and proper storage allow you to get maximum benefit and maximum pleasure from your own grown hazel harvest. A source of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, an essential source of magnesium, copper and manganese and simply amazing delicious nut They collect from bushes on their site in August - September. The time for complete ripening of the nuts is indicated by the browning of the wrappers and the ease of shedding of the nuts in the shell when the branches are shaken. If the hazelnuts hold tightly and do not fall off on their own, you need to give them time to ripen (however, you should be careful: after full ripening, the hazelnuts fall off in a matter of days and birds and other animals in the garden can feast on your harvest, and you simply will not have time to collect the long-awaited nuts ).

Immediately after ripening, hazelnuts are not yet suitable for eating: there is no need to rush to take the nuts out of the shell. In order for hazelnuts to acquire their typical taste and texture, the kernels cannot be extracted from the hard shell until they are completely dry and ripened, which is carried out in several stages.

The collected nuts are subjected to primary drying, leaving for several days in a bright, ventilated area. Ripe nuts collected in own garden and slightly dried, it is necessary to remove the vegetable shells and carefully discard all nuts with traces of cracks, insect damage or a rancid, unpleasant odor. After culling, the nuts are sent for preliminary storage and drying. Hazelnuts ripen in a dry, dark and well-ventilated room.

The ideal time for cracking nuts and removing the most delicious kernels is the time when the dried kernels already contain the maximum concentration of nutrients, but have not yet begun to dry out and significantly decrease in size. Timing and timeliness for hazelnuts are critical, and in order to establish the most favorable period for the ideal state of the nucleoli, you will have to rely on intuition and... hearing. The “correct” hazelnut sounds accordingly: the shells should loudly knock against each other when poured, but the movement of the nut inside the shell should not be audible. It’s quite difficult to guess and not miss the moment; you need to constantly check the stored nuts and try what the kernels taste like. But it’s easy to determine that you were late and dried out the hazelnuts. Dried nuts make a knocking sound if you shake them near the ear: old and too shriveled kernels, which move freely in the shell, taste just as unpleasant as unripe nuts.

Lambert hazelnut variety

After full ripening, hazelnuts in ideal condition are stored in the same way as purchased nuts: in the shell at a temperature of 3 to 12 ° C in a dry and dark place (within a year) subject to dry air or at even colder temperatures from 0 to 3 °C with the same other parameters (up to 3 years). It is better to store hazelnuts in their shells in paper or fabric bags and bags. If you clean it, it can be stored in the refrigerator for a relatively short time if the container is completely sealed.

When harvesting, the soil under the plants becomes very compacted. Therefore, it is necessary to loosen it immediately. Additionally water and feed with phosphorus and potassium (or wood ash). After all, hazelnuts will continue to grow until frost, in particular, continue to differentiate the buds (that is, their development into flower buds) and prepare for next year’s harvest.

The massive hazelnut harvest occurs at the end of August - September (after 08/29-Nut Spas). The maturity of a nut is determined by the yellowing (browning) of its wrapper and the shedding of nuts. The issue of harvesting is really serious. If you pick it too early, the fruits will be unripe. When you dry them, you get puny grains that have little fat, protein, carbohydrates, and the taste and quality are not the same. Because unripe nuts dry out quickly and are not stored for a long time. Delay in collecting - the nuts will begin to fall off, and you may lose more than half. The entire harvest will be carried away into winter caches by all sorts of rodents and birds.

As it matures, the biochemical composition of the kernel changes, the amount of water decreases sharply, and fats and proteins accumulate. For maintenance nutrients the nut kernel is strongly influenced by weather conditions. And nuts ripen at different times, and not only from bush to bush, but also within a branch. Some are already peeling and falling off, while others are still completely green. Therefore, you will have to approach each bush several times and take a closer look. As soon as the plush (the wrapper in which the nuts ripen) turns yellow and begins to turn brown, and the shell of the nuts turns light yellow or brownish, pick it. Along with a plus.

That is, the harvest is carried out shortly before biological ripeness, until the nut begins to crumble. It is important not to miss the moment of harvesting. Optimal time collection - the beginning of a change in the color of the pluses, as well as If, when shaking the bush, the first nuts begin to fall out of the pluses, it is time to harvest. (When the nut ripens, the edges of the pluses dry out, turn away and the nut falls out).

During the initial processing of collected fruits, the most difficult operation is separation from the wrapper. The wrapped nuts are stored in heaps where fermentation occurs, the tannins of the wrappers are oxidized, the oxidation products permeate the shell, giving it a brown color, and the seeds a pleasant nutty flavor. As a result of the fermentation processes that occur during this process, the nuts ripen - substances from the top pass into the kernel, which leads to an improvement in nutritional and taste qualities. In this case, the kernel acquires a specific taste and aroma. Shrinkage from freshly harvested 30%.

After cleaning and sorting, the nuts are stored in bags made of thick paper or fabric that allows air to pass through well. They cannot be stored for a long time in plastic bags that do not allow air to pass through, as they can suffocate and become moldy. Nuts must be completely dried; their moisture content should not exceed 12-14%. This can be achieved in room conditions, with 1-2 weeks of drying the nuts, spreading them in a thin layer.

Readiness for storage of hazelnuts is determined by sound. If, after scooping a handful and pouring them out, you hear a characteristic ringing sound, the nuts are ready. The fat content (nut oil) does not change significantly during storage, remaining at the level of 61-72%, but the amount of unsaturated acids gradually decreases, which leads to a deterioration in taste. Store nuts in a cool, dry room at a temperature of 3-12 °C for a year with a humidity of 12-14%, and at 0-3 °C for three to four years.

There is a special type - the so-called roasted nuts, when drying is carried out in the oven at a temperature of 110? C.

When harvesting, the soil under the plants becomes very compacted. Therefore, it is necessary to loosen it immediately. Additionally, water and feed with phosphorus and potassium (or wood ash). After all, hazelnuts will continue to grow until frost, in particular, continue to differentiate the buds (that is, their development into flower buds) and prepare for next year’s harvest.