When I was just a wee sprog, my people had a small Hazel Nut grove at the very bottom of the garden. There were Filberts, Spanish Cobs, and Kent Cobs; about 6 large bushes in all.
Each Autumn we would descend with old bed sheets, and spread them beneath the bushes. Then we'd all shake the trees until the crop fell into the sheets; the nuts were later preserved by covering them with sand. Then through the winter's evenings, Father would sit by the fire, cracking nuts with an ancient metal nut-cracker, and dipping them into salt. I still have his old nut-cracker. and use it myself for the exact same purpose.
We are destined to have a very poor Walnut harvest this year, so I was pleased to see that certain of our wild Hazel Nut trees seem to be excelling themselves. The one I photographed (above) is just below Haddock's, and has a wonderful crop of extra large nuts. It'll be interesting to see if the Squirrels allow us to keep any; they become very possessive in Autumn.
p.s. This is slowly becoming a 'food blog'. And looking at the vegetable bounty that's about to erupt at Haddock's, it'll be even more so very soon!
p.s. This is slowly becoming a 'food blog'. And looking at the vegetable bounty that's about to erupt at Haddock's, it'll be even more so very soon!
Nothing wrong with a food blog! Everybody eats!
ReplyDeleteYes, those nuts were delicious. Food blogs not a bad thing. I actually picked a small brocolli head today.
ReplyDeleteMorning Cro - I have planted a couple of hazel nut saplings this year - I think it will be a few years before we have any nuts though.
ReplyDeleteWe have a hazelnut tree in the garden, but it produces no nuts - do you know why? My husband says it never, did, and he has been living in the house for 6 years. Somewhere I read that there has to be several trees in the same spot in order for the pollination take place, not sure if that is true.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, your tree looks lovely.;)And there is nothing wrong with posts about food.;)
xoxo
Could it be a MALE tree? I presume there are such things.
DeleteWe've got three mature hazelnut trees and I love gathering the nuts and then caramelising them with cinnamon. I've never seen any squirrels in our garden but the nuthatches usually take their fair share.
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't squirrels, but kids in my road (myself included) who used to strip a neighbours wild Hazel nut tree of it's treasures. Fortunately the neighbour, an elderly man living on his own, never seemed to mind. Your photo has brought back so many happy memories!
ReplyDeleteHere in Canada we call them hazelnuts, but all the packaging says just Filberts, which causes a lot of confusion in the nut aisle. I don't know a single person that calls them Filberts and only now after reading this do I know it's a type of hazelnut.
ReplyDeleteMmm, i love nuts of all kinds, although hazelnuts/filberts are among my favourites.
ReplyDeleteI picked the first ripe raspberries on Saturday evening and gave them to my kind neighbours who lent their lawn mower, as ours is in the shop, waiting for a backordered part. I did sample a few, just for quality control purposes.
YUM!
ReplyDeleteTwo words: Hazelnut truffles.
I've always loved hazelnuts, but never saw them growing on a tree before. See how you enlighten your followers, who may or may not have imagined that nuts magically materialized on the grocer's shelf? Another nut I love isn't actually a nut, I suppose. Cashews. I understand they're in the poison ivy family, but I've never seen them growing, either. Who knows? Maybe they'll show up here on your blog someday.
ReplyDeleteWe've got a couple of hazelnut trees in the field at the back of the garden which I've only recently discovered - after living here for 12 years! Am SO observant! I shall be having that little bounty away if the nettles allow in the autumn.
ReplyDeleteI've never noticed before that the one illustrated bore such whoppers. Maybe it never previously did. A climactic oddity perchance!
DeleteJust dropping in again to your wonderful blog! I have several hazelnut trees at the bottom of the garden and dozens more in the wood beyond, however apart from one very fortunate year, we have never had many nuts to harvest due to the pesky squirrels...In the spring they actually eat the flower blossom and the young leaves so little chance of any nuts...One year perhaps...
ReplyDeleteSounds very much like here GD, but this year (when we really need it) it looks as if we'll be blessed.
DeleteStrange how Hazel nuts are always banished to 'the bottom of the garden'.
at this time of year its hard not to turn toward food, gardens and the out doors.Its such a part of us, and that's why we love the summer.
ReplyDeleteWhat a delightful harvest that will be, we had a Macadamia nut tree and crickey trying to crack them is a real art,the funniest thing is running over them with the lawnmower(not intentially)it sounds like a gun shot as it hits any target,they are so expensive and our tree so bountiful that finally my Pa set up a vice contraption to crack them,it is a very much loved nut over here but to buy them you almost need a bank loan,perhaps as they are so difficult to open.
ReplyDeleteI've only seen them once they're free, Carole. I shall look at Wiki.
DeleteI like that you still use your father's nutcracker...
ReplyDeleteI'm starting to think that instead of all the standard things we learn in school, we should be taught more about horticulture and living off the earth. It's becoming a lost art, which is why it's so nice to read about it here!
ReplyDeleteAmy, there are so many things that schools shouldn't bother teaching, and so many things that they should.... you've given me a prompt for a future post.
DeleteMore free bounty! There's another thing I've never seen... or a walnut tree either for that matter. But I have seen peanuts growing ( not really nuts at all since they grow underground !) and we did have a macadamia (we call them Queensland Nuts as they are native to Queensland ) in our backyard as children. They have such hard shells and their round shape makes them devilishly hard to crack. You have to hit them hard with a hammer and if you don't get them square on they ricochet all over the place at great speed.Nutcrackers just won't do the job either and if you do manage to crack them the force of the blow often crushes them and you're left with macadamia crumbs!
ReplyDeleteCheers
Never managed to get a look in with either Hazel nuts or cherries! What a shame as I love both. Good luck with yours.
ReplyDelete