Hazelnut, Whole Natural

Whole Natural Hazelnuts

Fans of the hazelnut unhelpfully describe its taste as nutty. More helpful descriptors include creamy, warm and sweet, with notes of almond and chocolate. Those flavors increase after roasting, but many cooks prefer the mellow subtlety of the raw nut. Some gourmands even enjoy the light bitterness and added texture afforded by hazelnut skins. Our whole natural hazelnuts are shelled, with skin on. If you prefer them naked, roast the nuts in a 325-degree oven for about 10 minutes then rub them lightly in a towel. Or to save the effort, buy them blanched from us.

Hazelnuts and chocolate are a match made in heaven, which may explain the common prejudice that hazelnuts are for dessert only. They certainly enhance cakes, cookies, quick breads and brownies. But consider adding them to sautéed Brussels sprouts, pesto or stuffing. Salads and oatmeal also benefit from the buttery crunch of hazelnuts.

Mankind has enjoyed the fruit of the hazel tree for millennia. The oldest known evidence dates back 8,000 years, to Scotland, where archeologists found a roasting pit containing thousands of ancient shells in 1995. The small hazel tree flourishes in a wide range of Northern Hemisphere climates. Turkey is the world’s top producer, followed by Italy. Europeans typically call the hazelnut a filbert, perhaps in honor St. Philbert, a ninth century monk from hazelnut-loving France. More likely, the name traces back to “vollbart,” the German word for “full beard,” aptly describing the hazelnut’s hairy outer shell.

Hazelnuts not only taste good, but are good for you. Loaded with antioxidants (especially in the skin), the nuts have been hailed for promoting cardiac health, decreasing inflammation, lowering low density blood lipids and protecting the body against type II diabetes, even cancer.

Wholesale buyers will appreciate our 25-pound cases of hazelnuts in bulk. Individual shoppers may prefer our 1-pound or 5-pound bags.