How to dry hazelnuts at home? This question is especially often asked by those who randomly find a hazel with a large number of tasty and healthy fruits. That is why we decided to devote this article to this topic.
Beneficial features
The benefits of hazelnuts are few. After all, most people appreciate and use such a product solely for its excellent taste. But before telling you how to dry hazelnuts, you should tell what properties they have.
The fact is that hazel fruits contain about 60% of the oil in which organic acids are located. In addition, vitamins E and B are present in hazelnuts, as well as magnesium, iron, potassium, calcium and other minerals. Such fruits contain about 20% protein. That is why they are recommended to be used by those who follow a vegetarian diet or are exhausted after a long illness.
Hazelnut and medicine
What diseases should I use hazelnut (photos of fruits you can see in this article)? Experts say that such a product especially helps those who have problems with the cardiovascular system. So, calcium and potassium, which are present in nuts, have a positive effect on the smooth muscle walls of the heart and blood vessels, helping them to remain elastic for a long time.
It should also be noted that hazelnuts are very often prescribed to patients with blood diseases (for example, with anemia). The beneficial properties of such fruits help to cure thrombophlebitis, varicose veins, problems with capillaries, trophic ulcers of the lower leg, etc. In addition, hazelnut provides real help in weakening the immune system and enlarging the prostate gland.
It should be noted that the hazel fruit is often used to prevent putrefactive processes and cleanse the entire body. Due to the small amount of carbohydrates, such a nut is recommended for patients suffering from diabetes mellitus.
Hazelnuts and Hazelnuts: Fruit Difference
In recipes, it is often said that in a particular dish it is recommended to add only hazelnuts or, conversely, hazelnuts. In this regard, housewives often raise the question, what exactly is the difference between these fruits?
The fact is that hazelnut (or the so-called hazel) is a product that people collect in the forest. It should be noted that this is a rather unprofitable way to collect fruits. In this regard, confectionery with such a nut is very expensive. As for hazelnuts, this is a "cultivated" hazel. At the moment, quite a lot of different varieties of these fruits have been bred. Mostly Turkish hazelnuts are imported into our country. This crop is very productive, although real hazelnuts are much healthier, as they contain much more vitamins and minerals.
When to collect?
The first question asked by people who decide to stock up on such a product for the winter is as follows: when do hazelnuts ripen? According to experts, this depends entirely on the climatic conditions of the place where the hazel grows. But, as a rule, this period falls on July-September. Of course, you can collect green, that is, unripe hazelnuts. After all, even they possess the useful properties that we described above. But you can save them no more than one month. In this regard, experienced specialists recommend harvesting only ripened fruits.
So when does hazelnut sing? A clear sign of the maturity of such fruits is considered to be brown, and sometimes even yellowish color of the peel. It should be noted that such nuts are found in the forest at the end of August. But the fruits continue to ripen until mid-September. So, in early October, the nuts ripen and begin to crumble en masse from the branches, marking the end of the harvest.
How to collect hazelnuts?
When to collect such fruits, we told a little higher. And how exactly should this procedure be carried out? Harvest such fruits in the same way as walnuts. A soft and light cloth is spread under the hazel, and then the tree begins to shake violently. As a result of such actions, mature fruits fall down, and you just have to sort out the product from garbage and other inedible elements.
Cleaning hazelnuts at home
After harvesting, you will certainly have a new question about how to peel hazelnuts? It should be noted that this does not take up a lot of time. However, this procedure requires special care. Otherwise, you may damage the kernel, which will prevent you from retaining all the useful properties in it.
So, to clean the hazelnut, you will need to prepare a soft, but not very thick fabric and a small hammer. By the way, choosing a material for such a procedure follows from the calculation that in the future you simply throw it away.
Thus, soft tissue should be spread on a flat and hard surface (for example, on any board), and then place a nut on it. After this, it is recommended to close the product with the second end of the material and, holding it with your left hand, lightly hit the shell with a small hammer. As a result, the nut should crack, and the kernel should remain whole.
What is fabric for, you ask? It is possible to carry out this procedure without soft material. But in this case, it is likely that the shells from the hazel fruit will fly apart. Moreover, you yourself may suffer as a result of this (for example, if a piece of the shell gets into your eye).
Storage Features
How can I save hazelnuts until winter? When to collect such fruits and how to clean them, we talked a little higher. But in order to preserve this product, it needs to be properly processed. It should be especially noted that for such a procedure there is no need to pre-peel hazelnuts from shells. In other words, the previous step in preparing a delicious and nutritious product can be omitted. Although some drying methods require mandatory cleaning of the fruit. But first things first.
The main methods of drying hazelnuts
Few people know how to dry hazelnuts at home. And it should be noted that today there are many ways to pre-process hazelnuts. This is due, first of all, to the fact that only dried nuts can please you with a long shelf life and maximum preservation of nutrients. That is why, after you have harvested a rich crop, you should definitely take care of its thorough drying.
So, currently hazelnuts can be dried in several ways:
- in the electric dryer (can be purchased at almost any hardware store);
- in the pan;
- in the sun;
- in the oven.
To understand how to dry hazelnuts correctly, we will talk about each of the presented methods in more detail.
Drying hazelnuts in a pan
How does this happen? How to fry hazelnuts using a conventional pan and kitchen appliance? For this, the collected fruits must be cleaned from the shell. Next, the nuts must be poured into a preheated pan, after reducing the fire to a minimum. Constantly mixing, it is necessary to fry the fruits for 3 or 5 minutes. This is quite enough to increase the shelf life of the product and at the same time preserve all its useful properties in it.
Drying fruits in an electric dryer
This is a special appliance designed to dry fruits, vegetables and nuts. Such a device is sold in almost every hardware store. And if you are an avid summer resident who annually collects large crops, then the presented device will help you to save the products collected from your own garden, as well as hazelnuts.
So, for this we need only peeled hazel fruits. This is due to the fact that such electrical appliances are not designed for a very high temperature, which is extremely necessary for drying fruits in a peel.
Thus, nuts should be dried using an electric dryer for 5-6 hours. From time to time, it is recommended to mix the fruits so that they are processed more evenly.
Dry the nuts in the oven
If you decide to dry hazelnuts (hazelnuts) in the oven, then pre-peeling it from the shell is not necessary. Indeed, with the help of such a kitchen device, it is possible to achieve uniform processing of all fruits in the peel.
To carry out this procedure, the collected nuts must be placed on a baking sheet, and then sent to a preheated oven (up to about 120 degrees). To sustain the fruits in this state should be several hours. If you decide to dry the peeled nuts, then you need to lower the temperature to 90 degrees.
Drying hazelnuts in the sun
This method can be used only if in the region of your residence the sun remains warm even after the crop has been harvested. By the way, it is recommended to process hazelnuts in this way outdoors. That is why this drying method is most suitable for villagers. After all, if you lay out the fruits on the balcony, near which a busy highway runs, then the useful properties of the product can not be considered.
So, if conditions allow you, then the collected nuts need to be spread out in a thin layer on a clean sheet of paper, and then placed in a sunny and well-ventilated place. However, it should be noted that at night, as well as during rain, the product must be brought into the room. Otherwise, the fruits can quickly collect excess moisture. After a few days of such drying, the nuts will be completely ready.
How to store dried hazelnuts?
As mentioned above, only well-ripened and dried hazelnuts can boast a long shelf life with maximum preservation of all nutrients.
If you previously cleaned the hazelnuts from the shell, and then carefully processed it in a frying pan, the sun, in an electric dryer or oven, it is recommended to store it only in a tightly sealed glass jar. Moreover, it is advisable to place the filled container in a dark, cool place. It is also allowed to store peeled nuts in a package. But in this case, they should be sent to the refrigerator. Although with such storage, hazelnuts retain all the beneficial properties for no more than 6 months.
If you have not peeled hazelnuts, then dried fruit is recommended to be placed in a fabric or paper bag. In the future, it is desirable to send it to a dry, but slightly cool and dark place. In this case, be sure to periodically check the product for rot and mold stains. If you find this, then in no case do not eat nuts and do not try to "reanimate" them. They can only be thrown into the bin. If this is not done, then you risk harming your own health, since eating moldy fruits causes a severe allergic reaction and causes a serious blow to the liver. This is due to the fact that rather dangerous substances called aflatoxins are formed in such a product. According to experts, they produce molds that are not afraid of heat treatment and are practically not removed from the human body.
How to apply?
If you managed to collect a large number of hazelnuts, properly peel, dry and store them at home, then it is quite easy to find them. You can take fruits just like that. However, a day is recommended to eat no more than 8-9 nuts. After all, they contain a large number of minerals and vitamins, which, when over-consumed, can adversely affect your health.
In addition, peeled hazelnuts are often used in cooking. Whole fruits are good to add to homemade chocolate, cake and sweets. As for crushed hazelnuts, they can be sprinkled on the surface of the cake, used to prepare various sauces, goulash and so on. It should be noted that such a product is able to give dishes not only nutritional properties, but also special taste.