mould on hazelnuts

[daveO]

I collected a big bowl of hazelnuts/cobnuts last weekend and then went off camping for the week without sorting them out properly. When I got home I went to put them on trays on the garage and found they must have been a bit damp when I dumped them in the bowl and now quite a few have mould on them. Is this going to be a problem? I've spread them all out on newspaper to dry out properly but should I try and kill the mould before storing them?

 

[Toddy]

In the past hazelnuts were roasted in their shells to keep them.
It's an old technique but it works.
You could try that since the roasting not only stops them germinating or spoiling inside their shells but will kill mould spores too.

atb,
Toddy

 

[daveO]

and they don't explode? After the chestnut incident last christmas this make take some convincing before I'm allowed back in the kitchen...

 

[Mang]

I had some go mouldy recently and I just peeled the outer foliage off,gave them a rub with my fingers and they seem fine.

 

[Toddy]

and they don't explode? After the chestnut incident last christmas this make take some convincing before I'm allowed back in the kitchen...

Good point !

Well, my hazelnuts never have, though the chestnuts certainly did Like exploded lumpy mashed potatoes all over the oven. I learnt to put a wee nick in the skin of the chestnuts

The idea is to roast the hazelnuts, I did it in the hot coals of a fire, as they did in the past, and they were not only better tasting but they really did last very well

Ah, just wash them thoroughly, pat dry with kitchen towels and finish drying off quickly.
I'd put some baby milton or the like into the washing water if the mildew's a concern.

atb,
Toddy

 

[daveO]

Someone told me that if you nick all but one chestnut you know when they're ready when that one pops. Pop may have been a slight understatement, the thing went off like a gunshot and peppered the oven with shrapnel.

I'll try washing them I think. I've picked a load more now too, it's been a great year for nuts around here, the trees are loaded with them.

 

[Toddy]

Lucky man We've got loads of fruit, but an awful lot of empty nuts.

cheers,
M

 

[daveO]

Might have found a good solution. We're going to crack any mouldy looking nuts, toast them up in batches and store them in honey. Apparently it should keep for a year that way (plus they'll be extra tasty). Got a lot of cracking to do though...

 

[mountainm]

My roast hazelnuts went mushy (like roast chestnuts) - very sweet & tasty, but a bit finicky to eat. I'm guessing toasted hazels don't go mushy?

I had an exploder too!