Boni Posted October 19, 2008 Report Share Posted October 19, 2008 If you are interested I'm making an album of the process of harvesting hazelnuts. The first pictures are in. Enjoy! http://www.flickr.com/photos/51026226@N00/sets/72157608191640323/ <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/51026226@N00/2956639372/" title="NUTS9 by Nuts and Bolts Quilting Company, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3140/2956639372_0b581fda0d.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="NUTS9" /></a> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted October 20, 2008 Report Share Posted October 20, 2008 Wow Bonnie that is a lot of nuts! Great cookie nuts too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindasewsit Posted October 20, 2008 Report Share Posted October 20, 2008 Whoa!! I bet the squirel's are happy at your house!! linda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boni Posted October 20, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2008 This is by far my most favorite hazelnut cookie. You can substitute any nut. Chewy Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies * 1 1/4 cups butter or margarine, softened * 1/3 cup vegetable oil * 1 1/4 cups brown sugar * 1 1/4 cups white sugar * 2 large eggs * 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract * 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour * 3/4 cup whole wheat flour * 1 cup cocoa * 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda * 1/2 teaspoon salt * 2 1/2 cups roasted & chopped Oregon hazelnuts Yield: 4 dozen cookies In a mixing bowl, cream butter, oil and sugars until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs and vanilla. In separate bowl, combine flours, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Gradually blend into creamed mixture. Stir in hazelnuts. Drop by tablespoons onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 8 to 9 minutes (Do not overbake; cookies will be soft.) Cool slightly before removing from sheet. There are thousands of hazelnut related recipes at this website: http://www.oregonhazelnuts.org/ Look at the menu on the right, click on Consumer Information, then on Recipes, and they will be listed by categories on the right. Have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted October 20, 2008 Report Share Posted October 20, 2008 Bonnie thanks for the recipe and the link! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deb2bie Posted October 20, 2008 Report Share Posted October 20, 2008 Oh Boni, I LOVE hazelnuts!!! I can eat a ton of them. My aunt used to make something called Spiced Filberts. It was more like the candied almonds you can buy at fairs. Not cinnamony but candied. Filberts are hazelnuts right? I've always thought they were the same thing. Set me straight of they're not!!!! Your pictures made me hungry for sure!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boni Posted October 20, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2008 Someone came up with a definition that I thought was cute: The farmer grows filberts; the vendors sell hazelnuts. The urban legend is that the title "filberts" didn't sell in the Canadian market, so the marketing board officially changed the name to "hazelnuts" which did improve sales worldwide. Spiced Hazelnuts has been a family favorite since back in the 80's. Here is the recipe: Caution: timing is critical in this recipe--do not use a candy thermometer--have faith, and watch the clock closely! Spiced Hazelnuts 1 cup sugar 1 tablespoon cinnamon 5 tablespoons hot water ¼ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla 4 cups roasted, skinned hazelnuts (Roast hazelnuts in a 300 degree oven for 30 minutes, stirring about every 10 minutes. As the nuts cool, the skins will crackle and can be rubbed off in a towel in small batches. Set aside.) Combine the sugar, cinnamon, salt, and hot water in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil on high heat--BOIL EXACTLY TWO MINUTES. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, and nuts. QUICKLY stir nuts until coated and continue stirring until the syrup cools to a frost and the nuts separate. Pour onto waxed paper to cool. Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks. It took me about three or four tries to get this recipe right. I ended up with some pretty sticky messes to begin with, then I got the hang of timing the two minutes just right. You'll know you have it right when the syrup coats the nuts evenly, then turns to a frosted coating, and the nuts separate. Don't think you have failed if you keep stirring forever and it is still sticky. Just put them on ice cream or in a cookie recipe! :P Then try another batch. Good Luck and yum yum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nineva Posted October 20, 2008 Report Share Posted October 20, 2008 Bonnie, I love your legend of the names. I grew up in Woodburn, which was the FILBERT capital of the NW. Sometime somehow the name changed when I moved to Idaho in the late 70's. I came to visit my parents and kept hearing about hazelnuts, not knowing they were my beloved filberts. I grew up on a farm with several filbert trees and being the middle child was the preferred raker and cracker. I still have the hammer I used at Grandpa's house to crack the nuts. Then we spread them out on the air dryer shelves and dried them. I was a hired hand for the neighbor farmer who was a filbert farmer, got paid by the pound, and I hand raked those darn nuts, then sorted them from the dirt, leaves, branches, etc into bags. Then they were weighed and I got paid. Do you know how many nuts it takes to make a pound. I was paid like--2 cents a pound for all that! My parents live on Filbert St. in their little town. I still think of them as filberts!! I will try your recipe. Sounds yummy!;) Nancy Jo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boni Posted October 20, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2008 Nancy Jo, when we first bought this property almost 30 years ago, we harvested it all by hand. We didn't know what else to do since we were new to the crop. My family would come over and we would rake all weekend. Pick them up with a giant dustpan, and put them in 5 gallon buckets, carry them to the barn/shop and dump them in the 4x4 foot totes that we hauled from the nut plant down the road. It was only about 3 acres then--about 212 trees. The bigger, older trees yielded three or four buckets. Now we have ten acres that we lease out, and my DH works for George Packing Co that harvests over 500 acres. He is their handyman, driving the harvester, trucks, tractors, fix-it all welder, mechanic, you-name-it-he-does-it. I'm the official quilter, so I don't have to rake anymore. :cool:In fact, DH bought a leaf blower a couple years ago, and now no one rakes anything. They use the leaf blower around buildings and driveways where the machinery can't get them. I copied this from the website: 1 lb. Inshell hazelnuts equals 1 1/2 cups kernels 1 lb. Hazelnut kernels equals 3 1/4 cups 1 cup whole kernels equals 1 1/8 cups coarsely chopped Another urban legend, which is mostly true, states that Turkey produces about 95% of the world's hazelnuts. [it's that Mediterranean climate they like.] AND Oregon and Washington produce 95% of the US hazelnuts. Most of the US hazelnuts are shipped overseas. Go figure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lizziesgirl Posted October 20, 2008 Report Share Posted October 20, 2008 I love hazelnuts and other kinds of nuts but haven't been able to eat them because they are processed where peanuts are . I became allergic to peanuts about 10 yrs ago and can rarely find nuts that aren't near peanuts. So, Bonnie..... are these nuts possibly not peanut contaminated and could I order some...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boni Posted October 20, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2008 Sheryl, I sent you a U2U. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RitaR Posted October 20, 2008 Report Share Posted October 20, 2008 Boni, we have a pretty little filbert tree, growing all by himself in our back yard, we know it's domestic as we brought it from Oregon.. however, we need a couple pollinizers to make it work.. LOL.. anyway.. is there anyway you could send me a few pollinizer filberts?? It would be worth a couple nice fat quarters and postage to me... Appreciate your considering it, RitaR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boni Posted October 20, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2008 Rita, I will ask DH and see what the possibilities are. ooooooeeeeee fat quarters---can't resist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PamelaA Posted October 20, 2008 Report Share Posted October 20, 2008 There is a nut tree in my front yard. I think it is a shag bark hickory though. It is loaded with nuts this year and the local squirrels are going crazy with them. I am having a new driveway put in and will probably have squirrel tracks across the cement, my neighbor has some in his driveway. I can live with the squirrel tracks it is the deer that I am worried about. Pamela Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgregory Posted October 20, 2008 Report Share Posted October 20, 2008 Bonnie Do you have an easy way to roast the filberts and get the skins(?) off? I tried what a co-worked told me to do and I left them in the oven too long and they burnt. My DH said he wasn't going to crack any more for me. If you have an easy way then maybe I'll crack my own and give it another try. Maxine Gregory Hillsboro, Or Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boni Posted October 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2008 Maxine, not all hazelnuts like to be skinned. Here is an excerpt from the Oregon Hazelnut website: Roasting hazelnuts intensifies their unique flavor and develops their color. Best results can be achieved using a low temperature and longer time. To roast kernels, spread whole kernels in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake at 275 degrees F. for 15-20 minutes. Take care not to over roast as nuts can scorch quickly. To remove skins, wrap warm hazelnuts in a terry towel and let them sit for 5 to 10 minutes. Rub vigorously in towel. Many varieties do not lose their skins entirely, which is positive because they add nutrients as well as color in many applications. An alternative method is to place nuts on a cooling rack on a cookie sheet. After roasting, rub nuts vigorously across the rack – letting the skins fall through to the cookie sheet. Hope that helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RitaR Posted October 21, 2008 Report Share Posted October 21, 2008 Boni, I'll keep my fingers crossed. Which of the pollinizers, doesn't matter. big and flat, tiny and round, etc.. just something to help them produce. Let me know colors, types of FQ.. so I can be looking.. lol.. thinking positive here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boni Posted October 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2008 Rita, there are some local nurseries here. I'm still checking about availability. How would you like the compact kind? I can send you a few "seeds"--like Barcelonas, and Davianas? The squirrels and bluejays are always burying them in my yard and I have seedlings coming up like weeds. You could "plant" the "seeds" in your yard and raise your own orchard eventually. Do you know the variety of your tree? Barcelona is the most common. Daviana is our pollinizer. Our neighbors have other varieties. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RitaR Posted October 21, 2008 Report Share Posted October 21, 2008 Boni, it probably is the Barcelona, I think that's what they grow over in McMinnville, and that's where this one came from.. anything would be fine.. I just love filberts to fry roast in real butter with a smatteirng of salt.. and to eat raw.. or in place of walnuts in cookies, or in fudge. Anyway, whatever polinizer that's available, more than one nut, though, please.. to make sure I get one started.. we are in very sandy soil and this tree I have was about 2 feet tall in a planter before we set it out.. It seems to be doing good.. so, I'd do the same thing with the new nuts.. LOL that sounds so funny. Who's the new nut on the block?? :P RitaR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boni Posted October 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2008 We've had a couple of days of rain, typical, but today they are running. It's foggy and cold, brrrrrrr. I took some more pictures and posted them on flickr. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/51026226@N00/2962081290/" title="Cleaning the edges by Nuts and Bolts Quilting Company, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3296/2962081290_7fba924002.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Cleaning the edges" /></a> http://www.flickr.com/photos/51026226@N00/sets/72157608191640323/ Rita, I sent a U2U to get your mailing address. I love red. Sheryl, U2U Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boni Posted October 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2008 More pictures in the album. Here are a bunch of nuts, Rita, ready to come visit you. I just talked to Gary George, George Packing Co. and he recommended a resistant variety. These nuts will be iffy if you try to sprout them yourself, and you'll be lucky if they bear fruit. For years this area has suffered from the Eastern Filbert Blight and the industry is trying to "invent" more resistant varieties. I'd hate to send the EFB back to NC. I'm going to check with Pierce and Sons Nursery here in Dundee and see if they have any resistant trees that could be shipped. Got your U2U--coming back to U. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/51026226@N00/2962314584/" title="A Bunch of Nuts by Nuts and Bolts Quilting Company, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3142/2962314584_bda782ce72.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="A Bunch of Nuts" /></a> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudyL Posted October 21, 2008 Report Share Posted October 21, 2008 My husband loves hazelnuts but honestly, I don't know if I've ever had one. The ground looks so naked after they're all picked up! Very interesting! It's so nice to learn something new from the quilters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RitaR Posted October 21, 2008 Report Share Posted October 21, 2008 Boni I'm sorry you are going thru such lengths just to get me info.. I appreciate ity very much.. the pict looks like mostly pollinators, with possibly a few regulars thrown in. Love the face.. LOL. I'd not heard of the blight.. sounds scary, like the pine bark beetle and the Dutch elm disease, etc. If the nursery has starters I'd be interested in contacting them for pricing and shipping, etc. Off to guild that was supposed to be next week, then canceled, now is tonight.. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.. RitaR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boni Posted October 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2008 Bringing this to the top again. If you've never seen a hazelnut tree or wondered how nuts are harvested take a look. Everybody is so busy harvesting right now, I'm not able to get into the nursery or nut plant. Be patient and it will all be over in two or three more weeks--unless I catch someone between jobs. New pictures http://www.flickr.com/photos/51026226@N00/sets/72157608191640323/ <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/51026226@N00/2961467517/" title="Tractor, harvester, wagon by Nuts and Bolts Quilting Company, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3289/2961467517_34cee9de67.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Tractor, harvester, wagon" /></a> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DB Posted October 24, 2008 Report Share Posted October 24, 2008 Bonnie, Thank you for all the info that you have supplied. You never know what is going to pop up on this site. I have 2 hazelnut trees and some years they are quite prolific. I have never attempted using them because I wasn't sure how to roast them or where to find the information. So after roasting them at 275 for 15 to 20 minutes are they then like the store bought ones and ready for other uses? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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