At an advanced age, a lovingly tended corkscrew hazel sometimes surprises us with small fruits. Due to the close botanical relationship with the common hazel, the question of edibility is obvious. These lines will tell you to what extent the nuts are edible.
The nuts of the corkscrew hazel are edible
Corkscrew hazel nuts are edible
The corkscrew hazel was discovered in the wild in the mid-19th century, where it caught the eye as a spontaneous mutation of the common hazel with twisted branches. As this shrub reaches a maximum height of 300 cm as a whim of nature, it has taken the hearts of hobby gardeners by storm as a distinctive ornamental tree for beds and tubs. The harvest of the small fruits takes a back seat, as they rarely appear on a Corylus avellana 'Contorta'. The nuts are still suitable for consumption.
Tips for a tasty preparation
If a corkscrew hazelnut brought you some small nuts, you have a wide range of possible uses. Equipped with a powerful nutcracker, nothing speaks against eating it fresh from the tree. Dried and ground for 4 to 6 weeks, the hazelnuts are transformed into an aromatic ingredient for many a treat. We have compiled a selection for you here:
- Hazelnut cream made from 400 g ground nuts and 1 tablespoon each of cocoa powder and birch sugar (xylitol)
- Muesli made from hazelnuts, almonds, apple rings, hemp seeds, oat and spelled flakes, honey and brown sugar
- Hearty hazelnut herb coating for schnitzel made from 50 g nuts, 2 bags of herbal tea, rapeseed oil and salt
For a sweet hazelnut treat on the fly, conjure up a tempting chocolate hazelnut cake in 5 minutes. One cup each of sour cream, flour, cocoa, ground nuts and sugar are mixed with 3 eggs, 1 packet of baking powder and half a cup of rapeseed oil. Filled into a greased baking pan, the cake is ready within 45 minutes at 180 degrees top and bottom heat in the oven.
tips
In September and October, the nuts of a corkscrew hazelnut are sufficiently ripe to be harvested. As long as the fruits are still on the bush and have a green skin, they are not suitable for consumption. Instead of picking these, look out for brown hazelnuts that have fallen to the ground.