Hazelnuts

WHAT ARE HAZELNUTS?

A hazelnut is a small brown oval or round nut about 2cm in diameter. The edible part of the nut is the seed.

WHERE ARE HAZELNUTS PRODUCED IN BC?

Nut farms are located in the eastern Fraser Valley, mainly around Chilliwack and Agassiz. However, wild hazelnuts, which are much smaller than the domestic varieties, can be found growing throughout most of BC.

HOW MANY HAZELNUTS DO WE PRODUCE?

Hazelnuts are the only nut crop produced commercially in BC, but other nuts like walnuts and sweet chestnuts can be grown in the milder southern parts of BC. We produce about 330,000 kg of hazelnuts annually off about 330 hectares. Production is expected to increase annually over the next decade as the newer plantings came into full production.

HOW ARE HAZELNUTS PRODUCED?

Hazelnut trees are short and bushy trees. In orchards they are planted about 7m apart. Each nut tree will live 75 to 100 years. A mature hazelnut tree should produce 8 to 10 kg of nuts per tree. Hazelnuts grow in clusters of 1 to 6 nuts. Each nut is covered by a shell and a husk. A husk is a leafy covering that encases the nut. When a nut is ripe, the husk releases the nut and it drops to the ground. Harvesting is a mechanical operation which involves two main steps starting with sweeping and/or blowing the nuts into windrows or long continuous piles in the centre of the aisles. Next a second machine scoops up the windrow of nuts and large fans blow out leaves or other debris. The green or fresh nuts are taken to a processing plant where they are washed, dried and size graded in preparation for marketing. Harvesting is usually done in October.

WHAT DOES A HAZELNUT LOOK LIKE WHEN I USE IT?

Most hazelnuts are sold "in shell" for the consumer to crack the hard outer shell to get at the edible kernel. However, the smaller sized nuts are often "cracked out" and the kernels sold for packaging of mixed nut blends. In recent years, there has been a move towards developing new markets like chopped nuts for use in home and commercial baking, chocolate making, pressing for oil and making hazelnut butter.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE HAZELNUTS LEAVE THE FARM?

Processing is begun immediately to preserve nut quality and to have the product available for the Christmas market, the main market for in-shell nuts. Over 95% of the product is washed, dried and marketed by a commercial nut processor. Some nuts are sold directly to the consumer from the farm, primarily on a U-pick basis. For nuts to keep well, they should be dried to about 10% moisture content and then stored in a cool dry location. When hazelnuts are cracked out, the kernels weigh 40 to 45% of the initial weight. The remainder is the shell weight. The kernels will develop a roasted flavour if they are exposed to a temperature warmer than 32°C.

WHAT CHALLENGES DOES A HAZELNUT PRODUCER FACE?

The crop is one of low economic returns due mainly to high land costs, the length of time for the trees to bear a crop (harvesting usually begins about 3 or 4 years after planting but full production is usually not reached until about 10 to 12 years of age), and a relatively low income of about $5000/ha at maturity. For these reasons, most hazelnut growers choose not to be dependent upon hazelnuts as their primary source of income.

WHO'S INVOLVED IN PRODUCING HAZELNUTS?

• Hazelnut grower
• Nut orchard workers
• Commercial nut processors
• Truckers/transporters
• Wholesalers
• Retailers

Nutritional Facts:

For all types of nuts, a 100-gram serving has 550 to 700 calories and contains protein, phosphorus and potassium.

Interesting Fact About Hazelnuts:

Turkey is the main producer of hazelnuts in the world, but the nuts they produce have very small kernels. The main area of production in North America is Oregon and to a much lesser extent Washington state.

Contacts and other resources:

 

BC Ministry of Agriculture and Lands

BC Nut Growers Association

Northern Nut Growers Association