How to split hazelnuts: tips

Rich in vitamins, valuable fats and protein, hazelnut nuts can be found on the shelves in several forms. Hazelnuts are sold unpeeled in the shell, kernels, raw peeled, and also roasted. The inshell walnut is cheaper because there is no cost to process it and it is stored longer. Therefore, from the point of view of the buyer, this is a very profitable purchase.

Buying without overpayment environmentally friendly hazelnuts, which retains all its useful properties and fragrant characteristic aroma, the buyer faces only one drawback: you need to spend more time processing the nuts and make some effort for this.

How to carefully remove the shells from hazelnuts

When you need to get whole beautiful kernels, for example, to decorate dishes, the shells need to be removed carefully.Not everyone has an electric nut in the kitchen, and a manual mechanism for walnuts can not cope with hazelnuts, because there is no seam in the shell of this nut.

Here two tools can come to the rescue: a clamp and a hammer. As a clamp you can use:

• nut nut;
• garlic press;
• pliers;
• kitchen tongs;
• vice manual mincer and similar tools.

Fix the nut in a vice, focus on a hard surface - best of all on a wooden cutting board placed on the table. After that, apply a light exact blow to the nutlet. The shell should crack easily.

Here are a few secrets of how to remove the shell from the hazelnut and not damage the kernels:

1. Work with each nut separately. It will take more time, but the grains will definitely remain intact.
2. Use a towel, a bag, or a napkin so that the shell does not shatter and the pressure on the nut is soft.
3. Apply effort to prevent shell fragments from damaging the core.

How to quickly split hazelnuts

If the integrity of the cores is not very important, and there is little time to process, there is a quick way. Fold the nuts in a linen sack or put them on a half-spread towel - and cover the nuts with a second piece of linen. Using a hammer, quickly apply a lot of blows, periodically stopping to feel the contents with your hand. Whole shells are usually well tangible - then you need to continue to break them.

After that, the nuts must be carefully selected, removing even small pieces of shell. With this method, some kernels may break or crumble.

What if you can not split hazelnuts

Heat treatment helps to soften the nutshell. Boil the water and boil the nuts for 10 minutes, then let them cool for about 20 minutes. After cooking, the shell should become less rigid and succumb even without a hammer - it will be enough to slightly squeeze the nut or pliers in your hand.

You can also hold the nuts in the oven or coals, if we are talking about your own home.

Alternative methods

When there is no specific tool at hand, and you still need to get nutrient cores, you can resort to other methods. Someone uses a door sash to pin a nut. To do this, lay the fruit between the door frame and the canvas - and attract the door, acting on the nut. For safety, hygiene and to preserve the decorative cover of the door, you need to use a towel as a cover.

There is a "field" option - use 2 bricks, slabs or wooden beams. Nuts are put in a bag, placed on a hard surface and pressed on top with a heavy layer. Next you need to put additional pressure. You can press on the press foot or crouch on top.

Hazelnut storage

The natural shell helps to preserve the beneficial properties of the nut and prolong its freshness. A peeled nut opposite - dries out and loses its pleasant aroma. Therefore, it is better to store hazelnuts in the shell and not to clean in advance. However, if you bought a peeled nut or polished more than required - bare kernels will remain in dried form longer.To do this, roast the nuts in the oven or fry in a dry frying pan until golden brown until the spicy pleasant aroma goes.

Store prepared nuts preferably in a tightly closed jar, without air access. Better, it will be dark glass. Avoid direct sunlight on the product.

Video: how to peel hazelnuts