There hazelnut harvest it is a very important moment for the entire production cycle of this nut, which is certainly the most cultivated in Italy. This applies to family orchards, where small numbers of hazelnut trees are grown, but also to intensive hazelnut groves, where harvesting represents the main cost. Until a few years ago, the hazelnut harvesting was done only by hand, but today there are special machinery capable of speeding up operations and consequently reducing the costs of the labor employed.
After harvesting, the hazelnuts must be dried in the right way and then stored in the best possible conditions, so as to have a product that does not suffer from deterioration and attack by parasites.
In this article we see everything there is to know about collecting, drying and storing hazelnuts, with a look at the home orchard and large-scale cultivation.
How to grow hazelnut ►
When is it time to harvest hazelnuts?
A rather obvious consideration is that hazelnuts are harvested when ripe. But what is the exact ripening period of hazelnuts? The answer to this question is not unique, it depends primarily on the variety grown. Other factors that influence ripening are the altitude of the hazelnut grove and, above all, the seasonal climatic trend. In hot and dry seasons, hazelnuts ripen earlier. The hazelnuts ripen from the second week of August (early varieties at lowland and low hill altitudes), up to the entire month of September and beyond (late varieties at higher altitudes).
How to recognize ripe hazelnuts
It is quite easy to recognize ripe hazelnuts, as the protective shell hardens and changes color to dark brown. Then the leafy envelope that keeps them attached to the branches begins to dry and wrinkle, thus causing the fruit to fall to the ground, sometimes with the envelope itself now dry. Therefore, the collection of hazelnuts takes place when they fall to the ground (this type of harvest we have already seen with almonds).
When the hazelnut is still on the tree and does not come off easily, it means that the fruit contained within the shell is not completely ripe, as it is too tender and rich in water, less tasty and unable to be preserved. long. This is why fruits, as a rule, do not collect from the tree. Then there is the technical difficulty of reaching all parts of the canopy and the intricacy of the collection itself.
How to tell if hazelnuts are good?
Be careful not to confuse the ripe hazelnuts that have fallen to the ground, with the early drop due to the action of parasites such as bed bug Gonocerus acuteangulatus and the balanino of the core. The fruits attacked by these insects reserve a bitter surprise: either they are empty (bug fruit) or they are rotten. These damaged hazelnuts can be recognized by the presence of holes left by the insect or because the fruit, with all the shell, is very light and by shaking it you feel that it is empty.
Hand picking of hazelnuts
In the small orchards, or in the hazelnut groves not accessible to tractors, the hazelnuts are harvested by hand, as was done in the past, using jute bags (like these), light and resistant, easy to move between plants, transpiring and capable of not damaging the fruit. In large hazelnut producing countries like Turkey, typical baskets are also used. To facilitate harvesting, the soil should be cleaned by mowing the grass before the fruit falls. Cleaning must then be brought forward by at least 15 days, so that the grass can dry out well. Furthermore, it is good to shake the trees before harvesting, so as to have as many hazelnuts as possible on the ground.
Finally, it is advisable to go with a rake and convey the fruits around the canopy along a row. With the fruits grouped together it is easier to go under the plants and fill the bags.
Small tool for collecting hazelnuts
Harvesting hazelnuts by hand is very tiring, as you have to bend your back for a long time to put the small fruits in the bags. However, there are, in general, some fruit harvesting tools which allow us to save time and effort. Very interesting for hazelnuts is the roller basket (found here). In practice, it is an urn similar to those used in the lottery extractions, attached to a convenient wooden pole, which, passing over the fruits on the ground, traps them in the basket.
Recommendations for harvesting hazelnuts in the family orchard
As we know, it is not possible to harvest hazelnuts in a single solution, i.e. after all the fruits have fallen to the ground, since their ripening is gradual and therefore they detach from the tree within a few weeks. On the other hand, leaving the first fruits on the ground, waiting for the complete ripening of the unripe ones, we run the risk that in contact with the ground the hazelnut regains humidity and gets damaged inside. In addition, there is also the talk of wild animals (wild boars, squirrels, dormice, etc.), which are very fond of hazelnuts. In short, the longer the fruits are left on the ground, the more likely it is to see them disappear. Therefore, during the period of the hazelnut harvest, the advice is to make at least one passage a week in the orchard.
Collect the hazelnuts with the nets
In a small hazelnut grove, a solution to simplify operations may be to use the same nets for the olive harvest (which you find easily in specialized stores).
These nets must be placed under the tree during the fall, moved every week to collect the product and re-spread under the trees for the next fall. It is obvious that this system is feasible only for the collection of a few trees, on large areas the cost of the nets makes the option uneconomical.
Mechanized harvesting in hazelnut groves
In the specialized hazelnut groves, in great numerical expansion in our country in recent years, the hazelnut harvest takes place with the aid of special equipment. Very efficient, for example, are the self-propelled hazelnut harvesting machines, coupled and carried by the tractor. Thanks to the presence of conveyor brushes, these machines, of different types and power, collect the hazelnuts from the ground in a very fast passage. Even the machine carries out a first selection and cleaning of the collected product. These machines also have the aid of towed trolleys or hydraulic boxes anchored to the self-propelled machine, where the collected hazelnuts are conveyed, thus avoiding the use of jute bags. It is obvious that this type of machine can only be used in flat hazelnut groves, with the aim of saving on labor costs.
How do you dry freshly picked hazelnuts?
In the small orchard, once the hazelnuts have been collected, they must be dried. First they must be cleaned of impurities, such as remains of casing, earth, small stones, etc. Cleaning can be done with artisanal screeners, such as nets, shaken and turned several times so as to drop the impurities, gradually selecting the good product. At this point, drying can be done by spreading the hazelnuts on the floor of a fresh and airy warehouse, or on nets in the sun. Drying in the sun is faster and only takes a few days, but the product must be collected at home in the evening, to prevent moisture from returning.
Be careful not to dry them in too high layers. The ideal is a single layer, so as to avoid the work of constantly turning the pile. A well-dried shelled hazelnut will keep for many months, if not years.
Industrial drying
In specialized hazelnut groves, the fruits, once picked by the machines, are passed through special cleaners which, by means of air flows, separate the shelled fruit from all impurities. Once cleaned, the hazelnuts move on to the drying phase. The largest companies or consortia of producers are equipped with special dryers, real rooms with a drying capacity of 20-30 quintals of hazelnuts. Here the drying takes place in a “forced” way, thanks to the hot air (45 ° C) that is circulated. The hazelnuts are moved continuously, both in the heating and in the cooling phase.
The drying of shelled hazelnuts
What we have seen so far refers to the drying of hazelnuts with the shell. However, many like to keep them already shelled. The freshly picked and shelled hazelnut is eaten fresh for about 1 month, otherwise it must be dried. To do this, you can spread the fruits on a baking tray, placing it for a few hours in the semi-open home oven at a temperature of 50 ° C. Alternatively, the numerous can be used food dryers found in specialty stores.
In the industrial field, however, also the drying of shelled hazelnuts takes place with special machinery.
The conservation of hazelnuts
Once harvested and dried, the hazelnuts must be preserved. In this case, the jute bag is useful, an ideal material for storing the product in the warehouse. The storage room must be entirely similar to the one we use for preserve the potatoes, that is, dark, dry, cool and breezy. Under these conditions, you can enjoy your hazelnuts until the next harvest.
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