John Myers
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Blanch hazelnuts – how to proceed
You can get both blanched and unblanched hazelnuts in stores.
- When you open a whole hazelnut, the pit is surrounded by a brownish seed coat. This seed skin gives the unblanched hazelnut a slightly bitter taste.
- To remove the seed skin, place the hazelnuts in a pot of boiling water for a few minutes.
- Boiling will soften the seed skin, making it easier for you to remove it. It is best to take a nut out of the pot from time to time and try whether the seed skin can already be peeled off.
- With a ladle, take out the now blanched hazelnuts and place them on a spread-out kitchen towel. Pull all four corners up and tie a knot in them.
- Now grate the nuts while they are still hot to rub off the skin of the seeds and use your fingers to remove the remains of the skin.
Roasting hazelnuts – you have to pay attention to that
After blanching, you can roast the hazelnut kernels to develop their aroma even better.
- To do this, put the seeds in a pan with or without oil and roast them on a medium level until they are golden brown on the outside.
- Be sure to stir the kernels regularly so they don’t burn.
- Allow the kernels to cool and store them in an airtight container in a cool, dark place.
- Alternatively, hazelnut kernels can also be roasted in the oven. Spread the kernels out on a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake them at 180 degrees Celsius (top/bottom heat) until brown on all sides.
