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About ten years ago, we purchased one-year old hazelnut saplings from an organic nursery on the New York-Canadian border. Just meters from our front door at Mad Rose Ranch, we planted 140 as a hedgerow on a stretch of land running south from the Shekomeko creek that cuts through our property. The placement on this hilly outcrop appears to have been ideal as the hazelnuts immediately flourished providing the first crop two years after transplanting and being consistently productive, except for last year when a late spring frost coincided with the flowering.
The result of the picking of the nuts this year is splendid. The crop size is excellent and the nuts, packaged as they naturally are in a light green shading to brown husk with seductively frilly edges, are pristine this year. This despite the fact that we have NEVER treated these plants since they were transplanted (aside from a one-time light spreading of milky spore at the outset to combat against the Japanese beetle.
For the next two weeks or so, we will let the hazelnuts dry in their husks, then we will de-husk them and package them in their shell in 1lb and 5 lb bags. For those of you interested in purchasing this homegrown organic nut with its wonderful flavor and texture and so easy to use and enjoy in many dishes or straight out-of-hand (or, yum, bathed in melted chocolate!), we encourage you to sign up for our mailing list for an update on when these become available. Shipments will begin on or about September 13.
