Naturally sweet and wonderfully versatile, hazelnuts are a great nut to have on hand in the pantry to add a special touch to your meals. Look for hazelnuts in the shell without cracks or holes. Store shelled hazelnuts as you would other shelled nuts, in a cool, dark place. Lightly roast hazelnuts and blend for the most delicious hazelnut butter you’ve ever tried. They are also great in savory dishes as a topping for casseroles, salads, grain dishes, and stews.
- Hazelnuts are high in vitamin E, potassium, sulfur, calcium, protein and fiber.
About Nuts
Nutsare concentrated, high-energy foods that are always good to have on hand in your pantry. Nuts are typically great sources of vitamin E and plant-based essential fatty acids.
Nuts are healthiest consumed after they have been soaked for some hours to improve their digestibility and increase their nutritional value. Raw, unsprouted nuts can be difficult to digest.
Buying
It is best to buy nuts in the shell whenever possible, as this is their natural packaging. Stored this way they will keep for up to one year. To ensure quality, visit a shop you know has a high turnover to ensure freshness and taste the nuts before purchasing. Purchase organic whenever possible, as pesticides and toxins tend to accumulate in high fat food, such as nuts. Avoid buying roasted nuts, or those processed with oil, salt, sugar, or other additives. Roasted nuts contain rancid fats and are a source of harmful free radicals. Nuts should always be purchased raw and toasted at home if desired.
Storing
Store hulled nuts in glass containers in a dark, cool place – heat and light speed up oxidation. Hulled nuts will keep at room temperature for one to three months. The fridge is an idea place as it is both cold and dark; storing here will ensure freshness for up to six months. Do not store nuts in plastic.
