Hazelnuts

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Hazelnuts are grown commercially in Washington and Oregon, and Turkey is the largest producer in the world. In our Southern Wisconsin region, hazelnuts are most often foraged, and it’s easiest to gather them from the ground rather than try to shake them from the tree. They are common in baking as well as in nut butters and flavored coffee.

Fun Fact: There is evidence of large scale hazelnut processing in a Mesolithic archaeological site in Scotland dating back 9,000 years, about 7,000 B.C.

Nutrition: Nutritionists recommend treating hazelnuts as a condiment due to their high fat content, although their fat is primarily the “good” unsaturated fats, so a serving of hazelnuts is a good way to get beneficial fatty acids while curbing hunger. One large handful also contains 100 percent daily value of vitamin E and a whopping 294 percent daily value of manganese. Folate, thiamine, iron, magnesium and phosphorus are also well represented.