Perhaps less popular as a snack than other nuts such as almonds or peanuts, hazelnuts are also a delicious and nutritious snack that we can also use in many recipes. They can be found already toasted, but we highly recommend buy raw hazelnuts to fully enjoy its flavor and freshness. And they come out much cheaper.
Buying national hazelnuts with their shell in bulk would be the ideal option, although we can also take advantage of the dried fruit format already peeled but rawIn this case, it is preferable to opt for a product packed in a protective atmosphere, which maintains its freshness as much as possible. Nuts will quickly turn rancid the more they are processed, that is why it is well worth roasting them at the moment in our kitchen.
Whole, chopped, ground or crushed to make a homemade cream or butter, praline or a sweet cocoa spread, hazelnuts can be used as the most popular almonds in all kinds of preparations, and we especially like them as a dressing for salads, muesli and granola, breads and sweets, as they are a delight especially if they are combined with chocolate. The greatest difficulty comes when dealing with your skin, something annoying and not very aesthetic.
The thin skin that covers the dried fruit can be easily and quickly removed once we have toasted the hazelnuts at the moment. We have tested at home two methods different but similar, and both can work well without spending too much time on the task.
How to roast hazelnuts at home
We only need a powerful but not excessive heat source, to toast them homogeneously without burning them. In our specific guide on roasting nuts in general we delve more into the process, but for a small or medium serving of hazelnuts we basically recommend two methods: baked or in a pan.
The oven is the most comfortable method but it can also use more energy and there is a risk that we will get lost and burn in an instant. We recommend using it if we have already turned it on for another need or we are going to bake something else next; otherwise it may be cheaper and easier to use the hob.
To toast them in the oven we need a tray wide enough so that the fruits do not pile up, preferably metal or glass, which transmit heat better. A light color is also more recommended, so that they do not burn so quickly, not very deep and with an easy-to-grip edge. A few will suffice 12-15 minutes in a preheated oven at 175-180ºC.
In the pan, better if it is cast iron or stainless, without non-stick coatings, it is also recommended that they do not accumulate excessively. We have to heat them up gently stirring, at medium temperature, always asking that they do not burn from the bottom.
How to peel roasted hazelnuts
Whichever method is chosen, you have to peel them hot. For this we can use a rag or dishcloth old or of little value, clean and that does not smell of detergent or fabric softener; We just have to wrap them while still hot in the fabric and stir it gently on the table. Most of the skins will have come off, although the cloth will be quite stained.
We like better -for convenience- to use the strainer or rack method. Still with the hazelnuts somewhat warm, we have to place them on a heavy duty mesh strainer on top of a bowl, and stir with your hands, rubbing gently but firmly. The smaller and more brittle skins will fall into the bowl, although we will have to separate the peeled hazelnuts from the larger skins.
The same method we can use with a rack of pastry cooling, with the advantage that the larger openings will cause almost all the skins to fall down. We recommend placing a sheet of greaseproof paper or a board that can be easily cleaned.
To keep them for a few days without losing their properties too much, we recommend waiting for them to cool completely before storing them in a airtight glass container, better if we can make a vacuum effect by extracting the air with a short-term device. In humid climates or hot seasons, better in the fridge.
Recipes for using roasted hazelnuts
It is difficult to resist devouring several fresh, aromatic and very crunchy freshly roasted hazelnuts, but it is not advisable to binge-eat all at once. His thing is to use them in specific recipes, as we already mentioned at the beginning. Grinding the already roasted and peeled hazelnuts will give us a more intense finish and a softer color. These are some of our favorites:
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