corkscrew hazel - its nuts!

meritaten

I know you guys will have the answer!
I have a ten year old corkscrew hazel tree in my tiny garden. This year I have noticed it has gifted me with nuts! I have left them alone for weeks - but can anyone tell me when (or if) I should pick them? Are they edible? they look exactly like hazel nuts - but I am a little worried that the corkscrew hazel is a 'different' variety and its nuts arent edible? I would love to show the grandkids WHERE nuts come from and they can pick them and eat them - just want to be SURE its safe to eat them!
PS - when are they 'ripe'? I want to get to them before the birds do!

blossomhill_2

As no-one has answered you...I have to say that the chances of getting to the ripe nuts before the squirrels do are very very slim so pick them as soon as you can and take your chances trying to ripen them on a windowsill
You will however get some nice little seedling trees if the squirrels bury them and forget where

3v3

I have a corkscrew hazel (bought last year ridiculously cheap from B&Q) and I have nuts on mine this year (yippee!) My understanding is that only the female varieties produce nuts. Mine haven't turned brown yet and I think that is when you harvest them (towards the end of Autumn?)

Money_maker

Yes the nuts are edible. As blossomhill says, the squirrels normally strip the trees first. You can pick 'in the green' (Waitrose sell them this way). In any event, keep a close eye on them.

Mayflower10cat

...and they're very tasty and sweet, too! We have a lot of hazel trees on our lane and in the hedgerows and from now on we go out on our walks with bags to gather the 'windfalls'. I like to make my Christmas nutroast with 'our' nuts!

meritaten

Thanks for the replies - I have never seen a squirrel in the garden, they tend to stay in the small areas of woodland which are dotted around the area I live in! seen foxes in the back lane - but they dont eat nuts! had a look at the nuts today and they are starting to turn brown. will leave them a week and then let the grandkids pick them!