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What’s the best time to harvest cob nuts? I’ve noticed a few green ones are already falling. I’ve checked them, the shell is quite soft but they contain nuts! To find a cobnut that actually contains a nut is a rarity in my experience as I usually only get the shells left by the squirrels….. I thought I’d try to outwit them this year. Do I harvest them from the tree at this green stage - i.e. now or soon? - and then keep them locked up (and under armed guard! ) for a couple of months? Is that the solution?
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I forage Hazlenuts and found picking them green was fine, but they didn't ripen well, tried cooking the green ones in scones, not much flavour though. We don't have Squirrels in our village, lack of trees, so I leave them to ripen on the bush now. -
I just glanced at the title of this post and thought it said coconuts...I'm feeling a bit disappointed now
Nestled somewhere in the Cambridgeshire Fens. Good soil, strong winds and 4 Giant Puffballs!
Always aim for the best result possible not the best possible result
Forever indebted to PotstubsdustbinsComment
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If you want them to actually taste of hazelnuts, then you need to wait until the turn brown on the tree. The green ones won't ripen off the tree (they just shrivel up), and although you can eat the green ones they have a pretty mild flavour - I think they taste sort of like carrots.Comment
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LOL, sorry Peanut! That's the disappointment I feel every time I pick up a cobnut because just hundreds of empty shells. If there was a nut in the shell the squirrels plant it, they're excellent gardeners and cob nut seedlings pop up everywhere (pots, troughs, raised beds, flower patches, veg patches, lawn, greenhouse....). I don't mind sharing the nuts (I'll never reach the top ones anyway) but they take them all, 100%! I admire their industry and antics, never cease from crack of dawn...Originally posted by peanut View PostI just glanced at the title of this post and thought it said coconuts...I'm feeling a bit disappointed now.Comment
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Thanks Ameno... that's good to know if not exactly good news.....Originally posted by ameno View Post.Comment
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For me it depended on the variety last year. If I leave them on the tree the squirrels will take the lot. Ideally, they are best picked September on.
A red variety were ready from 20th August on. I picked a few the first day and most of the rest on the 23rd. and they gave quite a good crop when dried somewhere dry but not too warm.
Kent cobnuts, I first picked 25th August (my note was this was a bit early) but I picked the rest 30th August. which was still a bit early really.
Wild hazel, I picked on 31st August.
When they were drying, nuts that loosened after a couple of weeks or so had good nuts in but any that held firmly in the husk more often were empty. When picking, I did notice some nuts eaten by squirrels but not that many, whether this year will be the same...
I'm in Cheshire by the way.Comment
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Many thanks for all these suggestions and tips, it's already August 1st so I'll hang on a few weeks to see how quickly they yellow/brown. I don't know the precise variety, it's quite a substantial tree with its beautifully straight boughs, best part of 30 foot tall, very productive, the fallen shells smother and kill the grass underneath and every Autumn I scoop them up and fill 2 or 3 dustbins brimful. I assume commercial growers have developed a more manageable species if they pick by hand? I notice a few split empty shells already, the squirrels have started their annual feast! This Spring I discovered a mouse nest with collection of about 50 empty brown cobnut shells with the tops gnawed off and contents presumably devoured but a good 40 yards from the tree.... that's a long way for a mouse to carry a cobnut through the undergrowth, they must be tasty and healthy! If only they left me one!
An odd PS - anyone in touch with SarrissUK? I have some cob-nut seedlings for her (planted by Squirrel Enterprises...) but she hasn't been on-site lately.
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