Foraging in Your Favourite Place. Hazelnuts also known as Filberts or Cobnuts

Todays' Forage. Filberts or Hazelnuts, you have to pick them in their green state as the squirrels and mice will take them the second they turn brown. Lay them out on a tray in a dark warm place and shake the tray daily to keep them moving around. The white papery outer skin will peel back and you will soon have the beautiful brown nut you are used to seeing.

Eaten early they are sweet and soft, but you can leave them in the warm dry place or a jar in the cupboard for a good year or so if you wish. Full of vitamins, good fats and protein you can eat them as they are or add to energy bars or salads.

Just remember to leave 2/3 for the critters and plant the odd nut as you walk home for future foragers. If you take a new growth shoot and just pop it in soil at home you can grow your own hazel for basket work or garden sticks. And one day your tree will fruit.