Hazelnuts

Hello everyone. I've got a hazel tree in my rear garden and it has loads of 'fruit' on it, in the form of what look like hazelnuts but in clumps of 3/4 on the branches. Are these edible and if so, when can I harvest/eat them.

Thanx for any help

 

That is how they form. The nut is held by a green calyx. When the nut begins to turn brown, you can begin to pick them. They do not ripen if picked green. Be warned though, both squirrels and field mice love them and will eat them long before they are ripe enough to pick!

 

You lucky so and so bfg, I'd love to be able able to harvest nuts straight off the tree.

Could the tree be netted to protect it from the munchers Pal?

TO

 

Agreed, never found a way of stopping the critters from pinching the nuts, except by having a huge crop, so much that even they cannot eat them all!

 

Thanks everyone. Have already found the remains of several nuts at the base of tree and near garden gate. Tough choice though, encourage the squirrels into the garden and have no hazelnuts, or, try and get to them before they do! Sad day today, we have had a wood mouse living in our old wooden shed for a little while now, we put out seeds, fruit etc for it just at the sides of the shed along the bottom to encourage it to come out more into the open. This was working up until he decided to explore the innner workings of a half full watering can. Needless to say it didn't survive, and my youngest son found him as he was filling the birdbath up with the watering can! Oops!

 

Nothing worse than having your nuts pinched. :D

 

There are lots of hazel trees around where I live - beautiful. Have to be quick for the nuts! I love hazelnuts - gorgeous roasted!