Hazelnuts (Findaq): Buying, Roasting, Skinning and Storing Them
Nearly every hazelnut sold in Pakistan and India has travelled a long way and may have sat in a warehouse for months, so the one skill that matters is the sniff: fresh hazelnuts smell sweet and woody, stale ones smell like paint. This guide covers how to buy them in shell or as kernels, the quick oven roast that makes the skins rub off, how to store hazelnuts so they last, and why a jar of hazelnut spread is not the same food at all.
Quick facts
- Local names: findaq or funduq in Urdu; also sold as filberts.
- Where they come from: mostly Turkey’s Black Sea coast; small wild Himalayan nuts turn up now and then in Kashmiri shops.
- New crop: harvested August to October, reaches our shops in late autumn and winter.
- Normal portion: a small handful, about 20 kernels (roughly 28 g).
- Keeps best: in shell somewhere cool, or as kernels in an airtight jar in the fridge.
Prefer to listen? This post as a 4 min video · Video page with transcript
How to buy hazelnuts: in shell, kernels and the Kashmiri question
Most of the world’s hazelnuts grow in Turkey, which is why the ones in your local dry fruit shop, whether labelled “Irani”, “Afghani” or nothing at all, almost certainly started there, while the wild hazels of the Himalayan forests in Kashmir and northern Pakistan give smaller, thicker-shelled nuts that only now and then reach a shop. Nice find. Not better, just rarer.
In shell or kernels?
In-shell hazelnuts keep far longer because the shell is a natural airtight box, but about half of what you pay for is shell and cracking them needs a proper nutcracker. Kernels are cheaper per usable gram, yet they have no protection at all, so a bag that sat near a hot shop window through June may already be stale by the time you open it at home. Baking? Buy kernels. Slow winter snacking? Buy in shell.
- Smell first. Put your nose to the open sack or bag. Sweet, woody or nothing at all is good. Paint, putty or old crayon means rancid.
- Check the colour. Kernels under the skin should be pale cream. Yellow, greyish or see-through patches mean age.
- Look for pinholes. A tiny round hole in a shell or kernel is an insect’s exit. Powder at the bottom of the bag says the same.
- Shake an in-shell nut. A loud rattle often means a shrivelled kernel. A good nut feels heavy for its size.
- Snap a kernel. It should break crisply. Soft or bendy means it has taken in damp.
- Buy 100 to 250 g first. Check again in daylight at home, then go back for more.
They’re imported and priced above badam, so deeply discounted summer kernels are usually last year’s stock. Our wider guide to spotting rancid dry fruits before you pay applies here too.
How to know if hazelnuts are bad
Hazelnuts go bad in two ways, and they aren’t equally serious. Rancid nuts have oil that has reacted with air, heat and light (oxidation), so they smell sharp and taste bitter or soapy, which is unpleasant and means lost vitamin E, but one eaten by mistake isn’t an emergency. Mould is worse. Mouldy nuts look shrivelled, dark or fuzzy, smell like a damp cupboard, and can carry toxins (aflatoxins) that roasting won’t remove.
Throw both away. Don’t cut off the bad part.
What does each home check prove? The smell test catches rancidity well, and cutting a kernel in half shows the inside colour (creamy white is fresh, yellow and waxy is old). The bowl-of-water trick growers use finds empty or shrivelled in-shell nuts, which float, but it says nothing about whether the oil has turned, and no home check can rule out toxins in a nut that looks normal, which is why a shop with fast turnover matters more than any test you can run.
How to roast and skin hazelnuts
Raw hazelnuts taste mild and a little green. Roasting turns them sweet, crunchy and deeply nutty, and it loosens the bitter papery skin.
- Heat the oven to 180 °C. Spread 1 cup of kernels (about 140 g) in a single layer on a dry tray.
- Roast for 10 to 15 minutes, shaking the tray once halfway. They’re done when the skins crack and the kitchen smells toasty.
- Cut one open. The inside should be light golden, not brown.
- Tip the hot nuts straight into a clean cotton kitchen towel, fold it over and leave for 1 minute.
- Rub hard through the towel, as if drying your hair. Most skins will flake off.
- Leave stubborn skins on. A few flecks are fine.
- Cool completely before storing, or they’ll sweat inside the jar.
No oven? A heavy kadai on low heat for 8 to 10 minutes works if you stir the whole time and watch for dark spots.
For perfectly clean nuts
For skin-free nuts, bring 500 ml of water to the boil with 3 tablespoons of baking soda, add 1 cup of kernels and boil for 3 minutes. The water turns inky black, which is just the skins. Drain, drop into cold water and the skins slide off between your fingers. Rinse, pat dry and roast as above.
How to store hazelnuts so they last
Heat, air and light spoil hazelnuts. Remove them.
- In shell: a cloth or paper bag in a cool, dark cupboard keeps them good for months through winter. In a hot Karachi or Lahore summer, move them to the fridge.
- Raw kernels: an airtight glass or steel jar in the fridge keeps them fresh for several months.
- Freezer: kernels frozen in a sealed bag last about a year, and you can use them straight from frozen.
- Roasted kernels: these go stale fastest. Keep them in a jar and finish them within a couple of weeks, or freeze.
Keep them away from onions in the fridge, since nuts soak up smells. Our guide on how to store dry fruits and nuts in the fridge has the full list.
Hazelnut benefits and side effects, honestly
A handful of about 20 hazelnuts gives roughly 180 calories, mostly from the same kind of fat that’s in olive oil, plus about 4 g of protein, 3 g of fibre and very little carbohydrate. They’re a strong source of vitamin E (about a quarter of a day’s need in that handful) and of manganese, a mineral your body uses in many small jobs, from building bone to handling energy.
Swapping a packet of crisps or biscuits for a handful of plain nuts is a genuinely good trade for the heart, and hazelnuts do that job well, but they aren’t magic for skin, hair or a man’s stamina, whatever the “hazelnuts benefits for male” videos promise. Good nut. Normal amount.
Side effects are mostly about quantity: three handfuls in front of the television is around 550 calories, plus bloating. People with diabetes can eat a handful of plain hazelnuts comfortably, because they barely move blood sugar; it’s the sugary spread and the honey-roasted packs that cause trouble.
Myth: hazelnut spread is a healthy way to eat hazelnuts
Read the label on the famous brown jar. Sugar is the first ingredient, palm oil the second, and hazelnuts make up only around 13 percent, so two heaped tablespoons give you far more sugar than nut. People believe otherwise because the name and the pictures of nuts on the jar do the talking.
Surprising facts
- Hazel trees flower in late winter, before their leaves open, with dangling yellow catkins that are one of the first pollen sources of the year in Europe.
- Filberts, cobnuts and hazelnuts are all the same group of nuts; the names depend on the variety and where you are.
Hazelnut is a tree nut and a well-known cause of allergy. Swollen lips or tongue, hives, vomiting, wheezing or trouble breathing after eating any nut is an emergency: go to hospital at once. Some people with a birch pollen allergy get an itchy mouth from raw hazelnuts only, which roasting often reduces; mention it to your doctor anyway. Children under 5 should never get whole or halved hazelnuts, because they’re a choking hazard; grind them or use a smooth hazelnut butter. If your baby has eczema or a known food allergy, check with the child’s doctor before introducing any nut. And if you have kidney disease or take a blood thinner, a normal handful is usually fine, but it’s worth running your nut habit past your doctor.
Simple ways to use hazelnuts at home
Homemade hazelnut spread with less sugar
Blend 200 g of roasted, skinned hazelnuts for 8 to 10 minutes, scraping down the sides, until runny. Add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder, 2 tablespoons of gur (jaggery) powder or sugar, a pinch of salt and 1 to 2 tablespoons of any neutral oil, then blend until smooth. Refrigerate and finish within 2 weeks. Far less sugar than the shop jar.
Crushed topping
Crush 2 tablespoons of roasted hazelnuts over kheer, morning oats or a bowl of dahi with honey (never honey for a child under 1).
Hazelnuts were never a desi staple like badam and akhrot; they came with Afghan and Central Asian traders as part of the winter mewa tray, and Unani writing, like most old traditions, files nuts in general among the warming foods suited to cold months. That’s tradition, not a medical finding. The one thing it gets right is the portion: a small handful, eaten slowly.
For more on how other nuts compare, see the Fruits & Vegetables section.
Hazelnut questions people ask most
Are hazelnuts good for you?
Yes, in a normal handful. The benefit comes from eating them instead of fried or sugary snacks, not from eating large amounts.
How many hazelnuts should I eat a day?
About 20 kernels, or a small handful of roughly 28 g, is a sensible daily amount for an adult. That’s close to 180 calories, so count it as part of your food for the day, especially if you’re watching weight.
What is the best way to store hazelnuts in shell?
In a breathable cloth or paper bag somewhere cool, dark and dry. Through a Pakistani or north Indian winter a cupboard is fine for months. In hot, humid weather, move them to the fridge so the oil doesn’t turn.
Should hazelnuts be kept in the fridge?
Kernels, yes, if you want them to last more than a few weeks. An airtight jar in the fridge keeps them fresh for several months, and the freezer for about a year. Let a cold jar reach room temperature before opening so moisture doesn’t form on the nuts.
Hazelnut vs almond: which is better?
They’re close. Badam (almonds) give a little more protein and fibre for fewer calories, while hazelnuts give more manganese. Almonds are usually cheaper here, so for daily eating they’re the practical pick; hazelnuts are a lovely change. Our almonds vs walnuts vs cashews comparison covers the everyday nuts.
Can diabetics eat hazelnuts?
Yes, a plain handful is a good snack for people with diabetes, because hazelnuts are low in carbohydrate. Skip the sugary spread, chocolate-coated nuts and honey-roasted packs, and keep to one handful rather than grazing all evening.
Can children and babies eat hazelnuts?
Ground hazelnuts or a thin smear of smooth hazelnut butter can go into a baby’s food once solids have started, around 6 months, unless the doctor has advised otherwise for eczema or allergy. Whole or halved nuts are off the menu until age 5 because of choking.
Can I eat hazelnuts during pregnancy?
Yes, a handful of fresh, plain hazelnuts is a good pregnancy snack unless you’re allergic. Pick fresh ones from a good shop, skip anything musty or shrivelled, and keep sugary spreads for the occasional spoonful.
Why do my hazelnuts taste bitter?
Usually the skins, which are safe to eat but naturally a little bitter, or old oil. If a skinned kernel still tastes soapy and smells like paint, it’s rancid and the batch should go.
Does hazelnut coffee or creamer contain nuts?
Most hazelnut-flavoured coffees and creamers use flavouring, not real nuts. Some brands do use nut-derived ingredients, though, so anyone with a nut allergy should read the label every time rather than assume.