Found a squirrel's Hazelnut stash; is it edible?

Annie Kate

While weeding my asparagus garden I found a stash of hazelnuts and then noticed many more lying around. Are they edible? They were, obviously, frozen for many months (we're in Ontario).

Torey

@Annie Kate Are they still in the shell? The ones I have come across have been shelled and I don't think they'd be good. But if they are still in their shell they might be OK. Crack one open and see what it looks like. If the oils have gone rancid you should be able to smell it. I have frozen hazelnuts before to keep them from going rancid so the freezing shouldn't have harmed them.

We transplanted two hazelnuts that we dug up in the wild last year and they have leafed out this spring. So we are planning another trip to dig more. When they are big enough to bear nuts, we will have to figure out a way to keep the squirrels away from them.

Annie Kate

Yes, still in the shell. Thanks @torey

I've got half a gallon. Poor squirrel, lucky us.

LaurieLovesLearning

@Annie Kate You hit the jackpot, for sure!

VermontCathy

Don't be surprised if they are full of worms when you open the shells.

To harvest hazelnuts and avoid getting them full of worms, you normally remove any nuts that have already fallen and discard them, shake the hazelnut tree, and harvest what falls immediately.

But you might get lucky. Let us know whether the nuts you found are wormy or not.

flowerpower *

@torey I have been thinking of how to keep squirrels from getting the nuts. We used to race them to the nuts when we were kids. This has not worked out for me as an adult. I have thought of wire nets over the bushes, electronic deterrents by sound (which would need some power), or a fence with a dog or cat inside. Maybe scent could be used to deter squirrels, such as wolverine scent?

@Annie Kate Squirrels only harvest good nuts. They can tell! However, I would not eat nuts that have been stored in damp soil!

water2world

@Annie Kate LOL Never heard of finding a squirrel's stash, it's usually the other way around!

Torey

@flowerpower * We have been thinking of a chicken wire "bubble" of some sort when the time comes. But I think the little beggars will still find a way in. It will be a battle! We tried cougar scent once to keep deer away but it had little to no effect. Its a consideration, though.

dipat2005

When I was in the process of digging my garden I was surprised to find a whole peanut that some squirrel left behind. It was very interesting. I didn't think they would dig so close to an apartment building.

Annie Kate

Thanks, everyone!

@flowerpower * @torey @VermontCathy We have never gotten them before the squirrels, chipmunks, and jays, but now I'm wondering how to get the squirrels to harvest them for us, especially if they can tell which ones are wormy. By the time we shake the tree, there are never any left.

flowerpower *

@torey Do you enjoy essential oils? I certainly do, and I wonder if the rodent deterrent essential oils, like peppermint, could be used. The essential oils are placed on cotton balls and are said to keep mice from following each others' scent trails.

flowerpower *

@Annie Kate I like the way you think! Maybe we should be attracting squirrels and building them playhouses with storage bins near our nut orchards.

Torey

@flowerpower * That is something to consider. We could hang cotton balls in the bushes to see if they keep the squirrels away. I might try that with my gopher holes, too.

water2world

@monica197 Thanks, I will look for that episode!

Annie Kate

I've been told garlic spray and cayenne help for chipmunks and squirrels. I will describe that in a new thread.