Beaked/California Hazlenuts

I’ve been finding quite a few of these lately, but all the literature i’m finding is kind of vague on harvesting. i can’t really figure out a good way to know when they are supposed to be best to eat. anyone have experience with this?

where i live around early to mid september is harvest time, basically when the nut starts turning brown and can be pulled out of its green hull easily. if there are lots of squirrels around, havesting them green then letting them mature till you can take them out of the hulls works. if there arent any squirrels atall - then you can actually just let em fall to the ground (most enjoyable)

We have lots and lots of hazel here. The squirrels harvest them before you would normally think they are ready so we have never really gotten a good haul. The ones on the ground are mostly worm eaten. The ones I’ve actually eaten were very good.

The only plan I have ever come up with (but never followed through with) would be to find a really loaded clump and cover it with a net so the squirrels can’t get them.

haha heyvictor, I have the same problem. I find the squirrels nearly impossible to beat! I tried to work out a deal with them, but. . . ???

once in a while I find a couple on the ground that they missed, and man, do they taste good! even early.

I mostly collect from roadsides and old farm fields and I don’t seem to have much a problem hauling out my fair share. But a friend of mine claims he gets his best harvests from hazelnuts that are part of red-tails favorite hunting grounds.