B.C. Hazelnuts
My childhood home was teeming with wildlife—not deer or other majestic creatures, just squirrels. Lots of them. Every fall, these bushy-tailed critters would excavate the lawn to cache various nuts for the winter, much to my parents’ chagrin. One of these buried pips unexpectedly grew into a productive hazelnut tree, swapping frustration with visions of homegrown hazelnuts baked into a myriad of recipes—those dreams quickly dashed, however, as the squirrels claimed nearly every nut on its bows for years to come.
While hazelnuts may be a prize for squirrels, their place in human history is far richer. Shells of long since eaten hazelnuts have been excavated across the European continent dating back 6000- 8000 years. Early European records also depict the hazelnut in folk art, tapestries and manuscripts symbolizing hidden knowledge, fertility and protection. Appreciation for these hard-shelled specimens even spanned into North America where wild hazelnuts served as a significant resource for First Nation populations.
Fast forward to today, hazelnuts have retained their appeal and are a favoured nut across many countries. Commercially, hazelnuts are cultivated across southern Europe and North America with Türkiye, Italy and the United States (chiefly Oregon State) producing the largest percentage annually. In Canada, production is smaller compared to the aforementioned global giants, nevertheless, thousands of acres of farmland across the country are dedicated to cultivating this beloved nut. In British Columbia, roughly 1200 acres are devoted to hazelnut production with the majority of orchards situated in the Fraser Valley, Okanagan, Vancouver Island and Gulf Island regions—growing conditions are particularly ideal in these areas.
At the peak of production, approximately 1,100,000 pounds of hazelnuts were harvested annually from British Columbia. However, just as hazelnut farming began to thrive, misfortune struck when the Eastern filbert blight swept through the province in the early 2000s, instigating a staggering loss to the industry. By 2015, over 90% of farms in the province were impacted and production dropped to a mere 40,000 pounds. In an effort to mitigate the immense loss, the British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture and Food along with the BC Hazelnut Growers Association began working alongside growers to develop and promote the planting of new disease resistant species—after much hard work, the industry has rejuvenated in recent years.
While several B.C. farms are still in the regenerative phase, many are actively producing, selling, and distributing filberts across the province. And though production volume may still be budding, the quality of B.C. hazelnuts is exceptional, having met favour from Italy’s Ferrero company—an encouraging prospect with the company currently procuring a large percentage of the global harvest.
Beyond their storied past and growing future, hazelnuts are an ideal winter ingredient, treasured for their distinct flavor and versatility. Hazelnuts, in their shell, keep exceptionally well during the winter months and their subtle sweet flavour and dense, buttery flesh complement a variety of sweet and savoury ingredients. A nutritious snack on their own, they also work as an accoutrement to cheese boards. Ground into flour, they lend a nutty richness to cookies, cakes and tarts—Austrian Linzer torte being one of my favorites. Roasted, they pair brilliantly with winter squash, citrus or hearty salads, while hazelnut oil, with its high smoke point, is perfect for sautéing or finishing dishes. Nevertheless, hazelnuts are best known for their association with chocolate—gianduja, chocolate bars, truffles, praline and chocolate hazelnut butter (Nutella) being some of the more prominent examples.
Though I never had the chance to harvest hazelnuts from my parents’ tree, today I relish the chance to pick fresh local filberts, caching them away for the cold winter months—not unlike the squirrels I once watched diligently preparing for their own winter. Peak season for hazelnuts is late summer and early fall, however, they can be found all season long across the Island.
A small selection of Vancouver Island & Gulf Region hazelnut growers:
- Foote Hazelnut Farm, Chemainus - U-pick and farm-gate sales
- Amara Farm, Courtenay - Farmers' Market and farm-gate sales
- Hilltop Hazelnuts, Chemainus
- A Nutter Farm, Hornby Island
