How to toast and skin hazelnuts

Hazelnuts have a thin, papery brown skin that clings like it has a grudge. Left on, it adds a faint bitterness and a dry, dusty texture. Toasting loosens it, and a bit of rubbing does the rest. The same toasting also turns a mild, slightly green raw hazelnut into something rich, buttery and unmistakably hazelnutty. It is one of the best returns on ten minutes in the kitchen.

Start with good nuts

Buy raw hazelnuts if you plan to toast them yourself. They should be plump and uniform in size, and when you crack one the kernel should be creamy white with no dark spots or musty smell. Uniform size matters: small nuts will burn while large ones are still pale.

If your hazelnuts are still in their shells, crack them first. Shelled nuts are what we are working with here.

Toasting in the oven

1. Heat the oven to 180C (350F), or 160C (320F) fan.
2. Spread the hazelnuts in one layer on a baking tray.
3. Toast for 10 to 15 minutes, shaking the tray once or twice.
4. The nuts are ready when the skins have darkened and begun to split and curl, and the kernels beneath are golden. The smell should be warm and sweet.

Do not judge by the skin colour alone. Break one open: the kernel should be a pale golden tan. If it is still white, give it another two minutes. If it is brown all through, you have gone too far.

Skinning with a tea towel

This is the classic method, and it works well on nuts that have toasted fully.

1. Tip the hot nuts onto a clean tea towel.
2. Fold the towel over them and leave to steam for 1 to 2 minutes. The trapped heat loosens the skins further.
3. Rub the bundle firmly between your hands, or roll the nuts around inside it.
4. Pick out the nuts and shake off the loose skin. Most will come away cleanly.

Expect a few stubborn ones. A bit of skin left on is perfectly fine for snacking, though it is worth picking off the worst for a smooth sauce or paste. Do this over a sink or outside, because the skin flakes get everywhere.

A note on the towel

Use an old one. The brown skins can mark light fabrics, and the oils from warm nuts will leave a faint shadow. A clean, rough cotton towel gives the best grip.

The baking soda boil

If your toasted nuts are still stubbornly skinned, there is a wet method that works on raw hazelnuts directly.

1. Bring 500ml (about 2 cups) of water to a boil.
2. Stir in 2 tablespoons of baking soda. It will foam, so use a large pot.
3. Add 150g (about a cup) of hazelnuts and boil for 3 minutes.
4. Drain and rinse under cold water. The skins should slip off between your fingers.
5. Dry the nuts well and toast them as above for 8 to 10 minutes to restore crispness.

The soda raises the alkalinity of the water, which breaks down the skins. The trade-off is that it adds a step and the nuts must be dried and re-toasted. For most cooks, the tea towel is simpler. The boil earns its place when you have a big batch to prepare for a recipe.

Getting an even colour

Some hazelnuts will always toast faster than others. A few things help:

• Sort by size before roasting and keep each size on its own tray.
• Shake the tray at the halfway point so nothing sits against the hot metal.
• Use a light-coloured tray, or line it with parchment.
• Let the nuts cool on a separate surface so they do not keep cooking.

If a handful comes out slightly over, do not bin them. Chop them finely and use them in a crumble topping where a little extra depth is welcome.

What to do with them

Toasted and skinned hazelnuts are wonderfully versatile:

• Blitz them into a paste, then into something like a spread. If you would rather skip the work, our hazelnut cocoa spread is made for toast, pancakes and spoons.
• Grind them for cakes and biscuits. Hazelnut flour gives bakes a nutty, tender crumb, and the toasting step is already done in many recipes.
• Chop them and scatter over roasted vegetables, salads or porridge.
• Pair them with chocolate, coffee, pears or orange.

The principle of toasting to deepen flavour applies across nuts. If you want to compare it with the almond version, see how to roast almonds at home. The two nuts behave differently, but the logic of low and slow, then cool quickly, is the same.

Storing toasted hazelnuts

Cool them completely on a tray before storing. Then keep them in an airtight jar in a cool, dark place. Toasted nuts stay fresh for a shorter time than raw ones, so toast only what you will use within a couple of weeks. For more on why, see why nuts go rancid.

If you want to learn more about the nut itself, the Wikipedia page on the hazelnut covers the plant and its varieties.

A last word

Toast until the skins crack, steam them in a towel, rub, and enjoy. It takes about fifteen minutes from tray to bowl, and the difference in flavour is immediate. Once you have done it, a bag of pre-skinned nuts feels a bit like a missed opportunity, though both have their place on a busy day.