Our hazel wood: the heart of “Cuor di Nocciola”

We have been cultivating hazelnuts for generations.

We have been cultivating hazelnuts for generations. In the Twenties, Grandpa Giovanni decided to cultivate the hazelnut trees in flat fields normally used for other crops. At the beginning everyone in the village thought he had gone nuts. Until then the hazelnut had been cultivated only in places where other crops were impossible, such as banks, steep slopes and small fields in unfavorable positions. He had a really good intuition!

The harvest takes place in summer, generally August. The hazelnuts that drop from the trees are blown away from the bushes with special shoulder-carried blowers and pushed toward the center of the paths between the trees. We collect them from there with machines that suck them from the ground.

Each tree produces around 10kgs of hazelnuts. A tree needs up to 8 years to achieve full production.
The harvested hazelnuts are placed in the farmyard and in the dryer, where they complete the natural drying process for a couple of days.

How do we know when the hazelnuts are ready?

By ear! According to how much they dried, the hazelnuts will produce different sounds. Just put a hand in the pile and listen to the melody of the shells, if they are dry they will “sing” clearly and sharply.

The yield is determined and certified, according to the PGI trademark. We select 1kg of product from each load of hazelnuts. The hazelnuts are then shelled by hand. Among the shelled fruits, the rotten, bug, imperfect or shriveled ones are eliminated.

The percentage ratio between the gross weight of the shelled hazelnuts and the net weight of those of good quality represents the yield. A ratio of 44% or superior is considered a good one.

“Cuor di Nocciola" is a big family. During the harvest family friends come to help us out. For 25 years X has been coming to help us out. He was only 15 years old the first time he joined us. It’s nice to get together every year to share such a special moment for us!