slmacann

Basic moisture monitoring after harvest

You can determine how much moisture your hazelnuts have lost by regularly measuring their weight. You need accurate digital scales. This method won’t tell you the absolute moisture level, just whether they are stabilised.

This is essentially the same process as described in Simple Moisture Content Calculation, but this method happens naturally over a longer time.

Weigh the sample when nuts are first harvested. Re-weigh regularly until the weight is the same for 3 measurements.

% moisture =	(wet weight – dry weight)	x 100
	dry weight

Chocolate Hazelnut Spread

Ingredients

2 Tbsp caster sugar
100g sweet cooking chocolate
3Tbsp Hazelnut Oil

Method

Dry roast the hazelnuts in the oven at 180’C for 15 minutes or until the flesh of the nuts are lightly golden. Remove the skins by rubbing in a teatowel or between the hands. While still hot, put the nuts into the food processor and finely chop.

Melt the chocolate in a sauce pan and add the hazelnut oil, taking care not to overheat the mixture. Add to the nut mixture and process until smooth.

Orchard visit: Michael & Jenny Petherick, West Melton

February 2019

Jenny and Michael have owned their orchard for nearly three years. It was previously owned by Selwyn Manning, and was originally planned by Stephen Brailsford. Since taking on the orchard, Jenny and Michael have increased harvest from 0.7 to 2.4 tonnes.

Orchard visit: Mike & Kathy Davenport, Rolleston

February 2019

Mike and Kathy have another Stephen Brailsford planned orchard of 1000 trees, all planted 12 years ago. They use Organibor, which is a 5-year fertiliser, and have realised that undissolved granules will be removed when cleaning up the orchard floor ready for harvest. At harvest they blow the nuts out of the centre of the row, rake them up and then use the harvester to suck up the nuts. Last year they got 1 kg/tree and are looking for more this year.