Rosemary Hazelnuts

Oregon has the ideal climate for growing superior hazelnuts: a unique blend of ocean, mountain and river climates unite warm and cold, sun and rain. With some of the richest, most fertile soil in the world, Oregon is prime hazelnut country and Yamhill County is ground zero.

We've been making variations on this recipe for years. Hope you enjoy it.

Here are the ingredients for our sweet and spicy hazelnuts:

	4 cups hazelnuts, toasted and husked
	1 cup dark brown sugar (packed)
	1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
	1 Tbs. coarse kosher salt
	5 or more dashes of hot pepper sauce or cayenne
	2 Tb. melted butter

Here's what you do for the rosemary hazelnuts:

The first thing you need to do is roast your hazelnuts. The safest way to roast hazelnuts is in a single layer on a cookie sheet in a 275° F oven for 20 to 30 minutes, watching carefully until the nutmeat achieves the desired color. We've found that this doesn't roast them hot enough to allow you to remove the husk, so we like to boost the oven to 350° F , but you have to watch carefully - at that temperature, the difference between a rich roast and a cookie sheet of burnt nuts can be measured in moments.

Upon removing the nuts from the oven, place them in a damp kitchen towel and roll it vigorously against table to rub off the skins (I like to give them a few moments to steam in the towel just a bit and loosen up before I start rolling). After a few minutes of rubbing, transfer the nuts to a clean, dry towel and rub again to finish the job.

Even after all that rubbing, American hazelnut varieties will still retain some of their skin (Turkish varieties blanch more completely).

Mix melted butter, brown sugar, rosemary, salt, and hot pepper powder in a large bowl to blend.

Pop the cleaned roasted hazenluts into the oven for a few mintues to warm them up so the spice mix sticks to the nuts. Take the warmed roasted nuts and toss with butter/sugar/spice mix.

Transfer back to baking sheet. Cool completely. Can be made 5 days ahead.

Some interesting Oregon hazelnut facts:
Oregon's Willamette Valley is home to 99 percent of the U.S. hazelnut industry.
The Hazelnut was made Oregon's official State Nut in 1989.
About 650 farm families grow hazelnuts on 28,000 acres.

Hazelnut History
According to a manuscript found in China from the year 2838 B.C., the hazelnut (also called a filbert) took its place among the five sacred nourishments God bestowed to human beings. We can assume from this that the cultivation of hazelnuts has been going on for over 4,500 years. In ancient times, the hazelnut was used as a medicine and tonic. In 200 A.D., the Greek physician Dioscorides emphasized the properties of the hazelnut as a medium to cure colds and grow hair.

It is speculated by some that the name filbert originated from "full beard," referring to the fact that the husk (or "beard") entirely covers the nut in some varieties. Others believe the name was derived from St. Philibert, as August 22 (a date that corresponds in England to the ripening of the earliest filberts) is dedicated to him.

The first cultured hazelnut tree was planted in Oregon in 1858. By 1905, the industry had taken root as it were. Today, Yamhill County and Dundee is at the center of the hazelnut frenzy. Over half of Oregon's production is exported to countries throughout the world, with the primary markets being China and Germany.

Sources: Linda Lausmann & the Oregon Hazelnut Commission

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