Hazelnuts are one of the most beloved nuts: they are a healthy snack rich in health benefits, but also a highly versatile ingredient, widely used in pastry making but generally capable of lending a unique flavor to many dishes. It's no coincidence that these small spheres, rich in aroma, flavor, and flavor have been praised since the time of the Romans. Delicious just plain, hazelnuts become even more irresistible when toasted, a process that significantly affects the nut's organoleptic characteristics and properties: it enhances the flavor, making it even more intense and aromatic, makes the texture crunchier and more crumbly, improves digestibility, and facilitates proper storage.
It's also a useful procedure from a practical standpoint, because after toasting them, it's much easier to remove the outer skin of the hazelnuts, which will come off on its own once they've cooled simply by shaking them in a cloth. But how do you toast hazelnuts? You can easily do it at home quickly and easily: here are the most effective methods.
How to Toast Hazelnuts in a Pan
The easiest way to toast hazelnuts is to use a pan, a super-fast method that will allow you to achieve excellent results. Shell the hazelnuts and arrange them in a nonstick pan, taking care not to overlap them. Then cover with a lid and cook for 10 minutes over medium heat, shaking the pan frequently to prevent them from sticking or burning. Once toasted, let the hazelnuts cool in the pan. Remove the skins if you don't want to keep them, and then store them in an airtight container for best preservation.
How to Toast Hazelnuts in The Oven
The second method, equally as easy as pan-roasting, involves using the oven. After shelling the hazelnuts, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper while you wait for the oven to preheat. Once hot, bake them at 200°C (392°F) for 5–6 minutes. Be careful, though: check the hazelnuts frequently because the oven heat is more intense than the pan, and they could burn very easily. Alternatively, you can proceed with a gentler roasting method: in this case, bake the hazelnuts for 10 minutes at 180°C (356°F), then continue for another 5 minutes, lowering the temperature to 90°C (194°F). In both cases, once toasted, let them cool by moving them to a plate or another baking sheet to prevent them from absorbing further heat, as if they continue to heat up too much, they risk becoming bitter.
How to Toast Hazelnuts in Their Shells
So far, we've been talking about shelled hazelnuts, but you can actually toast them in their shells, just like chestnuts. It's a slightly more delicate process, as you need to be especially careful to ensure the hazelnuts aren't raw or burnt, but it's definitely doable. In this case, you'll need to use the oven: preheat it to 355°F/180°C and, in the meantime, arrange the hazelnuts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, making sure to leave a little space between them and distribute them evenly over the surface. Bake the hazelnuts for about 15 minutes, but after 5 minutes, turn them with a wooden spoon so they toast on all sides.
After fifteen minutes, remove a hazelnut and let it cool enough to peel it without burning yourself: if the inside is golden brown, the hazelnuts are ready and can be removed; if they're still creamy white, they need at least another 5 minutes of cooking. Once ready, place them on a cold baking sheet so they don't absorb further heat, then place them in the jar, still in their shell, to be shelled later, when you need to use them.
;Resize,width=767;)
