How to Blanch Hazelnuts for Easy Peeling
Want to learn how to blanch hazelnuts to peel them in the absolutely easiest way possible? Hazelnuts are an amazing nut, whether in your Thanksgiving stuffing or a homemade chocolate hazelnut spread. But removing hazelnut skins is a horrible kitchen task.
So read on to learn all the tips and tricks for this amazing kitchen hack and why it works. Or just grab your baking soda, hit that Jump to Recipe button, and let’s peel some blanched hazelnuts!
Jump to:
Ingredients
Hazelnuts have a rich, buttery flavor that complements both sweet and savory dishes, but those hazelnut skins can be bitter.
Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, is key here. The alkalinity of baking soda helps break down pectin in the blanched hazelnut skins, making them super easy to remove.
Please see the recipe card below for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations and substitutions
If you don’t have baking soda, the traditional method of skinning hazelnuts is by roasting. To roast hazelnuts, heat them in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for about 10 to 15 minutes until they smell toasty. Let the roasted hazelnuts cool slightly, then wrap them in a kitchen towel and rub them together vigorously. You’ll be able to remove much of the peel this way.
Recipe tips and tricks
Step 1: Create an ice bath by filling a large bowl with equal amounts of ice and cold water. Ice baths are great for quickly stopping the cooking process and preserving texture and color (e.g. for green vegetables).
Step 2: Fill a small pot halfway with water and bring it to a boil. Add the baking soda and hazelnuts and keep at a boil for about four to five minutes. Don’t be surprised when the water turns black!
Test a hazelnut at about four minutes by dropping it into the ice bath. If the peel doesn’t come off easily, keep blanching the hazelnuts for another minute and test again.
If the hazelnut peel comes off in a snap, drain the pot of blanched hazelnuts in a colander. Then immediately transfer the blanched hazelnuts to your ice bath.
Step 3: Peel any blanched hazelnuts that still have skin. You can do this one by one, or grab a handful and rub them together.
In one recipe test, I tried to see if I could toast the blanched hazelnuts and then rub the skins off in a towel to avoid peeling each hazelnut individually from the ice bath. This was unfortunately not effective!
Step 4: If you taste the blanched hazelnuts at this point, it will be a little soft and bland. To bring out their flavor, toast those hazelnuts in a hot oven until they smell, well, toasty. I always recommend toasting nuts, whether you’re using them in a walnut loaf cake or adding pine nuts to a couscous salad.
Roast the blanched hazelnuts for 15 to 20 minutes. Toasting will take longer than usual because the hazelnuts have been blanched, but there’s no need to dry them first.
What to make with peeled hazelnuts
- Make Nutella!
- Use them in a homemade granola or mixed berry smoothie bowl.
- Add them to salads like this arugula spinach salad with goat cheese and strawberries.
- Use them to coat a Nutella truffle or Nutella thumbprint cookie.
- Mix them into Nutella blondies or Nutella banana bread.
Recipe FAQs
All nuts for short-term use can be stored at a cool room temperature. Because nut oils will cause nuts to become rancid over time, nuts are best frozen for long-term storage.
Yes, hazelnuts and filberts are two names for the same nut.
Related nutty recipes
Love nuts? Check out some other nutty recipes from the archives like:
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-heart 💜💜💜💜💜 rating in the recipe card below. Let me know how much you loved it, or any problems you had, in the comments section further down.
Recipe
How to Blanch Hazelnuts for Peeling
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 1 cup (143 grams) whole hazelnuts
Instructions
- Heat your oven to 350℉. Ready a strainer in the sink and create an ice bath in a large bowl by mixing a few cups each of ice cubes and cold water.
- Add 4 cups of water to a pot large enough so that the water comes only halfway up the sides and heat on high until boiling.
- Add the baking soda. When the water calms down, add the hazelnuts and boil for 4 to 5 minutes. Don't worry when the water turns black.1 tablespoon baking soda, 1 cup (143 grams) whole hazelnuts
- At about 4 minutes, test a hazelnut by removing it with a spoon from the boiling water and drop it into the ice bath. If the peel doesn't come off easily with your fingers, continue boiling another minute.
- If the test hazelnut peels easily, drain the pot of hazelnuts in the colander. Then immediately transfer the blanched hazelnuts into the ice bath.
- Peel the hazelnuts with your fingers one by one or grab a handful and rub the together to use the friction to remove the skins.
- Toast the peeled hazelnuts in a small baking pan at 350℉ until they are starting to brown and give off a nutty, toasty smell, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
You’re an adventurous home cook looking for inspiration in your weeknight meals and weekend baking. Get that inspiration here: