The leaves of the hazelnut tree have been unfairly forgotten. They are rich in nutrients and were previously used in natural medicine as a tea for a variety of ailments. Hazelnut leaves can also be used in the kitchen.
What can you use hazelnut leaves for?
Hazelnut leaves are nutrient-rich and can be used as a tea to reduce cholesterol and for intestinal problems. In the kitchen they are suitable blanched as a snack or side dish with game dishes and can be preserved in oil.
The hazelnut leaf
A hazelnut tree can be clearly identified by its leaves.
- Round to ovoid leaf shape
- Light to medium green color
- Sawn leaf edge
- Studded with little hairs
- Alternative on the bush
Collect hazelnut leaves
The best time to collect leaves is from April to June. Then they have a fresh, green color and are still very soft and tender. Leaves picked later are leathery and not suitable for consumption.
Only the leaves that become velvety when you stroke them are collected.
Only pick the leaves from a hazelnut tree that is not directly on the road. Trees or hazelnut hedges that you have planted yourself in the garden are best suited for collecting.
Collect leaves to dry
If you want to make tea from hazelnut leaves, you can still pick leaves from the hazelnut tree later in the year.
Only use he althy leaves that feel fresh. You should leave hazelnut leaves with holes or eroded edges on the hazelnut tree. They often contain insects that make the leaves unusable when they dry.
Lay the collected leaves out to dry in an airy place. You should avoid direct sunlight as it causes the leaves to leach out too much.
Hazelnut leaves as tea
The leaves of the hazelnut tree contain essential oils and a phytosterol called sitosterol. It is used in natural medicine to reduce cholesterol levels and for intestinal problems.
To make tea, two grams of dried and chopped hazelnut leaves are brewed with 100 milliliters of boiling water. The tea should steep for ten minutes and then be drunk hot.
Using the leaves in the kitchen
Hazelnut leaves can be used in the kitchen in a similar way to grape leaves. The taste is a little milder. To make the leaves supple, they are blanched in hot water for a very short time and then rinsed with cold water.
The leaves can be served with filling as a snack. They go particularly well with hearty game dishes.
Hazelnut leaves are not tasty raw; they only get their aromatic taste when they are blanched.
Preserving hazelnut leaves by pickling them
To preserve leaves picked in spring for a longer period of time, you can soak them in a solution of good cooking oil and s alt.
You should first clean and blanch the leaves well.
They will keep for several months in an airtight jar. They taste good in salads or as a refinement to vegetable side dishes.
Tips & Tricks
Hazelnut leaves are not only he althy for humans as tea or as an addition to salads and other dishes. Rodents such as rabbits also appreciate the fresh and dried leaves as valuable additional food.
