(Corylus avellana); nutcracker; family of Birches (Betulaceae), or Hazels (Sogulaceae); common hazel
Hazelnuts are loved by everyone: collect them, dry them and peel them for your health. Few people know that they can be used in different ways. And not only nuts.
Hazel, or nutmeg, is a bush up to 4 m tall. Its leaves are simple, rounded, double-toothed at the edges, pointed at the top. The flowers are unisexual: male – in long drooping earrings, female – in the axils of the covering scales, which form a common capitate inflorescence. Hazel blossoms in May, bears fruit in August-September. The fruit is a nut surrounded by a leaf-like envelope, the so-called bowl. Hazel is widespread throughout the territory of the European part of Russia, as well as in the Baltic States, Belarus and Ukraine (throughout the territory, except for the extreme south; it grows in the undergrowth of light broad-leaved and mixed forests, on the edges of forests). A close species grows in the Far East – the multi-leaved hazel, the nutritional qualities of which are close to those of its European relative.
The plant is used only in folk medicine. Bark and fruits of hazel are used medicinally. The bark is harvested in the spring, during the sap movement. They dry it in the open air. The leaves are collected young, in May, and dried in the air in the shade. Fruits are collected in September.
The bark and leaves of the plant contain tannins and essential oil. In addition, the leaves contain flavonoids, alkaloids, organic acids and vitamin C. Nut kernels contain 48-50% of excellent edible oil and are extremely useful.
Decoctions of bark and infusion of hazel leaves have the property of narrowing blood vessels, so their use is advisable in the treatment of varicose veins and capillary hemorrhages. In addition, these means improve appetite. Nut kernels are useful for anemia, diabetes, hypertension, atherosclerosis, urolithiasis and gallstone diseases.
Hazelnuts are used in the food industry, mostly in confectionery, for the preparation of pastries, cakes and candies. There is one old forgotten recipe: nut milk. To obtain this exotic product, fresh nuts are carefully crushed, soaked for 8-10 hours. in cold water, after which they are ground in a mortar. The resulting mass is infused for 3-4 hours, stirring from time to time, then boiled and filtered. Add salt and sugar to taste. Try it, it’s delicious!
Hazel flowers do not produce nectar, but they are a source of valuable protein food for bees – pollen. Bees collect it willingly, and beekeepers can preserve pollen with powdered sugar by simply sifting it from flowering earrings. In winter, this is a significant help for bees when there is a shortage of food.
Bark decoction. 1 tablespoon of crushed raw materials is poured with 0.5 l of boiling water, heated for 10 minutes. in a boiling water bath, filtered, squeezed, brought to the original volume with warm boiled water. Take 1/2 cup 4 times a day before meals.
Infusion of leaves. 2 tablespoons of raw materials per 500 ml of boiling water, infuse for 2 hours, filter. Take 1/2 cup 4 times a day before meals.