After a year of hard work and effort, the long-awaited harvest time for
hazelnuts has finally arrived. Despite the good care given to the hazelnut
orchard throughout the year, improper harvesting and threshing practices can
lead to yield and quality losses.
The harvest dates have been officially announced by government institutions
(display the dates in the video). However, these dates are the starting dates.
You can begin harvesting based on the condition of your hazelnuts after these
dates.
How can we determine when hazelnuts are ready for harvest? The signs of
hazelnut maturity include the outer shell of the nut being about 75% browned,
the nuts being easily detachable from the hard shell, the inner skin of the nut
turning to a dark cream color, the moisture content of the nut dropping below
30%, and when about 75% of the nuts drop from the tree when shaken. (Show
the hazelnut video)
Otherwise, if hazelnuts are harvested too early, the outer
shell color remains dull, the quality of the fruit decreases, it can't be stored for
a long time, the cavity inside the nut expands leading to rot, aflatoxin may
form, the plumpness of the kernel reduces causing wrinkled kernels, and the
yield is low.
The announced date must be waited for; hazelnuts should not be
harvested before that date
