Filbert Nut Nutrition and Health Benefits
The filbert nut (corylus maxima) is a type of hazel nut native to southeastern Europe and southwestern Asia. Filbert nut meat is produced in clusters of 1–5 together, with each nut being fully enclosed in a husk. The terms "filbert nut" and "hazelnut" are generally used interchangeably and despite any technical differences between the nuts, they very difficult to tell apart from a taste standpoint.
Hazel nut trees start producing fruits about three years after planting. In the spring, the tree produces a cluster of flowers that start producing fruit around autumn.
What all hazel nuts and filbert nuts share in common, however, is a hard shell that is quite difficult to crack without the right hazel nut cracker machine, such as the Master Cracker Filbertnut Cracher shown below.
Hazelnuts taste sweet and are very nutritious. They are high in carbohydrates (energy) and rich in unsaturated fatty acids and essential fatty acids. These fatty acids help lower bad cholesterol levels and increase good cholesterol levels. Additionally, the nuts are rich in dietary fiber, Vitamin E, copper, folate, and manganese.