Nuts

Skin

Hazelnut skin, or pellicle, is the thin brown seed coat on the kernel after shelling. It holds tannin, colour, and a mild bitterness that raw snacks show clearly. Roasting and rubbing loosens skins for many pastry uses; blanching is another path to pale meats for fine pastes. Leaving skins on increases freckles in meals and cookies and a slightly firmer, more rustic bite. Against the sweet interior, skins add astringency that some savoury mixes welcome and some pale chocolates reject. Do not confuse seed skins with hard outer shells—the techniques differ completely. Removed skins are usually discarded or composted at home. Skin-on or skin-off, the allergen picture remains major tree nut. Good skins are dry and thin; mouldy coats condemn the kernel with them.