Nuts

In Shell

In-shell hazelnuts are nuts sold still protected by hard shells for longer storage and table cracking. Shells slow oxygen and light, often keeping kernels fresher than poorly stored shelled nuts. Guests crack their own for interactive snacking; bakers shell ahead for control. Flavour once opened should be sweet and clean—never mouldy or paint-like. Store cool and dry. Discard nuts with holes, soft spots, a dusty rattle, or stained damp shells. Use a proper cracker; smashing too hard pulverises kernels into shell grit. Provide a bowl for waste so fragments do not migrate into desserts. Seasonal bowls remain a classic retail form. Major tree-nut allergen rules apply once meats are exposed. Freeze shelled surplus after cracking if you process a large batch at once.