Nuts! Ohh-oh, hazelnuts....

[Effie]

Last August I had planned to post the question:

'How will I know the hazelnuts on the tree in my new back garden are ripe?'

One day in September I had two answers:

'The day before you notice a lot of squirrels in your garden'

And alternatively,

'Two days before there are no hazelnuts left!'


This year, I have two questions which I am posting in good time:

'How will I know my hazelnuts are ripe?'

And

'How to I keep the &\@{= squirrels off them?'

Thanks, Effie :-)

[Totally Scrambled]

Hello Effie,
To answer your second question first, you won't unless the tree is in a cage or you kill all the squirrels.
The way the used to harvest them was to lay some type of sheet on the ground around the tree and lightly shake each branch. If the nuts fell they were ripe. The sheet just makes it easier to collect them
If you get some of the nuts on the tree and rock a nut from side to side gently and it comes out of the leafy thing it is ripe. If it won't budge it isn't.
Hope that's some help.
Dom

[Effie]

I've seen squirrels eat their way through the side of a tent to get to the food store so I guess it would have to be a wire cage, not netting

Might have to set the trap up then

Sorry to any squirrel fans, I'm not one

[Smallholder]

Simples...

SQUIRREL PIE

Ingredients
3-4 Grey Squirrels - Cooked and de-boned
Selection of Veg
Knob of Margarine
1 Large Onion
Handfull of Mushrooms - Chopped
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon Italian salad dressing
1 Clove of garlic (crushed)
1 Beef bouillon cube
1 Chicken bouillon cube
1 Tablespoon flour
Salt and Pepper

[Effie]

Thanks, Smallholder. I had thought maybe they would be tasty with a hazelnut stuffing ;-)

[Willow]

Last August I had planned to post the question:
'How will I know the hazelnuts on the tree in my new back garden are ripe?'
One day in September I had two answers:
'The day before you notice a lot of squirrels in your garden'
And alternatively,
'Two days before there are no hazelnuts left!'
This year, I have two questions which I am posting in good time:
'How will I know my hazelnuts are ripe?'
And
'How to I keep the &\@{= squirrels off them?'
Thanks, Effie :-)

[Mallard]

Simples...

SQUIRREL PIE

Ingredients
3-4 Grey Squirrels - Cooked and de-boned
Selection of Veg
Knob of Margarine
1 Large Onion
Handfull of Mushrooms - Chopped
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon Italian salad dressing
1 Clove of garlic (crushed)
1 Beef bouillon cube
1 Chicken bouillon cube
1 Tablespoon flour
Salt and Pepper

Remove the heads though, USA have reported some CJD incidents!