Why hazel is the hedgerow's quiet treasure

Hazel (Corylus avellana) is one of the most generous trees in the British countryside. In late summer, while blackberries steal the attention, hazel nuts are quietly fattening in their leafy husks. Learning to identify them now means you can beat the squirrels to a crop that's rich, buttery and far superior to anything shrink-wrapped in a supermarket.

Start with the leaves: rounded, serrated and soft

Hazel leaves are unmistakable once you've handled a few. They're roughly circular to oval, about 6–10 cm long, with a pointed tip and a double-serrated edge. The surface is soft and slightly hairy, especially on the underside, and they turn a warm yellow in autumn. Don't confuse them with wych elm (larger, rougher, with an asymmetric base) or birch (smaller, triangular, more sharply toothed). Hazel leaves alternate along the stem.

Look for shrubs rather than tall trees: hazel is usually multi-stemmed, growing 3–6 metres, often coppiced. In hedgerows, it forms dense thickets that are easy to walk past until you know what you're looking at.

Catkins and other seasonal signposts

In late summer you won't see the famous yellow lamb's tail catkins — those appear in January and February. But you will see next year's male catkins forming as small, green, tight cylinders along the twigs. They look like tiny cucumbers. Female flowers are tiny, bud-like, with red tips, but they're easy to miss. The key late-summer sign is the developing nut cluster.

Also check the bark: smooth, grey-brown, with faint horizontal lines called lenticels. On older coppiced stools, it can look slightly peeling.

Identifying the ripening nuts: husk, shell and cluster

Hazel nuts grow in clusters of one to four, each nut enclosed in a leafy husk (the involucre). In early summer, the husk is green and wraps the nut tightly. As late summer progresses, the husk turns from green to pale yellow-green, then finally to a dry, papery brown. The nut inside changes from white and jelly-like to a firm, brown shell.

To check ripeness, gently squeeze a nut in its husk. If it feels full and hard, it's nearly there. When the husk starts to split away from the nut, and the shell is a warm chestnut brown, they're ready. If the shell is still pale, leave them a week. Do not pick green nuts expecting them to ripen — they won't.

The squirrel race: timing your harvest

Squirrels (both grey and red) will strip a hazel bush weeks before the nuts are fully ripe. They start on green nuts in August. Your best strategy is to check bushes every few days from mid-August onwards. Look for the first nuts turning brown and loose in their husks. Pick those, and leave the rest. You can also harvest slightly underripe nuts and dry them in a warm, airy place — they'll ripen off the tree. A good tip: if you see gnawed husks on the ground, squirrels are already active. Move fast.

Remember the law: picking nuts for personal use from a hedgerow is generally fine, but you need the landowner's permission. Never strip a bush bare — leave plenty for wildlife.

From hedgerow to kitchen: using your hazel harvest

Fresh hazel nuts are a revelation. Their flavour is milky and sweet when green, becoming richer and nuttier as they dry. To shell them, crack the brown shell with a nutcracker or a stone. The thin skin on the kernel can be bitter; roasting at 150°C for 10–15 minutes loosens it, then rub off the skin in a tea towel.

• Roasted and salted: toss warm kernels with a little butter and sea salt.
• Ground into flour: blitz to a coarse meal for cakes, biscuits or a nutty crumble topping.
• Hazelnut milk: soak overnight, blend with water, strain. Lovely in coffee or on porridge.
• Pesto: swap pine nuts for hazels with basil, garlic, parmesan and olive oil.
• Preserved in honey: a traditional way to keep them for winter.

Don't ignore the leaves and sap, either. Young hazel leaves in spring are edible in salads, though they're best used sparingly. Hazel sap can be tapped in late winter, but it's a gentle practice — only from a healthy, coppiced stool, and never take more than a litre. The sap is sweet and slightly nutty, good for reducing into a syrup.

Late summer is your window. Learn the leaves, watch the husks, and you'll be rewarded with one of Britain's finest wild foods — before the squirrels get the lot.