What are the processing types for hazelnut?
According to International Nut and Dried Fruit Council (INC), processing hazelnuts comprises the following steps: de-husking, drying, cracking, sorting, blanching and/or roasting, and packaging.
Firstly, if required, the husk has to be mechanically removed from the in-shell nuts. In-husk hazelnuts are dried to facilitate the removal of the husk. Some harvesting equipment has built-in dehuskers. After de-husking, in-shell hazelnuts are sorted, cleaned, and dried until the optimal moisture content (≤ 12%) to maximize the safety and quality of the end product. The in-shell hazelnuts may be sold directly to consumers or wholesale to retailers.
Once the in-shell hazelnuts have been sized, they are cracked/shelled to free the kernel. The main aim of this step is to minimize the breakage and mechanical damage of the kernels. After cracking, the whole and split kernels are separated from the shell fragments by aspiration and mechanical sorting.
Finally, the whole hazelnut kernels can be blanched and/or roasted before packing or directly packed. The processing flow chart gives an overview of involved steps in processing hazelnuts but does not include many of the additional food safety steps undertaken by shellers and processors.
Source: