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Gathering Nuts in…. October!

It is early October, and Southern Bohemia is bathed in gentle warmth and mellow sunshine. In the long marches of mixed woodlands, everyone between 3 and 93 is out with flat baskets, knives and furtive expressions, harvesting an astonishing “crop” of wild edible fungi and trying to make sure they get the pick of the crop before those wretched tourists from Scotland butt in.

But today we are not foraging for fungi, we are in our friend John’s orchard at Skopyce, helping to rescue the walnut crop. Like nuggets of gold nestling in bedrock, the nuts lurk inside greenish-yellow, fleshy seed cases that are splitting, and as we remove the walnuts our hands become black with the inky substance which lines each one. John tells us that this rind is used commercially as a hair dye, and I remember, too, that walnut leaves can be boiled as a natural insecticide.

There are so many nuts hiding among the leaves on the ground, that John tries to clear the way with the lawnmower so we can see better. But too many nuts get mashed in the process, and we resign ourselves to hand rake and “getting your eye in”.

Buckets are filled, as we consider options from culinary (salads, pesto, oil, Christmas gluttony…) to medicinal (the leaves are laxative, and nuts are Really Good For You) and commercial (flogging the lot in the market square for a large number of Czech crowns that we could then exchange for beer). We realise a better profit would be made in Scotland where walnuts are not quite so prolific (but take heart, my neighbour has at least a score a lot on a tree only three years from planting!), but think the red tape would be too much.

Back home, we continue the great autumn forage, and look for more local nuts to provide the protein. Beechnuts are tasty and crisp, and can be crushed to gain a culinary oil, but only produce sizeable nuts in some years – in Perthshire this doesn’t seem to be one of them. Likewise sweet chestnuts – that most delicious of fruits - have only given minute nutlets on our local trees, and we can see why cultivars which only produce one chestnut per seedcase are preferred commercially!

But if you are quick (and get there before I do), you can yet harvest the wild hazelnuts. Scottish to its core (Caledonia means Hill of the Hazel), this small tree is wreathed in folklore and myth. Often found by ancient, sacred wells and springs, it is the Celtic tree of knowledge. Its branches are famous dowsing rods, and incredibly useful to the gardener or smallholder as well, as bean-poles, stakes, hurdle uprights and, of course, walking sticks. Coppicing hazel is a great way to manage it – producing more sticks and long, pliable stems for basketry or building, more nuts, and a superb habitat for wildlife. The nuts themselves are nutritious, versatile and easy to crack! They don’t store well, so keep them in a cool place, and roast them, lightly coated in oil, to extend their keeping qualities. Sprinkled with salt they make a delicious snack, and can be made into luscious hazelnut butter, used in nut bakes, cakes, roasts ….. and, dare I suggest, chocolate?

© Margaret Lear, Bankfoot

www.plantswithpurpose.co.uk

PS The writer draws attention to the holiday apartments service in Southern Bohemia which offers an especial welcome to Perthshire visitors:

www.avantitravel.cz