Hazel catkins, the male flowers known as “catkins,” are rich in proteins and pollen and offer interesting nutritional properties. These yellow-green cylindrical inflorescences, symbols of rebirth and spring, coexist with the female flowers, small and with a red tuft, carrying a meaning linked to the life cycle. Their taste is delicate and complex: fresh, slightly bitter with herbal notes and hints of hazelnut, and when cooked or dried, becomes softer and sweeter, suitable for rustic and sweet recipes. They can be used in creative recipes, transformed into flour for bread, cookies, or granola, or infused in teas, enhancing the properties and flavor of the flowers.
When to harvest? The harvest period for hazel catkins is generally from late January to March, depending on the climate and area.
RECIPES with spontaneous spring herbs
- Cost: Economical
- Cooking methods: No Cooking
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Seasonality: Winter, Spring
HARVESTING hazel catkins
Catkins form in autumn but mature and release pollen at the end of winter, before the leaves appear. They are essential for pollinating female flowers (small and reddish) of the same or other hazelnuts.
It is advisable to collect catkins in non-polluted areas.
In the kitchen, they are used young and tender, still compact and fragrant, choosing the fresh and light ones and avoiding dark or dry specimens.
🍀Collection: choose closed or semi-open catkins before full bloom.
🍀Cut: use hands or clean scissors, working gently to preserve branches.
🍀Drying: let them dry in the shade in an airy place.
🍀Tip: for more hazelnuts, leave most of the catkins on the plant.
Hazel Catkins
Fresh: they can be eaten raw in salads or used for teas.
Dried and powdered: they can be crumbled into breakfast cereals or added to flours to enrich sweet and bread doughs.🍀 Chocolate hazel catkins
Coat raw catkins with dark or white chocolate, then let them rest in the freezer for 15 minutes until they solidify.
🍀 Pan-fried hazel catkins
Blanch the catkins for 2–3 minutes, then sauté them in a pan with garlic, extra virgin olive oil, and a dash of lemon. Serve as a rustic side dish or on crostini.
🍀 Battered hazel catkins
Add the catkins to a light and spiced batter, then fry until golden to get soft inside and crispy outside fritters.
🍀 Pickled hazel catkins
Briefly blanch the catkins and transfer them to sterilized jars. Cover them with water, vinegar, salt, and spices. After a few days, they’re ready to enrich salads and appetizers.
🍀 DRINKSSparkling catkins drink (Catkins beer)
Hazel catkins soda (with water kefir)
Aromatic drink
Take a handful of catkins, 500 ml of water, 10 g of fresh yeast, and a tablespoon of sugar. Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the water, add the catkins, and pour everything into a jar covered with gauze (do not close with a lid). Let it ferment for 3 days, then strain and store in the fridge.
🍀 Crepes with hazel catkins
Prepare thin crepes and fill them with blanched catkins, ricotta, and grated cheese. Roll them up, arrange in a baking dish with béchamel sauce and bake until golden.
🍀 Hazel catkin omelet
Cut the catkins into pieces and briefly sauté in a pan with oil and salt. Beat the eggs with some cheese, add the catkins and cook over low heat.
🍀 Hazel catkin fritters
Prepare a batter with flour, sparkling water, and a pinch of salt. Dip the catkins and fry until golden. Serve crispy with yogurt sauce or light mayonnaise.
🍀 Gnocchi with hazel catkins
Add chopped catkins to the gnocchi dough or use them in the sauce.
🍀 Hazel catkin pesto
Blanch the catkins, then blend them with oil, almonds (or hazelnuts), and cheese (or nutritional yeast for vegans).
🍀 Risotto with hazel catkins
Prepare a light sauté, toast the rice, and deglaze with white wine. Halfway through cooking, add the catkins and finish with broth, enrich with butter and parmesan.
🍀 Savory tart with catkins and ricotta
Combine sautéed catkins with ricotta, eggs, and cheese. Pour the filling into a pie crust (or puff pastry) and bake until golden.
🍀 Rustic soup with hazel catkins
Add the catkins at the end of cooking in vegetable or cereal soups.
🍀 Dried uses
Dry hazel catkins to obtain a flour to add to bread, crackers, crepes, or use them for muesli, granola, and mixed infusions.
How to keep them fresh after harvesting?
After harvesting, they can be kept in the refrigerator for a few days. They can also be blanched and frozen, or pickled to prolong their use. Some dry and crumble them as an aromatic ingredient, although when fresh, they maintain a better consistency.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
What are hazel catkins?Hazel catkins are the male inflorescences of the hazel tree: small, dangling, elongated flowers, initially closed, then open when they release pollen. Their shape is related to pollination: hazel rarely fertilizes its own female flowers, so pollen is carried by the wind even kilometers away.
Is it necessary to blanch them before use?
Many prefer to blanch them for a few minutes in lightly salted water: this step reduces bitterness and makes them more digestible. They can also be tasted raw in small quantities, but cooking makes them more pleasant and versatile.
What do they taste like and how do they pair in cooking?
The taste is delicate, herbaceous, and slightly bitter, with a base that recalls fresh hazelnut and sprouts. They pair well with eggs, soft cheeses or butter, potatoes, grains, legumes, and seasonal vegetables, but also with dried fruits. In general, they work in all rustic preparations: omelets, risottos, soups, savory pies, fillings, sautéed sides, or fritters.
Properties of hazel catkins
Hazel catkins are rich in plant proteins and tannins, which give them antioxidant and slightly astringent properties. They also contain small amounts of other nutrients beneficial to the body, and their pollen, highly appreciated by bees as the first nourishment after winter, provides natural energy.
Are there any contraindications or allergies to consider?
Generally, they do not present particular contraindications, but those allergic to hazelnuts or pollens should pay attention and try small quantities.
How many can be consumed?
As with many wild ingredients, it is better to consume them in moderation and gradually incorporate them into the diet. Integrating them into daily dishes is simple: just small additions to already familiar preparations, such as an omelet, risotto, or savory pie.
