Hazelnut

Hazelnut

© by Bud Lemire on Sept 5, 2018

I love to travel back in my memory, to when I was a kid

And think of all the things, that as kids we did

One was picking Hazelnuts, at Pioneer Trail Park one day

You had to wear gloves, to keep their bristles away

They were on the outside of the Hazelnut, when you pick

They'd get all over your hand, and they sure would stick

Pull off the green skin with the pickers, and the nut was there

It tasted so very good, you almost didn't want to share

Yet there were enough Hazelnuts, to go around

Some of them were seen, lying on the ground

Corylus Cornuta, or the Beaked Hazelnut as it is known

Looks like a beak or horn, wherever it is grown

It prefers the sun, yet tolerates some shade

It's taste is so great, you really have it made

It's a shrub, that grows close to 10 feet

All I know for sure is, they sure are good to eat

Depending on where you are, the nuts will be large or small

But if you're nutty like me, you will love them all

There are two kinds of Hazelnuts, The American and the Beaked kind

They are also widespread in Europe and Asia, you will find

Some call them Filberts, or the Cob Nut as well

You find them with the Mixed Nuts, and they always sell

It was the Beaked Hazelnut, that we had around here

We'd peel the husk off, grinning ear to ear

We'd wear gloves, so those picky hairs wouldn't get on either hand

This was a wonderful childhood memory, I thought it was grand

Back in the 60's, Dad would take us way in back of Pioneer Trail Park

and they had the Beaked Hazelnuts there. We'd wear gloves and pick

them. Bring them home, and sit on the back porch peeling them.

Many times we'd eat a nut or two while we peeled, but we had to

make sure we had all those bristles from the skin off our hands.

Those were the good old days. Anyone else ever pick Hazelnuts?