How to Eat Green Cobnuts (and Why They're So Different from Hazelnuts)
If you've just bought a bag of fresh green cobnuts, you're probably asking the same question most first-time buyers do...
How do I eat them?
The good news is they're incredibly easy.
Simply crack the shell using a nutcracker (or carefully with a small hammer if you don't have one) and remove the creamy white nut inside.
Unlike dried hazelnuts, green cobnuts are fresh, juicy and slightly crisp, with a delicate flavour that's often compared to fresh coconut or sweet peas rather than roasted nuts.
Many people think they're at their absolute best eaten straight from the shell.
Five delicious ways to enjoy green cobnuts
1. Eat them fresh - Nothing beats enjoying them simply as nature intended. Many people add a tiny pinch of flaky sea salt.
2. Add them to a cheeseboard - Green cobnuts pair beautifully with: Brie, Goat's cheese, Blue cheese, Mature Cheddar. Add some grapes or fresh figs and you've got a fantastic seasonal platter.
3. Chop into salads - Their crisp texture works wonderfully with: Rocket, Beetroot, Apple, Pear, Chicory. Finish with a honey mustard dressing.
4. Lightly roast them - Roast for around 10–15 minutes at 180°C. Roasting creates a sweeter, nuttier flavour while keeping more freshness than dried hazelnuts.
5. Bake with them and use them in recipes -
Green cobnuts are delicious in:
Homemade Green Cobnut pesto - with Grana Padano Cheese or Pecorino Romano. If you prefer goat's milk, Gran Capra.
Apple crumble - Nordic Kitchen stories - Plum, cobnut & oat crunch crumble
Brownies
Banana bread
Fruit loaf
Paul Hollywood’s Pear, Cobnut and sticky Toffee tart - YouTube video recipe & about green cobnuts clip
Great British Chefs cobnut recipes
Great British Chefs have a number of cobnut recipes
Strawberries with cobnuts and fennel by Adam Stokes
Wood pigeon with cobnuts, by Alan Murchison
Cobnut and apple tart by Regula Ysewijn
Scallop salad with cobnuts by Adam Gray
Kohlrabi and apple salad, with cobnuts, lollo rosso and apple cider vinegar by Kuba Winkowski
Asparagus with cobnut butter emulsion by David Taylor
Hedgerow – pressed apple with elderberry sorbet and cobnut crumble by Graham Garrett
Beef bouillon with onion, gruyère and cobnut by Peter Coucquyt
How long do cobnuts last & how to store them?
Store your green cobnuts somewhere cool—ideally in the fridge.
Leave them in their husks until you're ready to enjoy them.
Over time they'll slowly mature, becoming firmer and developing the richer flavour associated with traditional cobnuts.
Looking for fresh green cobnuts?
Each year we harvest a limited crop from our young orchard here at Joy Farms in Surrey.
You can find out more about our orchard, our heritage varieties and when they're available on our main Cobnuts page.
Further reading:
Find out more about our nut trees
Find out more about Joy Farms