Macro Photography: three stages of the hazelnut

Hi there my Steemit friends and followers!

It is mid September already, which is when the garden usually gives its last harvests here in Central Europe. There are many difference cultivars of apples, pears and plums ripening these days but I decided to dedicate my today´s post to something else.

We also have some hazel trees in our garden and it is now the hazel nuts season here and since many people only know hazelnuts from chocolate and other treats, I want to show you what these nuts actually look like when grown and ripened on the tree and what you need to do to enjoy their delicious taste.

So this is what ripened hazelnuts look like when you pick them from the tree (or from the ground).

Once you peel the outer green leafy layer off, you will get this. Looks familiar huh? But still not what you actually eat :)

Now you need a nutcracker or a hammer to break the hard nutshell to get to the good stuff inside.

Hazelnuts are very rich in numerous essential nutrients and minerals such as dietary fiber, protein, monounsaturated fat, thiamin, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, Vitamins B, E, K etc.

Selling over 250,000 tons of hazelnuts abroad every year, Turkey is the world´s largest producer and exporter of this healthy delicacy.

All of the photos featured in this post were taken by me and they are my entry for today´s #macrophotography contest hosted by @juliank.

---

---

---

Thank you for visiting my blog. If you like posts about #nature, #animals, #traveling and discovering secrets and beauties of the #world, feel free to follow me as these are the topics I mostly write about. Have a wonderful day and keep on Steeming!