Two years ago we went out into the sand barrens and found hazelnuts for the first time. They were a lot of work to shell, but tasted so intensely wonderful that we decided to add them to our calendar. Last year there were none to be found. This year is a banner harvest!

As the barrens are, well, barren, much of the area has been set aside as a wildlife refuge. There are dikes built throughout the area that help retain water in an otherwise dry, sandy environment. Great place for migratory birds to hang out. And for hazelnuts to grow.

We have been going out every weekend in August, looking for them to ripen. If you let them go too long on the bush, they shatter out of their pods and are lost to the long grass. If you get them too early, they haven’t developed enough to taste good. We garnered seven paper bags in about two hours.

Knowing that they follow a typical mast crop rhythm, which means there will be none next year, we hope to get more tomorrow. Lunacy, perhaps. But our kind of mania tastes good!