Tips

Which is better: buying peanuts with yellow shells or white shells?

The hazelnut, with its white or yellow shell, often leaves people wondering if the shell color has any impact on the quality or taste of the nut.

Administrator

6 January, 2024

134

Hazelnuts have rich nutritional content, and they are crispy and creamy, making them a favorite snack for many. This type of nut is good for health as it contains more than 30 types of vitamins, especially vitamin B6, which helps boost the immune system.

With a low amount of saturated fat (25g/100g), hazelnuts have the effect of reducing bad cholesterol (LDL-C), preventing the formation of plaque that can block arteries and reducing the risk of heart disease.

Should you choose hazelnuts with yellow or white shells?

When buying hazelnuts, you often come across ones with bright white shells or ones that are slightly yellow or even dark in color. This raises the question of whether you should choose hazelnuts with yellow or white shells to get tastier, more fragrant, and creamier nuts.

First of all, when choosing hazelnuts, you should prioritize those that are large and round. The color is also an important factor to consider. Typically, the natural color of hazelnut shells is light yellow. If they are shiny white, it is likely that they have been chemically bleached, so it is best not to buy them.

When buying hazelnuts, should you choose ones with yellow or white shells? You should choose ones that are slightly yellow or brown because that is the natural color of hazelnut shells. (Image: ChineseFood)

According to an article on Vietnamnet, Master Le Thanh Hai, a lecturer in the Technology Department after harvest at Hung Vuong University in Ho Chi Minh City, stated that for bleaching hazelnut shells, methods that can be used include using sodium suffite (sodium salt of sulfur dioxide) or sulfur dioxide in the form of salt (usually Na2SO3) or a heavy gas (SO2). If advanced technology is used, it is possible to recover SO2 gas, which a cyclic bleaching process quickly and evenly whitens the nuts.

Chlorine can also be used, which is a strong antibacterial chemical that is found in disinfectants, pesticides, Agent Orange, etc. This method is toxic because residual chlorine can remain on the product. During the bleaching process, chlorine can seep into the core of the nuts or, when the hazelnuts are roasted, under the influence of heat, chlorine can deeply penetrate into the kernel.

“If you occasionally eat hazelnuts treated with chlorine, the body has mechanisms to eliminate the toxins. However, if you eat them regularly and over a long period of time, the toxins will accumulate in the body, and if the liver cannot filter them out, then liver cancer is inevitable,” noted Hai.

When buying hazelnuts, you can also smell them to differentiate between different types. If they have a strong, unpleasant odor, it indicates that they have been treated with chemical bleaching, so it is best not to buy them.

Hazelnuts with shiny white shells have been bleached with chemicals. The shinier and more beautiful the nuts, the higher the risk of heavy bleaching. Therefore, it is best not to buy nuts with shiny, attractive white shells. (Image: Alibaba)

To ensure safety, you should choose hazelnuts with slightly yellow or brownish shells, even though they may not be visually appealing. Additionally, you should purchase nuts with clear origins and expiration dates.

While it cannot be confirmed 100% that hazelnuts with white shells circulating on the market are all harmful, as it depends on the technology and chemicals used, it is clear that the risk from bleached nuts is always higher than that of natural nuts.

Tips for selecting delicious hazelnuts

In addition to the color of the shell mentioned above, to choose delicious hazelnuts, you need to observe and consider the following factors:

Color of the nut kernel

Choose packets of hazelnuts with natural colors, without being shiny, and with round nuts. These are the delicious and safe hazelnuts. (Image: Hermisan)

Currently, there are many types of hazelnuts on the market with shiny white shells and extremely eye-catching green kernels. As mentioned earlier, these are bleached nuts. Natural hazelnuts, without bleaching, have kernels covered by a brownish outer layer, natural green on the inside, and slightly brownish or yellowish hard shells, not shiny but possibly rough.

Size

Delicious hazelnuts should have a moderate size, not too large or too small, and be plump. Choose nuts that have a uniform shape and avoid nuts that are misshapen or deformed.

Aroma

According to VTC News