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Hazelnuts: Raritan

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Overview

Rutgers Raritan hazelnut close up

Variety: Raritan
Principal Investigator(s): Thomas Molnar, Shawn Mehlenbacher, John Capik

Strengths & Qualities

  • High yielding tree that produces medium size, round kernels that blanch well, making it suitable for a variety of confectionary and baked good applications as well as for direct eating especially when roasted
  • Vigorous tree with an upright, somewhat narrow growth habit
  • Trees at 15 years can reach over 20 feet tall
  • Has a very high level of tolerance to EFB (high quantitative resistance)
  • No fungicide sprays are expected to be needed for production although regular scouting for cankers and removal of infected branches, if ever present, are recommended
  • 'Raritan' nuts have an attractive dark brown shell and a majority (>85%) drop free from the husk and fall cleanly at maturity
  • Nuts typically fall in the second half of September
  • Regarding pollination, 'Raritan' has S-alleles 3 and 22 with S3 expressed in the pollen. It blooms in early to mid-season in New Jersey (in February)
  • Makes for a very user-friendly orchard or backyard garden tree since its branches grow fast and reach upward, providing ample space for mowing and other orchard maintenance tasks under the trees as well as ease of harvest. 'Raritan' propagates very well and grows quickly under nursery settings

Intellectual Property

  • US Plant Patent No. PP32,460 issued on November 17, 2020
  • Corylus Plant Named 'Raritan'
  • Pending Plant Breeders Rights Application

Photos

Roasted kernels of Raritan showing good pellicle removal
(Left): Roasted kernels of Raritan showing good pellicle removal. (Right): Raritan nuts and raw and roasted kernels.
15-year old unpruned original tree of Raritan hazelnut showing upright growth habit
(Left): 15-year old unpruned original tree of Raritan hazelnut showing upright growth habit. (Right): Three year old tree of Raritan showing upright growth habit.
Nuts of Raritan in the husk showing open husk type that allows them to drop easily to ground at maturity.
(Left): Nuts of Raritan in the husk showing open husk type that allows them to drop easily to ground at maturity. (Right): Raritan clusters showing open husk type.

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