At the Sanctuary of Joy our family lives and cultivates 6000 square meters of land on a sloping down hill, not accessible to tractors and mechanical means, with over 150 hazelnut trees; this is not, anyhow, a mono-culture but a more diversified ecosystem: we also have about 30 olive trees, some chestnut and some walnut tree, a few fruit trees (apples, cherries, figs); we have other vegetables, some farmed and some spontaneous plants that are edible or even medical.
Our organic hazelnuts grow with maximum respect and love for nature, they are not treated in any way, if summer is dry they get rain water that we collect during winter, they get collected by hand from the grassy ground, one by one, slowly, with patience, during the month period in which they fall from the trees (August-September) in between buzzing butterflies, mantises, spiders and lizards (all our friends). Our hens fertilize them and they take care of those annoying root bugs (and turn them into delicious eggs). The hazelnuts then get roasted in the oven which is warmed up by hazelnut wood – from the yearly pruning.
We do NOT sell our hazelnuts – not a single one – to the ‘big’ food industry. In a world that offers more and more processed food whose ingredients are diluted and less healthy by the day in the name of maximum profit this is our revolutionary act.
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At the Sanctuary of Joy we create flavors and products to demonstrate hazelnut’s versatility as an ingredient, both in sweet bakery and in salty recipes, being a local ingredient that is also very healthy. We produce a fantastic hazelnut butter (99.9% hazelnuts), a classic hazelnut-chocolate cream “Ciminella” (55% hazelnuts from our trees, 30% fair trade extra dark chocolate without soy, 15% raw cane sugar) and even a delicious Pesto made of hazelnuts, sage leaves and olive oil. We also bake bread and cookies with hazelnuts, and much more. The electricity required for the processing is provided 100% from our solar panels.
Our hazelnuts and hazelnut-based products are special and made with love.
Contact us for more information.