There is something magical about Midsummer night, The solstice and warm summer time when the real summer really kicks off. The flowers are in the full bloom, the gardens open and beautiful in their full glory and the trees branches bench over the future crop of still unripe green something, from the plums to the apples, tomatoes and walnuts.
I remember how tasty was a big jar of the green tomatoes, gifted to me by Romanian friend who got it from British regional store with their good. Well sourced, I daresay. I like these little bistro – deli like delicattesen treats and goodie ,and anything savoury and for snacking, big thanks for anything in the summer. They were amazing, anything short of savoury and salty taste on my tongue, well balanced though. It reminded me a good surprise by once a small short of weird dark liquor offered to me in dark European winter dark. I don’t drink spirits, I don’t need any herbal booze for oldies, I am OK, I murmured but I have tried. So good.
Made from unripe walnuts, the nocino or more known as walnut liqueur is very tasty, sweet nice thing indeed. Easy to make. And very quickly. Only the processing time takes ages. My friend has opted for nut shells as her natural hair dye to keep her glossy auburn shade, with big success. We went into different direction – collecting around 25 green walnuts under the archaic tree in our maternal grandparents’ farmhouse garden and started our hocus pocus fun with the idea to create the walnut liqueur by the Christmas time.
The idea of the green walnuts harvesting is also linked with St John Baptist and more old natural folklore or wellness tips, customs. It is all entwined with the nature and all natural circles of the seasons. The walnuts have been used for centuries as a cheap supply of the fat and the benefits over the cold months, easy to store solution for many ordinary citizens. It has spread all over the Europe and it served in 19th century as a form of stomach and digestion help. There have been digestive aids known as Swedish drops, Becher Liquor etc. Home made is always the best and bottles up the spirit of magical nights.
The recipe is simple like that. Nocino or generally Walnut liqueur is a traditional digestif (after-dinner drink) made from unripe, green walnuts. The green nuts (picked in late June, before their shells harden) are macerated in a high-proof spirit. I recommend these green tomatoes as well, they don’t need to go to boozy bar. It has a distinct bittersweet, earthy flavour with notes of dark chocolate, coffee, and winter spices (like cinnamon, cloves, and citrus peel). I don’t think it needs more herbs in it, but go ahead. The process is called maceration and it takes ages in two phases. I don’t use the sugary syrup but I go for honey instead.
Servings
unknown minutes
Preparing Time
unknown minutes
Cooking Time
10 minutes
Calories
no idea kcal
INGREDIENTS
1 litre of any spirit such as vodka, grappa, plum brandy, even rum is fine
20 – 30 unripe green walnuts
300 – 500 g of honey or home made syrup (sugar with water, boiled and cooked into syrupy texture)<br>
one stick of cinnamon, 4-5 cloves, optional – lemon zest or all spice (not Spice girls)
DIRECTION
- Prepare and clean a big mason jar or any big glass jar with the lid. Harvest your unripe green walnuts.<br>
- Chop them in half, better into smaller slices or chunks. Chop the lemon zest and prepare the spices.<br>
- Soak all ingredients in the big jar filled by vodka grappa etc. Seal it with the lid and left it in the direct sunshine, in bright place for over weeks, until it turns into dark black colour.
- Macerate it for over 4 – 6 weeks, the longer the better.
- Sift it and mix it with warmed honey or syrup. Let it cool down, bottle it up again and leave it to process it into full bodied liqueur in cold, dark place this time, up to festive season.
NOTES
Wear the gloves, the shells will colour your hands.
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