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This delicious recipe for Italian walnut liqueur makes a great gift.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/SRHeadshots-EliseBauer-5c36c598a88d4ba3bff66260a792ea47.jpg "Turn Green Walnuts Into Truly Delicious Homemade Nocino Liqueur (1)")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/SRHeadshots-EliseBauer-5c36c598a88d4ba3bff66260a792ea47.jpg "Turn Green Walnuts Into Truly Delicious Homemade Nocino Liqueur (2)")
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Nocino is an Italian liqueur made with unripe walnuts that are still soft in their green husks. It's spicy, sweet, slightly bitter, and delicious served drizzled over vanilla ice cream, or served on its own as an aperitif. The drink gets its name from the Italian word for green walnuts—nocino.
Finding Green Walnuts
To make nocino, the first thing you will need to do is source some green walnuts! I've never seen green walnuts at any market. It may be easier to find a friend with a walnut tree.
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The best time to make nocino is in late May or early June, when the shells have still not yet hardened inside the husks. If you wait too long, the walnuts are too hard to easily cut through and you need to quarter them to make nocino.
Protect Your Hands and Cutting Board From Walnut Stains
Once you have your green walnuts, you'll want to take care with them as you work with them for this (or any) recipe. Walnuts STAIN like a sharpie permanent marker.
You'll cut into them and they'll look pretty and white inside, but green walnuts secrete a juice that will stain anything it touches dark brown—your fingers, your cutting board, your clothing.
So, wear gloves when you cut into the walnuts and handle the cut pieces. Work on a cutting board that you don't care if it stains. Wear an old T-shirt, clothes, or an apron you don't care about if it gets stained.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/__opt__aboutcom__coeus__resources__content_migration__simply_recipes__uploads__2008__06__making-nocino-walnut-drink-593b2a500ac24fa49c8fd59f15bf9d2d.jpg "Turn Green Walnuts Into Truly Delicious Homemade Nocino Liqueur (5)")
Spices To Use for Nocino
The recipe comes from our favorite Parisian man-about-town David Lebovitz, from his terrific book, Room For Dessert.
David uses cinnamon, cloves, lemon zest, and vanilla bean as spices for his nocino. I've also seen orange zest used instead of lemon. I may try adding star anise as well.
Homemade Nocino Walnut Liqueur
Prep Time15 mins
Total Time15 mins
The juice from the walnuts will permanently stain anything it touches, so I recommend that you wear gloves while cutting them. Wash down the cutting board as soon as you are done cutting the walnuts.
Some people are very sensitive to native black walnuts, so if you use black walnuts instead of English walnuts, be aware of any such allergies if serving to guests.
Recipe published with permission from David Lebovitz's fabulous Room For Dessert. (Great book!)
Ingredients
30 green Englishwalnuts, early enough in the season so that they are easily cut with a knife
2 cinnamon sticks
5 whole cloves
1 (1-inch) piece vanilla bean
Zest 1 lemon, cut into strips using a vegetable peeler
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 liter vodka
Special Equipment
- Cheesecloth or coffee filters
Method
Prepare the green walnuts:
Rinse and pat dry the walnuts. Cut them into quarters with a sharp chef's knife or cleaver.
Be careful as you are cutting them; if you've waited too late in the season to pick them, their shells may have begun to harden and cutting through them may be a little dicey. Watch your fingers.
Add the ingredients to a container:
Put the walnuts, spices, zest, sugar, and vodka into a large glass container. The vodka should cover the walnuts. Cover and shake to mix well.
Store for 6 weeks, shaking daily:
As the days go by you will notice that the color of the nocino gets darker and darker.
Bottle the nocino:
When you are ready to bottle, remove the walnuts and solids with a slotted metal spoon. (Be CAREFUL where you do this as the walnuts and the nocino will stain.)
Strain the liquid through several layers of cheesecloth into glass bottles. (I've seen recipes that call for straining the liquid through coffee filters which I think would work fine too.)
Cork tightly. According to David, nocino will last for several years if stored in a cool, dry place.
The nocino will initially be rather bitter, but it will mellow over time. It's best at least a year after it was first bottled.
- Drinks
- Canning and Preserving
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| Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 159 | Calories |
| 0g | Fat |
| 19g | Carbs |
| 0g | Protein |
Show Full Nutrition Label
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| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 26 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 159 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 0g | 0% |
| Saturated Fat 0g | 0% |
| Cholesterol 0mg | 0% |
| Sodium 1mg | 0% |
| Total Carbohydrate 19g | 7% |
| Dietary Fiber 0g | 0% |
| Total Sugars 19g | |
| Protein 0g | |
| Vitamin C 0mg | 2% |
| Calcium 2mg | 0% |
| Iron 0mg | 0% |
| Potassium 2mg | 0% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.
