This is a repeat of an old, very old ;), blogpost. You can still make nocino quickly if you want: the ideal time is around the longest day of the year. Then the Nocino will be ready by the longest night of the year.
But in 2016 I also made nocino at the end of August, and that was also delicious! The nuts are too hard to just cut, so you have to be creative with that ...
Last year I wrote something about nocino, in August, when the walnuts were actually too hard to make walnut liqueur in the traditional way. I still managed to brew something tasty from it. Very tasty even :)
So delicious that I went out early this year to go walnut hunting, that is to say now: end of June. In the recipes of the Italian La Mama's you will find that you must pick the walnuts on June 24 (St. John's Day) to make the very best Nocino.
Would you like to make Nocino too? You can make my simple version from last year, with just nuts, sugar and vodka. Or you can choose like me for a slightly more special version with some spices that will accentuate the taste of the walnut.
Ingredients for 1 liter of nocino of about 35%
- 21 green walnuts (picked in the second half of June)
- 180 gr (cane) sugar
- 1 stick of cinnamon
- 1 vanilla pod
- 2 cloves
- zest of 1 (organic) orange
- 750 ml 40% vodka
- 135 ml water
Wash the walnuts and cut them lengthwise into quarters. The juice of the walnuts makes dark brown spots. You won't see this immediately, but the spots will come anyway. So it's best to wear gloves and use an old kitchen board. Put the walnuts in a jar. Cut the vanilla pod open lengthwise, scrape out the vanilla and add both to the jar. Add cinnamon and cloves. Peel the peel of the orange very finely, without the white, because that makes your liqueur bitter, and add that too. Finally, add the vodka and the water.
Now put your jar away in a dark place, but remember to shake it every now and then. You will notice that your brew will become very dark. Now let this steep for 3-4 months and filter. I do this with the help of a coffee filter. You can also use cheesecloth, for example.
After filtering, you can immediately taste it. But according to tradition, you may not take the first sip until November 3 :) . The nocino can easily mature for a few more months. Perfect for the holidays! After all, it is traditionally made around the longest day, to be an enhancer around the shortest day.
I'm always interested in reactions and tips from those who have made or want to make nocino! And if you want to taste without making it yourself: I made about 9 liters, so I'll be able to put some bottles online in the fall :)
2 comments
Laat de walnoten trekken in een zo hoog mogelijk alcoholpercentage. Dus nog geen water toevoegen. Beter nog, als je wodka of brandewijn gebruikt helemaal geen water toevoegen. Dat doe je alleen als je de nocino met pure alcohol maakt.
Hej
Ik heb vorig jaar geprobeerd om nocino te maken. Ik heb de timing én het recept slaafs gevolgd.
Maar na 6 maanden was de wodka nog steeds doorzichtig bruin gekleurd in plaats van zwart.
Hoe is dat te verklaren? En kan ik dit jaar dat mengsel eventueel opnieuw gebruiken door de oorspronkelijke walnoten eruit te halen en er nieuwe jonge noten in te doen?