Recipe

NOCINO

NOCINO

Photo by dymnyno

  • This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Edible Gift
    This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Italian Dessert
  • Chef

    dymnyno's Notes: There is a lot of religious ceremony when making Nocino. The walnuts are picked on June 24th, the feast day of St. Giovanni. (In California the walnuts ripen a little earlier...at the end...

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Serves 1 litre

  1. Clean and quarter the green walnuts. They will be very soft and easy to cut. (wear gloves...walnuts really stain!)

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  2. Into a large jar or glass crock, put the quartered walnuts, sugar , orange zest, cloves, cinnamon sticks, juniper berries, whole vanilla beans and vodka.

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  3. Leave for 7 weeks, shake every couple of days (3?) It will become very dark brown.

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  4. After 7 weeks, take out all the walnuts, etc.

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  5. Strain the liqueur through layers of cheesecloth. Leave for at least 6 months, then strain again.

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  6. Put into unique bottles as gifts (I often use old Knob Creek bottles ...I have lots)

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  7. The Nocino will mellow and improve in flavor with time. I have a batch going every year---ready for gifting.

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  8. Remember that this is strong alcohol and drink responsibly. I recently gave a bottle to two friends who drank the whole bottle...boy did they have hangovers!

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Sara-at-castagna Reply

Awesome! I am hoping to make some this summer, just need to find a local source of green walnuts. Thanks, dymnyno!

186003_1004761561_1198459_n Reply

If anyone is interested in making nocino...NOW is the time to be picking the green walnuts...if you make some , let me know how it turns out. Or, if you have any questions about making it, let me know if I can help.

Picture_11 Reply

Eeek! This is great. I wanted to get some walnut liquor for a recipe awhile back and couldn't find any locally. Now I can make it?!!! Thanks for sharing.

N501413281_1273671_4870 Reply

oh my god! i LOVE this. nocino is a fave fave fave. what better "italian dessert" is there? (well, many, but this is right up there, with the rest of 'em!)

Profile Reply

I have homemade Nocino aging right now! I was considering adding my recipe, but you beat me to it... isn't it so much fun to make!?!

186003_1004761561_1198459_n Reply

It is fun to make...I have had a batch going for about 12 years. I always have some ready to drink or give away. Is your recipe similar to mine? A friend of mine made hers with gin!

Profile Reply

Similar, but I used lemon also, and didn't use juniper berries, sounds like a great addition!

Maria_teresa_jorge_colour Reply

Your Nocino sounds amazing, I love the sequence of the procedure. I live in a very very small village in the middle of nowhere in Tuscany and the carpenter in the village, who is one of my best friends, makes liqueurs out of every single fruit and even vegetables. I love going to his house to watch him making them and have learned to make them with him. His Nocino is also very good but he uses 90% alcohol that we buy here to make Liqueurs, Limoncello etc. and obviously is not sophisticated like yours because he doesn't add the spices and vanilla. I'll tell him about your recipe. Than you for sharing it.

N760970460_4333897_8013 Reply

I'm in love with cordial recipes these days. Thank you for sharing!

Artdecowoman-main_full_green Reply

haha! So much to love about this recipe! 1) the numbers (I'm an engineer, can't help it!) 2) that you have "lots" of empty Knob Creek bottles! and of course 3) the story about the friends! Guess I'll just have to try it! I'm assuming the vanilla beans are added with step 2?

186003_1004761561_1198459_n Reply

yes

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