Ideas and/or recipes for green walnuts?

[Seahorse]

I've been kindly offered as many green walnuts as I would like I've found they can be pickled, or made into wine or a liqueur. Nothing else though and the recipes seem quite variable!

Is there anything else I can do with them?

Does anyone have any favourite green walnut recipes?

[Rhona]

Wow! Lucky you - very nice in a goat's cheese salad, maybe with some figs as well. They are also lovely in lots of Italian recipes - I've got a recipe somewhere for rough walnut pesto that is much nicer with wet walnuts than the usual - lighter and fresher tasting.

I'll have a think...

[Rhona]

This is nice with hot fresh pasta - probably a flat pasta as it's reasonably rich although also eaten with spinach ravioli or spread onto bread. Yummy!

Salsa Di Noci

6oz. wet walnuts (170g)
2 garlic cloves
2 slices white bread
1/4c. milk
3 T. olive oil
Salt

Remove the crusts from the bread and soak in a little milk, just enough to wet the bread.
In a food processor, blend the bread with the walnuts and garlic until pureed.
Add salt to taste, then add olive oil and blend again.
It can be thinned with more milk until you have the consistency you desire.

[bobleponge]

Port!!!
You can make port from green walnuts, so I'm led to believe. Its why I bought a walnut tree anyway.
Give me a day or 2 and I will get the recipe from the man who told me.

[bobleponge]

You could fry them, and sell them at a variant of the Whistle Stop Cafe??

Just a thought

[Seahorse]

Thanks

Rhona, in my ignorance (and as I am not posh like Bob, so don't have my own tree ) I didn't even know you could just eat them 'as they are'

[Rhona]

Hee hee! Well I guess they're something you don't happen across too often! You could also try some in homemade baklava, which would be dreamy - I have a very easy recipe for that if you fancy. They also turn up in some Mexican recipes, again I've got one somewhere for a stuffing type thing, with pomegranate seeds which is lovely and versatile and nice with quail.

My FiL grew a walnut tree from seed which now graces the front lawn and has a little crop each year - always impresses me!

[lainey lou]

Just remember to where gloves when you remove the outer coat or you'll end up with very brown stained fingers!
I think you can preserve them in honey, will look to see if I can find a recipe.

[bobleponge]

Seahorse, try this. Not sure how successful you UK dwellers will be at getting fruit alcohol. I can get it at home and will send you some across when I get back should you not be able to find any.

Walnut Liquor

(French: Vin de Noix)

Ingredients for approximately 4 liters (4 quarts):

- 3.5 liters of red wine

- 1 kg. of sugar

- 0.5 liters of fruit alcohol

- 1 orange

- 12 green walnuts


Preparation Time: 30 Minutes
Maturing Time: 6 weeks

Recipe:

Cut the nuts into pieces.

Wash the orange and cut it (with peel) into pieces.

Put all the ingredients into a large jar.

Leave for 6 weeks, shaking or swirling the jar daily.

Filter and bottle the juice.



Notes:

To make larger or smaller quantities, one can multiply or divide the ingredients. I happen to have a 15 liter jar, so I multiply all the ingredients by 3 to provide a good fit.

Fruit alcohol is widely available in most large food stores (supermarkets). It is a clear alcohol without much taste, which enables it to absorb the taste of the fruit. There are several different brands in France, but they all come in a 1 liter bottle with a simple label along the lines of "Alcool pour fruits". They are available in the alcohol section of the store and typically have 36% or 40% alcohol.

Since the recipe includes the peel of the orange, my personal preference is to try to use an organic orange (to avoid traces of pesticides).

If you don't have a walnut tree, you can try the local forest or ask a neighbour. The walnuts should be green on the outside (typically around the end of June).

I can never remember to shake the jar daily. I'm doing well if I remember once a week. However, having following this recipe several times and always had a good result, this step doesn't seem to important. I've also left the mixture for far longer than 40 days (up to a year) with no problem, so it seems 40 days is a minimum but it is OK to leave it longer.

After the juice is bottled, the taste improves if one leaves it for several months before drinking. One should store it in the same place as ordinary wine is kept, as the ideal storage conditions for Vin de Noix are the same as for ordinary wine. I find it keeps well for several years.

[Hilary B]

I love pickled walnuts, and I suspect they would sell well.
I will have to look up how long they need brining for, but if you buy pre-spiced pickling vinegar, it is dead simple.
Make brine with 3oz salt per pint of water, put the walnuts in (easiest in the jars you plan on using for the finished walnuts), I think it's for a week but I'll check up on that.
Drain, rinse off the brine, put back in jars and cover with spiced vinegar.
They need months, but make great Christmas presents for anyone who likes that type of pickles!

[TEB]

Crushed walnut and garlic topped chicken breast with lemon sauce was quite nice (apologies if your a veggie ) also walnut glazed Brie with a spiced pear relish makes a lovely starter

[Seahorse]

Wow, so many great suggestions! I think I might get a few more than I'd originally thought of

Thanks everyone.

[OllieMartin]

I love pickled walnuts, and I suspect they would sell well.
I will have to look up how long they need brining for, but if you buy pre-spiced pickling vinegar, it is dead simple.
Make brine with 3oz salt per pint of water, put the walnuts in (easiest in the jars you plan on using for the finished walnuts), I think it's for a week but I'll check up on that.
Drain, rinse off the brine, put back in jars and cover with spiced vinegar.
They need months, but make great Christmas presents for anyone who likes that type of pickles!

Hilary, did you confirm if it's a week?
Also, does the brine need to be hot or cold when poured onto the walnuts?

I've discovered that my nearby hospital has a walnut tree on their front garden/lawn/green bit, and everytime I'm going passed I pilfer all the falled nuts.

[Hilary B]

Hilary, did you confirm if it's a week?
Also, does the brine need to be hot or cold when poured onto the walnuts?

I've discovered that my nearby hospital has a walnut tree on their front garden/lawn/green bit, and everytime I'm going passed I pilfer all the falled nuts.

Someone has tidied the book away (but I am pretty sure)!!

I used the brine cold. It may be getting too late for pickling this year, unless you are a lot further North than me. The tree near here, I picked up a couple of fallen ones, and they already had shells forming, a week ago now. Sorry, been away!