Nocino (Green Walnut Liqueur) & Vin de Noix

[artisanbaker]

having lived beside st jean en royans for over a year and a half i have had my share of vin de noix and find it very enjoyable.

i will see if i can hunt down a recipe

[Abra]

Well, there are a ton of recipes here. and I've been sifting my way through them. I'll be delighted if one of you has an authoritative recipe, though, since I'd like to get it perfect right from the start.

[eje]

On the alternative green nuts idea, what about green almonds?

Toxic? flavor too subtle?

Anyone know?

Strangely, those would probably be the easiest for me to find.

[FoodMan]

Just recieved an e-mail from Mount Lassen, for those interested here is a link to order the green walnuts before the 20th of June. I will probably make both Nocino (Artusi recipe maybe?) Vin De Noix (still not decided which recipe to use) and maybe pickled walnuts.

Elie

[Abra]

Bleudauvergne is making it this year too, and I'm hoping to get whatever recipe she uses, since it's bound to be authentic. I'll PM her and ask her to join us here.

[bleudauvergne]

OK I'm in this as well. I need a couple of days to find the nuts. I have a friend in Grenoble. Will search for a recette there as well.

[FoodMan]

Great! I am eagerly awaiting a recipe (hopefully soon, pretty please). Currently, this is my recipe of choice. I am not sure why, maybe because of the nice picture and the intro .

Elie

[eje]

I'll be ordering from Mount Lassen this week to get some green walnuts.

I tried asking one of the sellers at my farmer's market; but, he seemed confused about what I might want to do with Green Walnuts. I may still try to talk to some friends who live in Sonoma and see if they know anyone with an organic or no-spray walnut tree.

Here is a previous thread in Fine Spirits and Cocktails which concerned Vin de Noix or Nocino.

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...&hl=nocino&st=0

[Abra]

That recipe looks nice, FoodMan. The vin de noix I had in Provence definitely had the leaves in it, so I think of that as a necessity.

[FoodMan]

That recipe looks nice, FoodMan.  The vin de noix I had in Provence definitely had the leaves in it, so I think of that as a necessity.

←

hmm...I wonder if Mount Lassen people will throw in a few leaves in the package. Won't hurt to ask I guess.

Elie

[Wolfert]

It's good for poaching pears, too.

In the French southwest, vin de noix is used to flavor sauces for fish, game birds, and poultry.

[tazerowe]

OK, I know very little about this stuff other than what I have read here, but I have a new house with a walnut tree, so I am intrigued. However, what kind of walnut are we talking about here? I have black walnuts, not English walnuts. Given that you don't see those around too much, I am guessing you are all using English? Anyone considered black? Any issues? I know black walnuts are somewhat toxic to other plants...

[MikeInSacto]

Anyone else making this right now? I just started my second annual batch yesterday. It's sitting in the back yard turning black as we speak.

Mike

[FoodMan]

A question regarding the bottling for the finished Vin, does it matter if the bottles are regular glass bottles or does it have to be some type of dark glass bottle (like a wine bottle)? I wouldn't think it matters, but thought to ask to be sure.

Elie

[Abra]

When I bought it in France it had been bottled into regular green glass wine bottles. Don't know if that's a necessity, though.

[eje]

A question regarding the bottling for the finished Vin, does it matter if the bottles are regular glass bottles or does it have to be some type of dark glass bottle (like a wine bottle)? I wouldn't think it matters, but thought to ask to be sure.

Elie

←

Elie,

It's been posted on egullet before; but, I have found Gunther Anderson's Liqueur making web pages to have a wealth of information regarding proper techniques and storage.

http://www.guntheranderson.com/liqueurs.htm

[cdh]

I decided to experiment with these recipes this year, and since it is time to pick the walnuts, I just did so yesterday.

I have about two dozen halved little black walnuts presently sitting in about a pint of vodka... no change in color so far, so it doesn't look anything like motor oil yet. I figure that 2 dozen walnuts will be enough for a quart or so, judging by the recipes upwards in the thread.

At only 80 proof, the vodka seems suboptimal. Has anybody tried making this sort of thing with 151 proof rum as opposed to just plain vodka? Would the nutty herbal thing go with the rum flavor?

I live in a state that outlawed Everclear, and haven't noticed it in the neighboring states either, so that seems out of the question.

[MikeInSacto]

I decided to experiment with these recipes this year, and since it is time to pick the walnuts, I just did so yesterday.

I have about two dozen halved little black walnuts presently sitting in about a pint of vodka... no change in color so far, so it doesn't look anything like motor oil yet.  I figure that 2 dozen walnuts will be enough for a quart or so, judging by the recipes upwards in the thread. 

At only 80 proof, the vodka seems suboptimal.  Has anybody tried making this sort of thing with 151 proof rum as opposed to just plain vodka?  Would the nutty herbal thing go with the rum flavor? 

I live in a state that outlawed Everclear, and haven't noticed it in the neighboring states either, so that seems out of the question.

←

I found that vodka seemed to work really well when I made this last year. I made it according to one of Georgeann Brennan's recipes (posted above, I think) and after all was said and done, it tasted about right in terms of the alcohol level. I don't think there was any problem as far as extracting flavor from the walnuts, either.

Mike

[Abra]

So, it's almost walnut time. What recipes is everyone using? Me, I'm waiting for Lucy's!

[FoodMan]

So, it's almost walnut time.  What recipes is everyone using?  Me, I'm waiting for Lucy's!

←

My order from mount lassen has shipped and should arrive no later than Friday, so hopefully we will have Lucy's recipe by then. If not I'll go with the one I linked to upthread.

Elie

[Abra]

Dear, kind, Jim Dixon is shipping me some walnuts from his tree in Portland, because I can't make it down there in time for walnut perfection. Me too, I'm hoping for Lucy's recipe, but if not, I'll probably use the one you linked to.

[divina]

I am ready to make my nocino... thursday, Juen 24th, being the correct day in FLorence, St john the Baptist's day..

here is my recipe

using vodka, which is easier to find.

I actually use whole grain alcohol, which being stronger, extracts the essence faster!

Tradition is 40 days and 40 nights.. some religious thing...

But I find a month is fine, don't do 6 months as many say.

I age it after I have filtered it before drinking.

I also want to make the French Vin di Noix this year...

love the french addition of wine instead of the water...

I have made my own vermouth with quinine bark , bitter ornage rind , regular orange rind and other secret ingredients which I bought at the Pharmacy in Agen!

[divina]

My recipe is at the bottom of the page on the link.

I gave the vodka version... but actually use whole grain for mine.

I think it is faster and tastes better.

the whole grain extracts the flavor faster and doesn't impart any other flavor.

Friend from Naples actually age theirs in small barrels...

[eje]

Woo! My nuts arrived from Mount Lassen today, after some UPS mixups yesterday. What a nice smell they have.

Looking forward to staining my fingers and cutting board tomorrow AM.

Erik

[MikeInSacto]

I am ready to make my nocino... thursday, Juen 24th, being the correct day in FLorence, St john the Baptist's day..

here is my recipe

using vodka, which is easier to find.

I actually use whole grain alcohol, which being stronger, extracts the essence faster!

Tradition is 40 days and 40 nights.. some religious thing...

But I find a month is fine, don't do 6 months as many say.

I age it after I have filtered it before drinking.

I also want to make the French Vin di Noix this year...

love the french addition of wine instead of the water...

I have made my own vermouth with quinine bark , bitter ornage rind , regular orange rind and other secret ingredients which I bought at the Pharmacy in Agen!

←

Nice to hear from someone in Italy! Your walnits certainly ripen much later than ours. If I were to make it now I'd have to smash the walnuts with a hammer rather than slice them with a knife.

Have you ever tried soaking the walnut pieces in sherry? That's a new one on me.

Mike