Green Walnut Preserves Recipe (with Pictures)

In addition to making nocino, an Italian liqueur, fresh, green walnuts can also be used to make a delicious Armenian preserve. Like with nocino, the white/green fresh walnuts turn a dark mahogany brown, and, preserved in syrup, have a delicious, rich maple/date flavor and exquisite firm texture that goes well with bread and cheese.

You might be able to find preserved fresh walnuts in some Armenian, Greek, or Middle Eastern markets, but it's also not terribly hard to make them at home. And what's better than eating (and sharing) food you've painstakingly prepared yourself?

Scale these ingredients as appropriate:

• 1 1/2 lbs of fresh, green walnuts (about 23-30, depending on size)
• 1 1/2 lbs of sugar
• 3 1/4 cups of water
• 1-2 tbsp of lemon juice
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (or 1/2 vanilla bean)
• 4 cloves or 1 tsp cardamom
• 1 lb pickling lime (optional; called kir/gir by Armenians, and cal in Mexican groceries)

This will be probably the most difficult part of the process. If you're fortunate to have your own (black) walnut tree, or access to one, then pick your green walnuts sometime in June, the earlier the better. The size of the green walnut should be between a very large olive and a very small egg. You should be able to cut it in half very easily without a hard inner shell developing, and it should be a light-green and white inside.

If you don't have access to a walnut tree, then go to a local farmer's market and find a nut purveyor. Ask them if you could buy some green walnuts; you'll probably have to make a special order since they might not have them on hand. You could also try calling around at some pick-your-own nut farms and see if you're able to pick the walnut trees a bit earlier than their typical season which is later in the summer. Finally, if those are not possible, try contacting a nut company (like Mt Lassen Farms in California) that sell green walnuts and who sell them by mail order. Again, timing is key: you'll want to order your green walnuts at the end of May or very early June at the latest. (Note to those in the Southern Hemisphere: you'll want to pick your walnuts in December)

For the next step, you'll need gloves: rubber kitchen gloves are just fine, although latex gloves will probably afford you more flexibility and comfort. Why? Green walnuts, when cut open, leak a clear, colorless liquid which will very rapidly turn a dark, coffee-colored brown and which will stain your fingers in a way that takes a couple weeks of relentless scrubbing to get off!

So, don your gloves, and use a potato peeler to take off the skin of your green walnuts. You can also cut off any woody stem bit at the ends, too. Place the skinned walnuts in a pot of cold water. You might also want to prick your walnuts at least halfway through with a fork, too, although you can also do this a few days later after your walnuts have soaked for a while.

At this stage, be sure to weigh your peeled walnuts. This will be important at a later stage.

Soak your walnuts in fresh, cold water for 9 days, changing the water twice daily. Keep the walnuts submerged--they will float on their own--by placing a ceramic plate on top of them. The water will take on a golden-to-green color by the time you rinse them. This step is important because you're basically washing away the natural bitter taste in the unripe walnuts. You'll also notice that the walnuts will slowly darken, going from a light green to a dark green to an eventual dark mahogany brown.

If you want a firmer walnut preserve, then soak in lime water (pickling lime dissolved in cold water) for days 5-8, changing the water daily. You'll still want to soak in regular cold water for the 9th day. The pickling lime contains calcium hydroxide, which is safe in small quantities, and which precipitates the naturally-occurring pectin in the walnuts, resulting in a firmer (but still soft) preserve.

Poke each walnut with a chopstick or large knitting needle, or 3-4 times with a fork. Then throw them in boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain and allow to dry completely.

Add the sugar and water to a pot. Bring to a boil, and then toss in the walnuts. Bring to a boil again, and then simmer the walnuts in the syrup for about 30 minutes. Cover and allow to cool for about 6 hours (ideally overnight).

Add the lemon juice, cinnamon, and cloves/cardamom to the pot, and cook for another 30 minutes. Check a walnut to make sure it is soft but still has some "give" (it should almost have the texture of cheddar cheese); if it's still too firm, cook it longer until it softens.

When the walnuts are ready, pour them and the syrup into sterilized jars and seal. I would wait at least a week before consuming, but they should keep for at least 6 months in a cool, dark place. I also suggest refrigerating them before eating; they taste great cold!