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The Green Fruits of Black Walnuts - Making Edible Products From and With Them

Posts: 40

Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan

posted 10 years ago

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Black walnut fruits are the least-known super fruits, because most of us don't think of them as a fruits

I am right at this moment harvesting fresh green black walnuts and adopting recipes for a number of products that can be made from or with them. Has anyone done any of these?

a Noir Liqueur (Italians call it Nocino)

a Greek-Style Candied Black Walnut Spoon Desert

Pickled Green Black Walnuts

Btw, the green black walnut fruit has 70–80 times as much Vitamin C, gram for gram, than oranges do. I am testing these recipes at each step, with testing strips, to see where the Vitamin C goes (or, rather, how it is kept) in the final product.

Terry Calhoun
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Ann Torrence

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posted 10 years ago

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Sign me up as beta tester

We had some green walnuts in a sweet syrup at Christmas that were amazing. Wonder if one could do the same with pecans...

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David Livingston

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Location: Anjou ,France

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posted 10 years ago

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We are trying making what is known as Walnut wine here in France
Take thrirty crushed green walnuts add to 1 litre of spirit and some spices ( cinnamon nutmeg etc ) leave for three months and dilute with red wine ( three litres ) makes a great before meal tipple .

David

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Terry Paul Calhoun

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Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan

posted 10 years ago

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The wine is also on my list, David.

I am just loving the smell of these fruits as we harvest them.

Adam Hoar

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Location: NH

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posted 10 years ago

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I believe I have a couple of english walnuts on my property but since there are so few nuts on the two trees I have I wont be using the green fruits for anything.

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R Scott

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posted 10 years ago

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We use them for tincture because they are super medicinal, but so tannic I never thought about eating them!

You have me curious.

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Judi Anne

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posted 10 years ago

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I make nocino! Makes a good syrup base for pouring over ice cream or flavoring drinks.

I also tincture for medicinal purposes. It makes a decent mouthwash for those with dental issues too.

Corrie Snell

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Location: San Francisco, CA for the time being

posted 10 years ago

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Haven't made these, but they're very intriguing:

"Spiced Green Walnut" confiture recipe from Christine Ferber's book, "Mes Confitures"

"Pickled Walnuts" recipe from Jacosta Innes's book, "The Country Kitchen Cookbook," which, she describes as being "the most elegant accompaniment to a really good cheese."

"Vin de Noix" (walnut wine), two variations, from Georgeanne Brennan's book, "Aperitif"

I have sipped Vin de Noix on several occasions in France, and it is delicious.

Steven Kovacs

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Location: Western Massachusetts (USDA zone 5a, heating zone 5, 40"+)

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posted 10 years ago

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The Armenians preserve them in syrup as a dessert, but when I had them I found them so tannic as to be almost inedible. Mixed with other things (ice cream, maybe) it would be an interesting flavor, though - much as a little bit of pomegranate molasses goes a long way.

dave phillips

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posted 2 years ago

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Could you just pick the green walnuts prick them with fork then pickle them in the vinegar?

Everyone says “soak them in salt water for a week, then strain and soak for another week” to get out that substance tannins that has a strong flavour.

Tannins are traditionally moderated by aging: air seeps around the lid over its years in the cellar, and the oxidized tannins gradually bind to one another, and settle out as sediment. Typically this must be done very slowly, or the oxygen will attack flavors other than the tannin,

I tried just piercing with a fork several times then going straight into the vinegar and spices and left them for a long while, it’s a much deeper flavour.

But someone told me tannins could be poisonous or something well I have never had a bad stomach or anything.

I really can’t find any answers online why pickled walnuts always are soaked in salt water for a few weeks

I hope someone on here knows

Anne Miller

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posted 2 years ago

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Hi, Dave

I can't answer your question though I thought other folks might find these threads interesting:

https://permies.com/t/1674/green-walnut-wine-nocino-food

https://permies.com/t/130504/Making-North-American-version-Nocino

https://permies.com/t/45672/Cooking-Challenge-processing-eating-fresh

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Mercy Pergande

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posted 2 years ago

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Nocino is one of my favorite liqueurs to make!
When I was a kid, I remember black walnut ice cream. I never see it anymore! But I remember it falling in the flavor category of a good pistachio or butter pecan (with the obvious flavor difference of the nuts) and being really delicious.
I think that sitting around and cracking and picking nuts used to be more of a social activity, a way to socially pass time with a productive result. It seems like black walnuts are best harvested by hand and the decreases in people doing that kind of hand work has led to a decrease in the availability and popularity of black walnut foods.

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Rebecca Rosa

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Location: Western Oregon (Willamette Valley), 8b

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posted 2 years ago

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You've all got me convinced to try out making nocino for the first time this year. We have some beautiful old black and english walnut trees and the green walnuts look to be just at the right stage for harvesting right now.

I'm trying to decide if I should use everclear or 100 proof vodka as the spirit. Whatever I do, it will be a year or more until I get to see how it turns out, but hopefully well worth the wait.

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