Now is the time to pickle green walnuts
June 20, 2019 9:32 PM   Subscribe

My neighbor was out picking walnuts yesterday to make pickled walnuts. We share our urban habitat with SQUIRRELS and they EAT ALL THE WALNUTS so I was excited to learn how to intercept some of the nuts. So if you ALSO want to know how to intercept some of the walnuts in YOUR neighborhood from YOUR local squirrels, you'll be wanting these recipes. Turns out squirrels live EVERYWHERE. Green walnuts are the answer. Long live the green walnut!

There's like a billion more recipes online. Intercept the walnuts!
posted by aniola (18 comments total) 21 users marked this as a favorite
 
alternatively, let the squirrels eat the walnuts, then eat the squirrels
posted by ryanrs at 9:56 PM on June 20, 2019 [5 favorites]


If you're picking them to make nocino, you're supposed to wait until St. John's Tide, or June 24th.
posted by bink at 12:18 AM on June 21, 2019 [1 favorite]


I’ve made both vin de noir and nocino, and I found that I liked the vin de noir a little better at first but that it changes a lot over time. If you plan to drink it within a year or so i’d go with vin de noir, otherwise nocino keeps basically forever.
posted by cali at 1:28 AM on June 21, 2019


If I were a squirrel, I'd still prefer pecans.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 3:32 AM on June 21, 2019


This is great! I have a ton of walnut trees near me, so will definitely try this sometime, perhaps this weekend.
posted by TedW at 4:49 AM on June 21, 2019


...God didn't pickle little green walnuts,
And it don't rain in Indian-alnuts in the summertime...


Metafilter: Excited to learn how to intercept some of the nuts.
posted by zaixfeep at 5:03 AM on June 21, 2019


I have never heard of pickled walnuts before now, and I need to find out how to try them! No walnut trees near me that I know of. Sounds delicious.
posted by xingcat at 6:23 AM on June 21, 2019 [1 favorite]


I wonder if this works with the related hickory nuts; on closer thought, that's actually the trees I have nearby.
posted by TedW at 6:33 AM on June 21, 2019


you like ze walnuts?

i have a place pour VOUS!
posted by lalochezia at 8:44 AM on June 21, 2019


NOCINO. there is also a very specific number of walnuts you are supposed to use per batch, but I swore secrecy to my Italian nocino-making friend.
posted by supermedusa at 9:21 AM on June 21, 2019


You can also make a spoon sweet.
posted by each day we work at 10:59 AM on June 21, 2019 [1 favorite]


Does any of this work for black walnut? I have to imagine it wouldn't.
posted by Ferreous at 2:11 PM on June 21, 2019


Ferreous: some bloggers say yes, some bloggers say no.

Pickled walnuts as mango substitue:
Walnuts. Gather the Nuts young, before they begin to harden, but not before the Kernel is pretty white: Steep them in as much Water as will more than cover them. Then ſet them on the Fire, and when the water boils, and grows black, pour it off, and ſupply it with freſh, boiling it as before, and continuing to ſhift it till it become clear, and the Nuts pretty tender: Then let them be put into clean Spring Water for two Days, changing it as before with freſh, two or three times within this ſpace: Then lay them to drain, and dry on a clean courſe Cloth, and put them up in a Glaſs Jar, with a few Walnut Leaves, Dill, Cloves, Pepper, whole Mace and Salt; ſtrowing them under every Layer of Nuts, till the Veſſel be three quarters full; and laſtly, repleniſhing it with the beſt Vinegar, keep it well covered; and ſo they will be fit to ſpend within three Months.

To make a Mango with them.

The green Nuts prepared as before, cover the Bottom of the Jar with ſome Dill, an Handful of Bay-Salt, &c. and then a Bed of Nuts; and ſo ſtratum upon ſtratum, as above, adding to the Spice ſome Roccombo-Seeds; and filling the reſt of the Jar with the beſt White-Wine Vinegar, mingled with the beſt Muſtard; and to let them remain cloſe covered, during two or three Months time: And thus have you a more agreeable Mango than what is brought us from abroad; which you may uſe in any Sauce, and is of it ſelf a rich Condiment.

Thus far Pickles.
posted by aniola at 9:20 PM on June 21, 2019 [1 favorite]


(obligatory Brautigan reference, no?)

And Trout Fishing in America said, “The moon’s coming out.” And Maria Callas said, “Yes, it is.”

Another Method of Making Walnut Catsup

Take green walnuts before the shell is formed, and grind them in a crab-mill, or pound them in a marble mortar. Squeeze out the juice through a coarse cloth, and put to every gallon of juice a pound of anchovies, and the same quantity of bay-salt, four ounces of Jamaica pepper, two of long and two of black pepper; of mace, cloves, and ginger, each an ounce, and a stick of horseradish. Boil all together till reduced to half the quantity, and then put it into a pot. When it is cold, bottle it close, and in three months it will be fit for use.

And Trout Fishing in America and Maria Callas poured walnut catsup on their hamburgers.
posted by Insert Clever Name Here at 12:56 PM on June 22, 2019 [1 favorite]


Thanks for this! There is a small walnut tree in the park across the road from where I live, and it has loads of green walnuts on it. Last year, maddened by the idea of free food going to waste, I picked about a kilo of them and made pickled walnuts , only to discover that nobody I know (including me) can stand the things.

This year I might try the chutney or one of the liqueurs -ideal Christmas present, right?
posted by Fuchsoid at 1:06 PM on June 23, 2019


I have a walnut tree in my yard and so picked a ton of these on Friday to make all of these recipes! I decided to make a second batch of Nocino today, so I went to pick some more and they have already turned from soft to having a hard shell in there that the knife slips off of. Small window! Glad I didn’t wait til tomorrow! Can’t wait to see how everything turns out!
posted by oomny at 1:24 PM on June 23, 2019


Turns out squirrels live EVERYWHERE

The World Is A Very Big Place.
posted by HiroProtagonist at 9:59 PM on June 24, 2019


Ok. They're brined. My neighbor says I don't have to dry them before pickling. The internet says dry them. Why do they need to be dried?
posted by aniola at 12:36 PM on July 6, 2019


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