Walnut Liqueur

- four years in the making

Let the trumpets sound and beat those drums. The four year wait is over. I now have an answer to probably the most talked about subject in the Parish. DID THE WALNUT APERITIF RECIPE WORK?
MY OFFICIAL TASTER SAYS …….…..“YES, hic!”

So, if you have four years to spare, a supply of green walnuts and a liking for a sherry-like aperitif, here is what to do.

Ingredients

Method

Year 1:

  1. Pick, wash and dry young green walnuts. (Green walnuts are available late June to mid July.)
  2. Prick each one about 5 times with a darning needed. If it is difficult to get the darning needle in, don’t use that walnut.
  3. Put the walnuts into a wide necked jar (a Kilner jar is perfect).
  4. Cover the walnuts with brandy, seal the jar and store in a cool, dark place.

Year 2:

  1. Decant the brandy into another bottle (or a demijohn if you are making it in bulk!).
  2. Refill the jar containing the walnuts, with red wine. Reseal the jar and replace in the cool, dark place.

Year 3:

  1. Decant the wine into the brandy and refill the jar of walnuts with more red wine.
  2. Return the jars to the cool, dark place.

Year 4:

  1. Decant the wine into the wine and brandy mix and reseal.
  2. Cover the walnuts in the jar with white sugar and reseal.
  3. Return both the jars to the cool, dark place.

At the end of year 4:

  1. Discard the nuts and add the syrup from the jar to the wine and brandy.
  2. Filter twice and bottle.

Phew! It’s a very long time to wait for a drink!

Images

Green Walnuts

Pick green walnuts from late June to Mid July