Lina’s Walnut Liqueur
When I want to sow something new or I have a general vegetable-growing question, I ring Lina
– a no-fuss lady who worked the land, kept animals, made wine to sell, grew vegetables and
understood the land like no other. When my father was a young man he saw Lina walking up
the mountain with her gerla – a big wicker basket full of straw and wood. She was resting by the
side of the road and my dad, wanting to be a gentleman, offered to carry the load the rest of the
way. She declined but Dad insisted. He put the straps over his shoulders and tried to stand. He
tried and tried, but to no avail; he just couldn’t lift the basket. Lina, rested and amused, popped
her arms through the straps, lifted the gerla as if it were empty, and steadily walked up the
mountain to deliver the heavy load. She is old now and can’t walk far, but she insists on sharing
her knowledge of the land and she makes the best nocino liqueur.
It is tradition that the walnuts must be collected on the night of San Giovanni Battista (St
John the Baptist, 24 June). It was said that witches met under a walnut tree on this night to
make their magic spells! The point is that picking them on this day works. They should be local
walnuts and without any chemical treatments. The other tradition is that you must have an odd
number of walnuts, though I don’t know the origin of this, so use either 13 or 15, but never 14.
I have seen other ingredients being added to Nocino depending on who is making it
and where they are from. These include lemon zest, some coffee beans, small amounts of
cinnamon, rose water and a few cloves. Some recipes also mix water with the alcohol, but Lina
doesn’t use it and she’s almost 90. Some recipes will add more sugar, some less, but try it this
way and if it needs more sweetness to suit your palate, add more next time you make it.
This is a drink you prepare in the summer and enjoy at Christmas. Like a chutney or
Christmas pudding, it needs to mature. It will be rough at first, but a couple of months in the
cupboard and it will transform into a pleasing, smooth liqueur.
Ingredients:
15 green walnuts, husks on
1 litre grappa or pure alcohol
500 g sugar
You’ll need a wide-necked 1.5–2 litre bottle or jar with a lid for this recipe. Tradition calls
for a container that has no rubber seals and, of course, make sure you have sterilized it.
Leave the walnuts on a sunny windowsill for two days before cutting them into quarters and
adding them to the alcohol in the jar. This will improve the flavour of the Nocino.
Leave it to infuse for 60 days but not in a dark place as it must have partial sunlight. A
sideboard or kitchen shelf would be fine. Occasionally open the jar and stir it.
After at least 60 days, filter the Nocino into dark bottles if possible, otherwise clear ones,
and keep them in the dark until Christmas.
*taken from the book ‘From Seed to plate’ by Paolo Arrigo, published by Simon and Schuster