How to make Nocino: the easy recipe for Italian walnut liqueur

Nocino is an Italian liqueur typical of Modena's tradition to prepare at the beginning of summer, in order to keep on enjoying it all winter long. The main ingredient are walnuts, traditionally harvested on St. John's day in June 24th, or within the first days of July, when the balsamic time of walnuts has reached perfection, in order to prepare an excellent homemade nocino. To make this Nocino are used whole unripe walnuts that are still green, without removing the hull, first macerated in sugar and then infused in alcohol.

Nocino History

According to tradition, walnuts for the preparation of nocino must be harvested in the night of Saint John's day by the woman who is the most expert in the preparation, she must climb barefoot on the tree and pick by hand the best walnuts, without touching the skin and, above all, without using metal tools which could oxidize the walnuts, compromising the success of the liqueur. This is the story behind the making of this liqueur which seems to have been first created in France and then spread in Italy, in particular in Modena and in the northern-central area. According to the legend, after harvesting, walnuts must be left in the night dew for the whole night, before moving on to the making of nocino. The preparation would end the night of October 31, the eve of All Saints' Day.

How to make Nocino

Clean the walnuts with a damp towel and let them dry. Now cut them into four parts, preferably using a ceramic knife, and place them in a large glass jar with a wide opening and without rubber seals. Add the sugar, mix, close the jar and keep it in a sunny place for 2 days.

After this time, pour the 95° alcohol into the jar and stir. Place the jar in a sunny area again, close to a window that is exposed to the sun for at least half the day. Let it stand for 45-60 days, shaking the jar from time to time in order to mix the liquid. Once ready, filter with a clean cloth, washed without the use of detergent, and bottle. Your nocino is ready to be enjoyed.

Tips

– For the preparation of nocino it is important to choose the right jar: it must be made of thick glass, better if dark, or you can use small oak barrels.

– Once it is ready, you can serve it right away, or wait for one year, in order to allow the liqueur to aromatize at its best. Usually people wait at least until Christmas time to drink it.

– To make an excellent nocino it is also important the maceration time of walnuts in alcohol, which must be at least 2 months: if you are not in a hurry, let it macerate for 3-4 months. Then remember to filter the liqueur with a rough cotton cloth: in case you washed it with detergent, rinse it in warm water and squeeze it well.

– You can make the basic recipe richer by adding aromas together with alcohol: cinnamon, cloves, juniper berries and lemon peels are very common. However it is important to use very small quantities, so that nocino keeps its authentic aroma. For 1 kg of walnuts, for example, you can add 4-5 cloves, 1 cinnamon stick and 2-3 organic lemon peels.

– You can serve nocino as a digestive, maybe after a rich meal: the ideal temperature to drink it is between 16 and 18 degrees C, therefore do not keep it in the freezer, it should be served in small quantities.

How to store Nocino

Once filtered and poured in bottle, nocino must be kept for at least one year, in a cool and dry place.