Ingredients
NIGHTS
850 gr (about 24 walnut husks)
PURE ALCOHOL AT 95°
1 liter
SUGAR
500 gr
WATER
500 ml
Nocino is a typical liqueur of the Modenese tradition spread throughout Italy, to be prepared at the beginning of summer , and then enjoyed throughout the winter. The main ingredient is walnuts, traditionally harvested on St. John’s Day , June 24, or in any case by early July, when the balsamic time of the walnuts has reached perfection, so as to prepare an excellent homemade nocino. For the preparation whole unripe walnuts are used , therefore still green, without removing the husk, first kept to macerate in sugar and then infused in alcohol.

History and tradition of the nocino
According to tradition, the walnuts for the preparation of nocino must be collected on the night of San Giovanni by the woman most expert in the preparation, who will have to climb the tree barefoot and remove the best walnuts by hand, without damaging the peel and, above all, without using metal tools that can cause the walnuts to oxidize, compromising the success of the liqueur. This is the story that accompanies the creation of this liqueur which seems to have been born first in France and then spread throughout Italy, in particular in Modena and in the centre-north. According to legend, then, after harvesting the walnuts, they must be left in the night dew for the whole night, before moving on to making the nocino. The preparation ended on the night of October 31st, on the eve of All Saints’ Day.

How to prepare the walnut

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Cut the walnut husks into 4 parts, preferably with a ceramic knife, and put them in a large glass container with an airtight seal. Add the alcohol, close the jar and shake well. Put the container in the sun and leave to macerate for 40 days: shake it from time to time. After the necessary time, prepare the water and sugar syrup: put the water in a saucepan, add the sugar and mix over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Once the syrup is ready let it cool. Add the alcohol to the syrup by filtering it through a sieve and mix well. Pour the nocino into the bottle and let it rest for at least 10 days before enjoying it.

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

Once ready, you can taste the nocino immediately, or wait a year, so that the liqueur is flavored at its best. Usually you wait at least the Christmas period to consume it.

For the preparation of an excellent nocino, the maceration time of the walnuts in alcohol is also essential, 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 coarse cotton cloth: if you washed it with detergent, rinse it in warm water and squeeze it well.

You can enrich the basic recipe by adding flavorings together with the alcohol: cinnamon , cloves , juniper berries and lemon peel are widely used . However, it is important to use very small quantities of it, so that the nocino retains its authentic aroma. For 1 kg of walnuts, for example, you can add 4-5 cloves, 1 cinnamon stick and 2-3 organic lemon zest.

You can serve the nocino as a digestive, perhaps after a large meal: the ideal temperature to enjoy it is between 16-18 degrees. However, remember that, like any alcoholic or spirits, it must be consumed in small quantities.

storage
Once filtered and decanted into the bottle, the nocino must be kept for at least 1 year , in a cool, dry place.