NOCINO
About 1 quart
This dark brown Italian liqueur is made with green English walnuts. The walnuts should be immature enough that they are easy to cut in half with a knife (in most regions, this will be in late June). After the liqueur is strained, do not despair if it tastes harsh. The flavor will mellow over time as it sits in the bottle, eventually tasting of coffee, spices, and cola.
Have ready:
- 25 green English walnuts, quartered
Place the walnuts in a half-gallon jar or crock and add:
- One 750 ml bottle vodka
- 2 cups sugar
- Zest of 1 orange, cut off in wide strips with a vegetable peeler
- Zest of 1 lemon, cut off in wide strips with a vegetable peeler
- ¼ cup whole coffee beans
- 10 whole cloves
- Two 3-inch cinnamon sticks
- 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
- (1 nutmeg, cracked)
- (1 tablespoon juniper berries)
If using a jar, cover tightly with a lid and shake the jar vigorously to bruise the walnuts and mix the ingredients. If using a crock, use a wooden spoon to mix the ingredients. Store in a cool, dark place for 2 months, shaking the jar or stirring the contents of the crock about once a week. Over time, the liquid in the crock will turn from clear to an almost black color.
Strain the liquid and discard the solids, then strain the liquid again through a coffee filter or a flour sack towel to remove as many particulates as possible. Transfer the liquid to a bottle and store for 4 months. During this time, the flavor of the nocino will mellow. If you start the nocino in late June, it will be ready to drink by Christmas.
Sip neat, use to moisten cakes, or drizzle over a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Nocino keeps indefinitely at room temperature.