This walnut liqueur is made with green, unripe walnuts that are still soft in their green husks. The liqueur is aromatic, nutty, sweet, slightly bitter, and dark brown in color. It is probably Austria’s most beloved and famous liqueur.
Variations from country to country
This kind of liqueur is known as ‘nocino’ in Italy, ‘noix’ in France, and ‘Nüsse’ in Germany – although there are regional differences, of course. Basically, every European country, especially in the East, has their own variety.
I grew up in Upper Austria, surrounded by walnut trees. Upper Austria is known for its spiced walnut liqueur ‘Nuss-Schnaps’. The traditional blend of green nuts, spices and alpine botanicals make it a rich and flavorful walnut liqueur.
When to pick green walnuts for liqueur
Timing is crucial when making walnut liqueur with green walnuts. Harvested too early and the walnuts will not be ripe enough and still be kind of liquid in the center. Picked too late, it is impossible to cut them since the hardened shell has already formed within the green outer shell.
Although, the ripening varies according to climate and weather conditions, a good rule of thumb is to pick them around June 24, St. John’s Day (or San Giovanni in Italy / Johannistag in Austria and Germany). If you are lucky to have access to a walnut tree, cut a green nut open every few days and check. The inside of the green walnut should be white and firm for making liqueur.
Wash the walnuts and cut each nut into some slices. The nuts stain strongly (dark brown), so I recommend to wear rubber gloves and to use an old cutting board.
Besides the green walnuts, you’ll need some spices (find the exact amounts in recipe below).
Place the sliced nuts and spices in a large jar (one 2.5 l / 3 quarts or distribute between two smaller jars).
Dark liqueur from green walnuts
For this aromatic and nutty liqueur, the green walnuts are steeped in an alcohol base together with some spices. I use vodka (40 %) since I like its neutral taste. A lot of people in Austria also use double-distilled wheat schnapps (38 %) to make walnut liqueur.
Once you add the spirit to the nuts and spices, the nuts taint the clear alcohol dark and darker. The alcohol changes its color from a bright yellow to amber. After about 6 weeks of steeping, the walnut liqueur is dark brown, almost black, with a greenish hue.
After the steeping, strain the spices and nuts and add some sugar. Stir to dissolve. Pour the liqueur back into the cleaned jar and let it sit, closed, for another 1-2 weeks before tasting. Fill the liqueur into clean bottles using a funnel, and store in the basement or at cool room temperature.
Walnut liqueur needs time to ripen
The walnut liqueur will taste relatively sharp immediately after preparation. After a few months it will taste balanced and mellow and it will continue to develop its flavor over years! Some of the best walnut liqueurs I’ve tasted have been aging for a few years.
Walnut liqueur as digestif
The warm spices – think cinnamon, ginger, cloves, vanilla, cardamom – in combination with the bitter-sweet taste from the nuts and sugar make it a perfect treat to enjoy around Christmas time.
Usually, people in Austria will sip it neat at cool room temperature. It’s smooth, drinkable and pleasantly aromatic, which is why people often times drink it after a heavy meal as digestif or to calm an upset stomach. It also tastes great over vanilla ice cream :)
Enjoy!
Spiced walnut liqueur is made from unripe, green walnuts. The spices and nuts give this liqueur a bitter-sweet herbal and aromatic taste that people especially enjoy around Christmas time. Usually, people in Austria will sip it neat. It’s smooth, drinkable and pleasantly aromatic, which is why people often times drink it after a heavy meal as digestif or to calm an upset stomach.
Traditionally, the green nuts should be harvested around June 24th, St. John's Day. If harvested too late, the hard shell inside the green husk will develop and make it impossible to cut.
Tip: The nuts stain strongly (dark brown), so I recommend wearing rubber gloves and using an old cutting board.
Recipe: Ursula Schersch | lilvienna.com (This recipe is from my book ‘Die Welt im Einmachglas’)
Ingredients
- 20 green walnuts (560 g)
- 1 organic lemon
- 1.5-by-1-inch piece (20 g) of fresh ginger
- 10 green cardamom pods
- 1 vanilla bean
- 2 sprigs of mint
- 1.5 teaspoons fennel seeds
- 1.5 teaspoons anise seeds
- 3 long cinnamon sticks (3-4 inch each)
- 1.5 tablespoons cloves
- 2 star anise
- 2 bottles vodka (1.4 liters; alternatively double-distilled wheat schnapps, 38–40 %)
- 2 lightly packed cups (300 g) light brown sugar, more if needed
Instructions
- Wash the walnuts and cut each nut into four slices. Wear rubber gloves to avoid staining. Place the sliced nuts in a large jar (one 2.5 liters or 3 quarts, alternatively distribute between two smaller jars).
- Wash the lemon with hot water. Pat it dry, zest it with a sharp knife or peeler, without any of the white, bitter part. Peel ginger and cut it into slices. Carefully crush the cardamom pods with the flat side of a knife just to crack them open. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise. Wash the mint and shake dry. Add lemon peel, ginger, cardamom, vanilla and mint to the jar.
- Add fennel seeds, anise seeds, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and star anise. The nuts and all spices should be in the jar now. Pour vodka into the jar.
- Close the jar with a lid or cover with cling wrap. Place the jar in a warm or sunny spot (e.g. windowsill) and let the mixture steep for about 6 weeks. It will gradually darken. After 6 weeks, it should be very dark, almost black.
- Filter the mixture through a strainer into a big bowl or pitcher. I always filter it twice – the second time through multiple layers of cheesecloth or any other cloth to filter fine particles. Remember, the liqueur stains everything! Discard the spices and nuts.
- Add the sugar to the spiced spirit and stir for a few minutes until it dissolves. Pour the liqueur back into the cleaned jar and let it sit, closed, for another 1-2 weeks before tasting. The walnut liqueur will taste relatively sharp immediately after preparation. It will get mellower over time. If you like it sweeter, add more sugar, stir, and leave it for another 1-2 weeks. But keep in mind that it will lose its sharp flavor over the next few months, so err on the side of less sugar. Fill the liqueur into clean bottles using a funnel, and store in the cellar or at cool room temperature.
- After a few months it will taste balanced and mellow and it will continue to develop its flavor over years! Walnut liqueur tastes best neat and sipped slowly, at cool room temperature. Due to its warm and aromatic taste, it is perfect for Christmas season and also makes a great gift. In Austria, people also enjoy it as digestif year round or to sooth an upset stomach. It also tastes great over vanilla ice cream :) Enjoy!
Notes
If the liqueur is too aromatic for you, thin it with more vodka. If you want it to be lower in alcohol, add a litte distilled water. But please, only add these ingredients after a few month of letting the liqueur ripen.
tasty, everyone should try it! thanks for the recipe.
Hi,
Thanks so much. I make a bottle every year :)
Hi. Will the finished liqueur taste ok without the anise seeds and star anise? I absolutely cannot handle their taste or smell.
Thank you,
Hi Brian,
Yes, absolutely. Just leave it out. It will also taste delicious without them! Hope you’ll try the liquer :), Ursula
thanks for sharing this wonderfully inspiring recipe from your cookbook! we ended up using ground ginger instead of the fresh root and ground cardamom instead of the dried pods. how big of a blunder was that?
Hi Half-Baker :)
You are welcome! I think both substitutions are just fine. Depends on how much you added, of course. But in general, don’t worry about it. I bet it turns out delicious. Thanks so much for your comment, Ursula
thanks for the quick reply! it didn’t occur to us until later, well after we had sealed the mixture in a big jar, that ground spices may be tough to filter out during the next step. i suppose we will experiment with different fine-pored filters and see what works best. paper coffee filters perhaps?
Yes, this may be the only disadvantage. I would try to pour it through a colander first, to get rid of alle the big ingredients like nuts and large spices. After that, I’d try to pour it though a small piece of linen, a dish towel or a multiple layered cheese cloth. But be careful, the liquor leaves brown stains, so do not use a nice tea towel or sthg like that. Best of luck, Ursula
Hi! If after 6 weeks my liqueur is still a dark caramel brown but not black, should I let it sit for longer? Did I not use high enough proof alcohol (I used vodka)? I have it sitting next to a batch of nocino that I made on the same day with nuts from the same tree, but I used everclear for the nocino and it is fully black.
Hi Liz,
I would give it another 2 weeks. I always use regular vodka (40% or 80 proof) and usually it turns dark within 3 or 4 weeks. So I would just give it a little more time. Do you keep it at cool room temperature? If so, I’d consider moving it to the windowsill or a warmer room. I am not a fan of everclear with this recipe as it is too potent. After another 2-3 weeks, I would definitely strain it. I guess, you used the amount of nuts it calls for in the recipe?
is it possible to scale this recipe down to half or a quarter of the quantities and it still work?
Hi Fiona,
Yes, I would say this works. It’s just that you have a lot of work for a tiny bit of walnut liqueur if you do so :) You can always give it away as a present if you don’t like the taste :)))
Best, Ursula
Hi Ursula! Thanks for sharing this recipe, I am so excited to give it a try. My question is: the walnuts pictured in this post look quite different from the black walnuts that grow where I live. Will black walnuts work? Thanks so much!
Hi Molly,
There a basically 2 types of walnuts, the English walnut (also called Persian walnut, which I use here) and black walnuts. Since we only have English walnuts here, I have never tried using black walnuts. But it’s possible to use black walnuts for liquor, as you might learn here: https://foragerchef.com/nocino-black-walnut-liquor/ –> Alan uses only very little spices, but you could simply add the spices given in my recipe as well for a more “christmas-like” taste. Hope this helps! Ursula
Have you tried making nocino with a higher proof spirit? we distill our own (legal to do so here in New Zealand) and I have some 80% neutral spirit.
Hi Nigel,
I have never tried it with 80% alcohol personally, but I know people who do. My dad always says that 80% is too sharp (even if you later thin it) and too aggressive for the walnuts. It’s a personal preference. It sure is possible to use 80% and thin it later, I personally prefer the milder spirit. But if you have your own distilled spirit, it might be tempting. Up to you :)