Nocino Recipe
- 2 pounds green English walnuts, 1 1/2 inches or less in diameter (about 30)
- 750 milliliters 80-proof vodka
- 3 1/2 cups sugar
- Zest of 1 lemon, in strips
- Zest of 1 orange, in strips
- 5 cloves
- 1/4 whole nutmeg
- 1 heaping teaspoon whole dark-roast coffee beans
- Quarter the walnuts and place them in a large glass jar, at least 3-quart capacity. Add the remaining ingredients and stir. Don't worry that the sugar won't immediately dissolve. Seal the jar, and place it in a sunny place for 40 days. The liquid will first turn a sinister green, then black. Once every 10 days, agitate the jar by inverting it a time or two. You can taste the alcohol at any stage and add more aromatics if you like.
- After 40 days, strain the contents of the jar through a damp jelly bag and catch the liquids in a bowl. Funnel the liqueur into scalded bottles, and seal. Store in a cool, dark place for several months; Lanza suggests opening them on All Saints' Day. Before serving, you may want to strain the liqueur through a coffee filter to remove sediments, but it isn't necessary to do so. The liqueur will keep indefinitely without refrigeration.
