Grünne Nüsse

[pintoshine]

I am trying a recipe that is new to me. It has several different way to be prepared. I have chosen the German method that I read about in a German book named "Schnaps Brennen als Hobby" by Bettina Malle and Helge Schmickl. I did not have European walnuts available so I am trying it with American Black Walnuts. So far the results look similar to those in the book.

GrunneNusse1.jpg

GrunneNusse2.jpg

Here is my results so far.

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DSCF2713_quarter.jpg

I'll update this in about 6 to 8 weeks.

[trthskr4]

Is that sugar that the walnuts are covered in from the book? I see no reference to zucker or however it's spelled. It looks like a similar process to the fruit recipes just kind of in reverse and not shooting for the sugar/fruit/alcohol syrup to be added at the end as with "panty dropper".

[pintoshine]

No it is frost. The nut are frozen to accelerate the release of juglone. This is a sugarless aspertif style schnapps.

[pintoshine]

I assembled this stuff back on the 22nd of June. It is now three weeks later. My bottle of mixture is the same color as the on shown in the picture. At first glance it is black.
I poured a half shot and cut it to 40%. To my amazement THIS STUFF IS GREAT!!.
Diluted down it was a brownish yellow color. The film left in the glass was bright yellow. It is very pretty.
I'll take some pictures of the diluted stuff later. I didn't realize but I missed a step. I didn't freeze the nuts. I also used 95% undiluted.
This is one of the best non-sweet infusions I have tried.

[Husker]

What was the age of the nuts? Picked mid June? And how easy was cutting them at that stage of development?

H.

[pintoshine]

I picked them on June 22nd. They were very easy to cut up. The husk, shell and but were all very soft. I would bet that as long as the shell is still in an undeveloped state they could still be used.

[punkin]

Gunna try this next year pint. My mate has a Walnut tree in his yard that produces well.

What abv are you spossed to use, i take it you're saying the 95% was not according to recipe?

[pintoshine]

The recipe in the book calls fr 50%. The Danish Schnapps site calls for 40%. The book calls for diluting the strong walnut infusion with more 50% at a later time. I diluted from 95% to 40% for a taste. Seems to work at 95% just as described in the book.

[punkin]

Thanks Pint, i'll have to remember to check this post next summer.


BTW, thanks again for the condensor plans, you aughta see that sucker working!
When i turn the gas up it sounds like the wind whooshing thru the trees it works that well

[pintoshine]

I think you would like it.
I am glad the condenser is working out. I really enjoy the knockdown capacity my large one has too. I can make it huff and puff real good from the vapor collapses it can handle. This spring I ran it four times and was really happy with the rum and vodka I made from the stripped alcohol from it.
I am using some of he vodka from the molasses to make this schnapps.

[Chapiteau Arabe]

Hi Pint,

There are similar French and Italian recipes for green walnut liqueurs. The Italian version is called nocino, and is worth a google. Italians often use 90% spirits, as I have for the last couple of years with success. Nocino improves considerably with age: it throws a sediment, the oily green-black oxidizes to rich brown, and the bitterness subsides without losing any of the magic walnut flavor. The batch I made last summer is much better now than it was at Christmas time. If you can stand to, put some aside! (In a couple of weeks it will be time here to begin the cycle again!)

Cheers,

Phil

[punkin]

The Walnuts are starting to get to the stage where i think they should be. They're still not much more than an inch across, maybe less than golf ball size. I assume they are English nuts, so would i wait till they are squash ball in size or go off the condition of the insides?


Will you make this again next season Pint?
Is it good enough to be a permanent addition?
How often do you find y'self reaching for a nip?

[blanikdog]

Euro stiller sent me this recipe many, many months ago. His family have been making the Italian version for a cupply generations.

Walmuts are getting to the right stage here now so I intend to try it.

ES recommended it highly.

blanik

[pintoshine]

The jug of the Black Walnut that I started in June is very nice now. I cut a bottle down to 40% and this stuff is very smooth. It has a distinct after taste that is hard to shake. I like it though. It would be a very nice after dinner drink similar to a dry sherry.
I was really surprised by the color. The 95% is black. The 40% is a deep brownish red like whiskey. The yellowish color os completely gone. Even a shot glass full is colored as to look like it has been colored with caramel.
This batch has been aging now for 5 months. I opened it once a month and waved some fresh air into the bottle. I guess that was enough to allow the juglone to oxidize.

[maztec]

Sorry for digging up such an old thread, but I wanted to add to the recipes here and see if anyone else has tried to make Orohovac, in addition to the other green walnut products listed here.

I love green walnut liquors. I went a tad overboard last year and tried out roughly eight different recipes, including my own. So far, my favorites were my recipe for Orohovac (Croatian green walnut liquor) and, I'll be honest, a saison I made with green walnuts (it was awesome). Unfortunately, due to timing I was unable to make any this year, but I did tuck away a few bottles last year of each type and have yet to open them.... I suppose I should go give them a taste again, eh?

Has anyone else here tried an orohovac recipe, or possibly have a slightly better recipe than what I used? My recipe was as follows:

* 12 green walnuts narezanih the fourth, crack
* 1 liter plum (rajovec) brandy
* 3/4 kg sugar
* 2 bars vanilla

Put in clear jar, leave in sun for 40 days, strain, bottle, put in dark until at least Christmas or later.

Oh yes, and one not primarily based on liquor, but has been more popular than any of the other green walnut drinks I made -- it is likened to a good port (I made 10 liters of it, so still have some):

Vin de Noix

40 young walnuts that can be pierced with a needle, rinsed and quartered
1 liter alcohol such as brandy, marc, eau de vie, or vodka
5 liters red wine
1 kg sugar (2 pounds)
One or more of the following are often added, but are optional
12 walnut leaves
Zest of 1 orange
4 to 8 cloves
1 vanilla bean
1. Pick the walnuts in late June when the walnuts are well formed, but can still be pierced with a needle. Place all of the ingredients in an 8 quart (8 liter) non-reactive container with a lid. I use a large glass jar. Store in a cool dark place for 6 to 8 weeks, shaking occasionally.
2. Strain through cheesecloth into a bowl. Taste, and adjust the sugar if you want the drink to be sweeter. Bottle and store in a cool dark place until the cold weather.

[blind drunk]

I've made the euro stiller one. No sugar and so far it's only been used as a medicinal; good for stomach aches. Took a shot a couple of weeks ago and it fixed me up good. Really good taste but so far it belongs in the medicine cabinet, but that could change right around Christmas bd.

[blanikdog]

Talking of eurostiller, has anyone heard from him recently? I've lost his email address and I assume that he doesn't come here or we'll have had some input from him.

[kiwistiller]

He posts, very occasionally. Maybe a PM would alert him to your questions?

[der wo]

I know this thread is old. But not everything is correct. I have this book at home, it's written in german and I speak german.

-The walnuts are frosted only for the reason, that the author can present a "before and after"-picture.

-The author recommends to distill it after 6 to 8 weeks.
This is also my experience. Without distillation it taste medicinal and bitter, after distillation it has a sweet mouthfeel and a hard to describe abstract taste (not at all like ripe walnuts). One of my favourites. And cheap and easy.
In my expirience the strenght of the alcohol and the duration of the lay in is not so critical here if you distill it. Not as with berries, where a very strong alcohol can cause a dark and bitter taste also in the distillate. But of course the proportions between nuts and alcohol are important. For example, if you put only 150g per liter 40% and distill it, you get something like decent flavoured wodka.
My favourite: Per liter 15% in the pot I take 270g fresh or frosted quartered nuts in the headspace and distill with my LM-still. For potstill-users I recommend 30% in the pot and per liter 550g nuts.

-and the correct spelling is "Grüne Nüsse". Another name is "Johannistrunk", the drink of Johannes/John, because the nuts are traditionally harvested at the day of John the baptist, the 24th of June.

It's great. Try it.
Cheers!

[just sayin]

Thanks for your input, Der Wo