Make Pickled Walnuts

Pickled walnuts are a great addition to a Ploughman's lunch or with a cheese platter. You will need access to a walnut tree or a walnut grower in order to obtain green nuts.

Ingredients

• Fresh walnuts from the tree, without shells formed; amount up to your choice
• Brine - enough to cover the walnuts (1/2 cup salt for every 5 cups water)
• Spice vinegar (refrigerated) - recipe provided below

Steps

1. Gather the nuts before their shells form. It is important to test for the formation of a shell by pricking each walnut with a needle. Discard any walnuts on which the needle detects shell formation. It is useful to know that the shell always forms at the end that is opposite to the stalk.
2. Prick the nuts that are free of shell. Place these in brine for 3 days.
3. Drain the nuts. Place in fresh brine and leave for 7 days.
4. Drain after the week has passed. Place the nuts on fruit drying racks or cake cooling racks. Leave for 24 hours to dry and blacken.
5. Clean and sterilise storage jar(s). Fill the jar(s) with walnuts. Pour in spiced vinegar over the walnuts (see recipe next).
6. Seal the jar(s). Allow the walnuts to marinate for at least one month.

Recipe for Spiced Vinegar

This is a recipe suitable for pickled walnuts spiced vinegar. The amounts can be adjusted to cover the amount of walnuts you have.

• 5 cups white vinegar
• 2 tbsp peppercorns
• 2 walnut-sized pieces dried ginger-root
• 2 tbsp whole allspice

1. Place the peppercorns, ginger-root, and allspice into the vinegar. Seal and leave to marinate at the same time as the walnuts soak in the brine.
2. Use as directed above.

Tips

• You can also add sweetener at the same time as the spiced vinegar if desired.

Warnings

• Take care when handling walnuts! They stain easily but the stain is hard to remove. Wear gloves to prevent transfer of the stain from skin to clothing. Wear an apron as well to protect clothing.

Things You'll Need

• Needle for testing walnuts
• Jar or bowl for soaking walnuts
• Sieve or colander for draining
• Drying rack - fruit or cake or other improvised drying surface
• Storage jars - enough for the amount of walnuts chosen

Related Articles

• Make Walnut Paste
• Make Maple Syrup and Walnut Chocolate Fudge
• Make Walnut Carrot Cake
• Make Walnut and Sultana Bread
• Make Chocolate Caramel Walnuts (Uncooked Fondant)
• Make Walnut Butter Cookies

Sources and Citations

See also

• Make Walnut Paste
• Harvest Black Walnuts
• Make Candied Walnuts

What links here

• Harvest Black Walnuts
• Crack Pecan Nuts
• Forage for Food in the Fall