Green Walnuts

It’s always best to leave most of the walnuts until they ripen, in the traditional way. They will keep for half a year or longer in their shells as long as you keep them in a cool dry place. We used them to make chocolate brownies, lots of other cakes and a very healthy trail mix.

A Ripe Walnut, Ready to Drop

Everything about Walnuts seems to require an unfeasibly large reservoir of patience. If you pickle them now, it is a three week process and then they should be ready in six months, just in time for Xmas. If you make Walnut Schnapps, it should be ready in about a year (or five). So it may be a nice present for Xmas next year at best.

Good Things (Walnut Schnapps) Come To Those Who Wait

 You can make Pickled Green Walnuts from the unripe fruit, preferably around June, as long as the hard nut has not yet formed. They are known as the King of Pickles. I don’t know why this is; I made some last year and they were not even vaguely princely. Always wear rubber gloves when preparing green walnuts otherwise the juice, which is a natural dye, will stain your hands and clothes brown.

Green Walnuts - They Smell Exotic Too

Ingredients



1.8kg fresh young walnuts

215g salt

950ml malt vinegar

470g packed dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon freshly grated root ginger

Method

1.            Pierce each one of the young walnuts all over with a sharp fork or darning needle. Place the walnuts into a bowl and fill with enough water to cover. Stir in the salt to make brine. Put a plate on top, to make sure they are submerged and soak the walnuts for a week. Drain the mixture and make the brine again. Soak for another week.

2.            After the second week, drain the walnuts and lay them out on racks to dry in a sunny place. In 3-5 days they will turn black. Once they have all turned black, they are ready to pickle.

3.            In a large saucepan, stir together the malt vinegar, dark brown sugar, allspice, cloves, cinnamon and ginger. Bring to boil and then add the walnuts. Simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

4.            Spoon the walnuts into sterile jars and fill with the syrup to within 1 cm of the top. Seal with lids and rings. Store in the refrigerator or sterilise in a hot water bath for 10 minutes before cooling to room temperature and storing in a cool dark cupboard.

I also made some Walnut Schnapps. In Denmark this is seen as the very best type of Schnapps and it certainly is a singular liqueur. It starts life as a strange looking, emerald infusion, which gradually turns a deeper green.

The Early Stages of a Lengthy Process

Later it changes into an oily black/brown liquid and the final stages it turns a deep mahogany brown.

Recipe:

• Cut 5-6 large unripe walnuts (picked around July) in quarters.
• Put them in a clean glass jar with tight-fitting lid.
• Cover well with clear, unflavoured vodka - 40% (80 proof). Leave some air above the vodka.
• Steep for 5 months - in a dark place at room temperature,
  18-20°C (64-68°F).
• From time to time, or at least once a month, shake lightly with the lid off the jar - or stir with a spoon - to allow some oxydation.
• Strain and filter your infusion into a clean glass bottle or jar with tight-fitting lid.
• Store for at least 7 months in a dark place at room temperature before serving.

N.B. The longer you store your walnut schnapps - up to 5 years or even longer - the better it gets.

• Finally filter once more.

Always Wear Rubber Gloves!

The taste changes radically as the drink matures and (after about a year) it ends up as a tasty after dinner dram, something to be nipped sparingly with good friends. If it tastes too strong, it can be diluted up to ten times with more of the plain vodka base, according to taste but you will need to leave it a couple of weeks further to properly infuse.

Having said all of this, and tried a few ideas; I think you should leave walnuts on the tree to ripen. They are much nicer and you can do far more with them this way.

Walnut Wrangling

Folowers of the Urbane Forager keep saying to me things like,

“Apples/Pears, yada, yada, yada! When are you going to take us walnut picking?”

I’m paraphrasing of course but you get the gist.

Walnuts are very healthy to eat and according to nutritional scientists, they are the king of antioxidant supplying food stuffs. They can be used in a myriad of recipes (including a forager’s family favourite - Chocolate Brownies). In the Middle-Ages, Europeans believed walnuts would prevent illnesses, witchery, malevolence, and even ward off lightning.

It Is A Very Big Walnut Tree

My daughter and I zoomed over to our favourite tree, to check out the seasonal scene and YES, the walnuts were ripe, at last they are dropping! This is a huge tree, bang in the middle of town and you will always get competition from the local children when picking walnuts; there were plenty of sticks on the ground which had been previously used to throw up. Last year we collected about 16Kgs of walnuts in two quick trips to this tree.

Fill Your Boots - Well OK, Hat Then

We bagged a quick basket-full but there are still piles more up there just waiting to ripen or for a good wind to give them a good shake-down.

Ripe Walnuts

The big tree is not on my map at the moment J but some other walnut trees are. This one is in the middle of a residential area – so probably not good for a big gang to descend upon. There are many other walnut trees about the place, you need to be able to recognise their distinctive leaf pattern (a bit similar to ash) and then keep your eyes open to locate them, unless you notice the crunching of shells underfoot. I have seen them in Chandlers Ford and of course in Walnut Avenue in Swaythling.

Walnuts and Plenty of Them

However, if anyone is interested in a Walnut Picknik– I think I know the perfect venue. I need to check first but sign up here if you wish to enlist – be warned though it will require a steep walk up a grassy Iron Age hillfort...

Pear and Walnut Chutney

Not the "Supermoon" - Pear Tarte Tartin

We had a surfeit of foraged Walnuts and Pears clogging up my shed and the kitchen. I was aware the Walnuts would keep but knew that the Pears would need to be used up quite soon and, no matter how delicious it is, there's only so much Chocolate Pear Upside-Down Cake, Pear Tarte Tartin & Pear and Mulberry Crumble that can be consumed before bringing on fear of a heart attack! 

Chocolate Pear Upside-Down Cake

I made a winning Chunky Pear and Walnut Chutney back in 2011, but it was a bit too chunky for sandwiches. This time I chopped everything a bit finer and made twice the amount. It looks quite different and spreads nicely and importantly it actually does taste just as good my original attempt.

Peeled Apples, Pears and Onions

Ingredients.

• 1.2 Kg. Pears
• 225g Cooking Apples
• 400g Sugar
• 450ml Cider Vinegar
• 225g Onions
• 120g Walnuts, Chopped
• 1 Orange
• 275g Sultanas
• 1.5 tsp. Cinnamon (ground)

Walnuts

Method

1. Peel and core the pears and apples. Cut them and the onions into small chunks. Put the fruit and the vinegar together into a large preserving pan and stir. Slowly bring the mixture to the boil and then reduce the heat to simmer gently for 30 - 40 mins, stirring it occasionally to prevent any sticking.
2. Meanwhile, thinly grate the zest off the outside of the orange and set this aside. Also, gently toast the walnuts in a non-stick pan over a low heat, until they become slightly paler. 
3. Place the sultanas in a bowl and the squeeze all the juice of the orange over the sultanas and leave to soak. 
4. After the fruit and vinegar has reduced, add the sugar, sultanas, orange juice, and zest into the preserving pan and heat gently while stirring until all the sugar has dissolved. Finally, add the toasted walnuts and the cinnamon to the chutney.
5. Simmer gently for a further 30 - 40 mins stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
6. Spoon the chutney into pre-sterilised jars, seal and store in a cool dark place. 

Zesty!

This delicious chutney should be properly ready in about a month and should keep for a year. It will make a uniquely zesty, home-made, Xmas gift and will undoubtedly add a little spice to your food during the Winter months.

Cherries, Green Walnuts & Medlars

On our journey back from our walk at Bolton’s Bench recently, I spotted a big cherry tree by the roadside. I thought it must be worth a visit as I noticed the red fruit despite the rain streaked car windows.

The Cherry Tree

When the children and I returned to check it out, the skies darkened and it started raining, AGAIN! We had our waterproofs with us though and set out to try the cherries regardless.

Green Walnuts

As we crossed the road to where I remembered the tree was, we found two beautiful little compact walnut trees, one of which was covered in (yes you guessed it) green walnuts. I grabbed a couple off the tree to take home, I love their exotic smell.

Sadly the cherries were, although bountiful, somewhat sour and not quite ripe. Also the tree had curling leaves, which seems to have become a big problem for cherry trees this year.

Walnut Catkins in Spring

The disappointment of the cherry was more than made up for by the walnuts though. Many people have expressed an enthusiastic interest in walnuts and these trees are actually fairly common.  I will arrange a Walnut Picknik when the season is right. Keep a keen eye on the blog for dates, places and times.

A Large Walnut Tree

To help with identification I had produced a seasonal tree id sheet for walnuts to go with the others. However, I noticed during my Arthouse Cafe talk that one picture on it was of a plum! This error will be corrected soon and you may want to replace the sheet if you have downloaded it previously.

Medlars

There is a small walnut tree in Watts Park (Southampton), that’s the one in front of the Art Gallery; location and examining this tree will help familiarise you with the leaf shape and pattern. Interestingly, there is a Mulberry tree in this park too. 

Medlars Also Known as Cat's Bottoms (seriously)

There are also several large walnut trees in Mottisfont for those who are members of the National Trust and on our last visit, I even spotted a Medlar too. Not that I am suggesting anyone goes foraging on National Trust land!

Walnut Whip-Round

I seem to be inexplicably tuned into walnut trees at the moment. It must have been something to do with my recent blog entry. I'm now seeing them everywhere I go, they do look distinctive though and have a unique leaf pattern. It's strange, I though these trees were exotic and now I realise that they are fairly common - I just didn't recognise them before.


As I mentioned in the post Cider Inside 'Er Insides There are also walnut trees in Walnut Avenue (Swathling), although you can only collect nuts from the trees on public ground unles you get permission.There are also trees in Chandlers Ford and I know at least one in the Southampton parks.

Walnuts On The Tree

Most people only eat walnuts at Xmas, but they are a very healthy food and can be used in all sorts of cakes and breads. Our last batch has kept very well (they must be kept dry) and we still have a few left from our 2010 haul.

Yet More Apple Trees

I noticed a lot of apple trees in the wayside too and frequently saw flashes of yellow and red plums in the hedgerows, which just goes to show that the area where I live and work is not some kind of freakish Garden of Eden...

You need to look - but you also need to see!

Walnuts and Their Singular Leaves

I had to travel to Bury St. Edmunds this weekend (no, I didn't cycle). On the way out I noticed an immature tree on the airport roundabout. We stopped on the A11 for a break and there was a huge walnut tree over hanging the car park. On arrival at our destination in Bury, we had a short walk to stretch our legs and I spied yet another big tree laden with fruit.

These Walnuts Have Their Own Guard Horse

Chunky Pear and Walnut Chutney

1.2 Kg. Pears

225g Cooking Apples

400g Sugar

450ml Cider Vinegar (We used Malt Vinegar because that was all we had)

225g Onions

120g Walnuts Roughly Chopped

1 Orange

275g Sultanas

1.5 tsp. Cinnamon (ground)

Itchen River Pears

Peel and core the pears and apples. Cut them and the onions into small chunks. Add the fruit and the vinegar together into a large preserving pan and stir. Slowly bring the mixture to the boil and then reduce the heat to simmer gently for 30 - 40 mins, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

Windfall Apples - We Bought the Orange From a Shop

Meanwhile, thinly grate the zesty rind off the outside of the orange and set this aside. Place the sultanas in a bowl and the squeeze all the juice of the orange over the sultanas and leave this to soak. After the fruit and vinegar has reduced, add the sugar, sultanas, orange juice, and zest into the preserving pan and heat gently while stirring until all the sugar has dissolved.

Simmer gently for a further 30 - 40 mins stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

Simmering Nicely

While waiting, gently toast the walnuts in a non-stick pan over a low heat, until they become slightly paler. I used the remainder of the walnuts that we collected last year. Add the toasted walnuts and the cinnamon to the chutney.

If You Want It Extra Chunky - Leave The Shells On!

Spoon the chutney into pre sterilised jars, seal and store in a cool dark place. This delicious chutney should be ready in about a month and should keep for a year.

Finished and in the Jars

I had the important job of dealing with the left-overs. It tasted tangy, sweet and delicious straight off the spoon – I had to stop myself in order to save some for my sandwiches in the morning. It looks fabulous in the jars too.

Good Enough To Be Eaten Off A Spoon!

Mists and Mellow Fruitfulness

Autumn finally arrived. Suddenly, my Monday morning ride to work was shrouded in mist, my feet wet with dew and more worryingly, my cycle helmet wreathed in October cobwebs. My legs and arms ached from a weekend of exertions and yet it was a very satisfying ache. The kind of satisfaction that comes from knowing you have realised, what you set out to achieve.

Carnage and Cleaning

The reason for my sore limbs, was that we (my family, plus some friends and their children) had pressed five gallons of apple juice, from the fruit off Southampton Common and from Hedge End. That’s a whole lot of chopping, milling, pressing and cleaning followed by a warm glow of contentment (and a bbq) afterwards. More about this though, in a later post.

Medlars

The trouble with Autumn is that all its bounty comes at once; hence harvest festivals, pickling and preserves. The day after the cider pressing, my son and I also set off to pick Medlars; those medieval munchables that can be made into ruby red jelly or pale and interesting wine, amongst other things.

My son had been playing rugby in the morning but the tree was loaded with fruit and he was up the trunk in seconds, like a simian shoplifter. In about 10 minutes we had filled my bag with plenty of the curious looking, golden-brown beauties. Now we  need to think about how we should prepare them.

However, our day was not yet done! We thought it was high time to see if the walnuts were dropping yet. They were... We were bang on time and as we searched, you could hear the odd rattling as fresh nuts fell to the pavement. 

Competition, the Grey-Coated Gangster of the Nut World

The noise soon escalated into a clattering storm, as I shook the outer branches with my apple picker; I wasn't actually trying to get them to fall on my boy, as he scampered about grabbing them, but I managed to once or twice. I got one in the eye myself at one point.

Walnuts - Ripe and Ready to Drop

We Got Loads! Of course, Walnuts will keep for ages; especially with this quantity in our cupboard. They can be used in many recipes, including chocolate brownies. We also had a great year for Hazel or Cobnuts, so we will need to think of some interesting ways to utilise the nutty hoard we have squirrelled away. My son suggested Walnuts covered in melted chocolate... Unsurprising, but it would make a totally tasty Christmas treat/gift.

Finally, we rewarded ourselves with a quick trip to Mansbridge Community Orchard for a couple of ripe and juicy apples – I'm quite sure we deserved them after our afternoon travails.

Apple Day celebrations at Mansbridge will be held on the Octavia Road Open Space 26th October. Bring your own apples for pressing into delicious juice, or pick some from the trees on the day. More details soon - don't touch that dial!

Wet Walnuts

Southampton Storm Warning

The day after our assault on the Hedge End apples, the weather took a turn for the worse. Storms were forecast for a few days, with plenty of wind and rain in the mix.

We knew that the walnuts were ripening. So, we thought that the elements would lend a helping hand.

During a break in the rain my son and I whisked off to check out the situation amongst the local trees.

We returned with a bucket load of wet walnuts and once the fall has started, it always continues apace; so now is the time to get busy gathering them as they drop.

Do remember that the green hulls will dye your fingers and clothes brown if you do not take precautions…

Get Ready for the Rush

On a recent run about, I realised that Mother Nature had finally got around to bringing forth he bounty and (after waiting so long) it looks like it's going to arrive all at once. 

Elderflowers

Elderflowers are still blossoming, which is quite late. My Elderflower Champagne is already going down a storm.

Elderberries

Some trees will have young, green Elderberries on them at the same time and flowers. I'm going to be making Elderberry Port again this year - it was/is lovely.

Cherries

Cherries are still ripening on many trees, although some have already finished fruiting. A lot of cherry trees have shrivelled leaves and even mouldy cherries -  probably something to do with the persistent wet weather.

Cherry Plums

Plums are beginning to ripen nicely now and I have already picked and eaten some. I will soon be organising a plum Picknik, so don't touch that dial. There will be a real bounty of these tasty beauties so please register your interest asap, if you want to come along.

Yummy Plums

Hazelnuts are looking surprisingly early and some look like they might be ready by late July.

Hazelnuts

Blackberries are flowering and young fruit is already visible on some bushes. I might make more Blackberry Wine this year too.

Bramble Flowers

Walnuts are currently green and unripe, it’s too late now for picking them for pickled green walnuts or Vin de Noix, this is best done in June when the shells are not yet formed. I always think they are best ripe anyway.

Green Walnuts

Apples & Pears can now be seen on the trees, although they are far too small and unripe to eat, they give you an idea of the crop due to arrive in autumn.

Crab Apples

Chestnut trees are beginning to develop flowers and will soon be smothered in bunches of furry octopus like flowers.

Sloes

Sloes are visible on the Blackthorn bushes now, they are green and will not ripen for months.