The market · Nuts and seeds · Southern Europe, Northern and Central Europe, The Caucasus

Green walnuts

Walnuts picked in early summer, before the shell inside hardens — inedible raw, and the base of Italian nocino, English pickled walnuts and Caucasian walnut preserve.

bitter · resinous · tannic

What to do with it

Rosa Ibarra's Clarified milk punch, mezcal and pineappleGreen walnut would soften its edgeIbu Sari's Sambal ijoGreen walnut would soften its edgeKenji Hara's Milk punch, with hojichaGreen walnut would soften its edge

Goes with

sugarvodkamalt vinegarclove

Knowing it

Where to buy
From a tree you know, or specialist growers. A skewer should pass cleanly all the way through; if it hits shell, they're too late.
Worth knowing
Wear gloves — the juice stains skin brown-black for days. For pickled walnuts, prick them, brine for a week or two, then leave them in the air until black before they go into spiced vinegar.