Black nuts, with a twist

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 kg walnuts, green with shell
• 1 ½ liters of water
• 1 ½ kg sugar
• 2 tbsp, sautéed chili pepper(s), dried
• 2 tbsp, sautéed ginger, pickled

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Rest period approx. 14 days; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 14 days 2 hours

Black nuts are pickled unripe walnuts

Pick the walnuts in mid- to late June (they must not yet have formed a kernel). Wear disposable gloves when preparing them, as the tannin in the nuts will blacken your fingers. Pierce the nuts several times with a rolling pin and place them in a bucket of cold water in a cool place. The water should be changed twice a day for the first week. Once a day is sufficient for the second week. After two weeks, rinse the nuts and boil them in sufficient water until they turn black. In the meantime, make the syrup from the water and sugar. Drain and rinse the nuts after cooking, then immediately pour over the syrup and set aside for a day. Add chili and ginger, if desired. This makes a good combination with the syrup. Bring back to a boil the next day and simmer for about half an hour. Then pour into hot, rinsed twist-off jars. If there is any leftover syrup, pour it into jars as well. It’s great for dressings or marinades. The nuts get better the older they are. But after half a year you can already enjoy them.