A strong but sweet liqour, always prepared with the traditional recipes that are passed on in family, ideal at the end of the meal to accompany coffee and desserts, nocino is one of the most liked liquors from Parmesans. For preparing, use green nuts, which are not yet ripe, which are left to macerate in pure alcohol with sugar, cloves, cinnamon and lemon zest. The Parma tradition wants walnuts to be collected on the night of June 23, still wet by the beneficial dew of St. John’s night. Here’s how to prepare it.
Ingredients:
60 nuts
3 lt of alcohol for food
sugar
cinnamon
cloves
lemon peel
Preparation:
Cut the nuts into slices, put them a little in the mortar and infuse them with a good amount of pure alcohol (one liter and a half each thirty nuts),then add sugar, minced cinnamon, whole cloves and lemon rind.
Shake the mixture a little and let it macerate in a small jug or a large flask from forty days to two months. The resting place must be warm and dark and the container should be shaken from time to time to avoid deposits or separation of the ingredients.
After the rest, pour the mixture with a linen cloth, then filter the liquid with cotton and paper. At this point the nocino is to be tasted, because if it is too “load” it could be lightened by the addition of a glass of pure water, not more because it would become too light and lose its characteristics.
Like good wine, the nocino also acquires flavor and quality over time. Great as a digestive, this homemade liquor is normally served at the end of the meal along with coffee.
