Last year I got a fig online.  Teeny little thing.  It grew, and somewhere I read that after 4 or 5 leaves, you should pinch.  I did, and more branches grew.  It went dormant about 2 feet tall with about 5 branches.

This year, I have a baby cutting that I got dormant from UC Davis.  I laid it in the ground horizontally, next to some grapevines I planted the same way, 1.5" deep, loosely covered.  When it sprouted up, I thought it was the strangest grapevine I had ever seen!  Then it dawned on me.  It was a FIG!! 

So now instead of 2 leaves, it has 4, and the tip is growing, so, I can see that I should pinch after 4-5 leaves again to get more and more branches.  I don't need figs this year.  I need growth!  I have a buddy in the state of Georgia that wants a cutting or a rooted air layer.  He looked up the variety of fig, that I have, Panachee, strawberry flavored honey heaven, and he wants an Air layer!

This man sent me a ton of green pecans, so I owe him big time!! 

What is it, the Godfather said?  Don Corleone: "Someday - and that day may never come - I'll call upon you to do a service for me. But until that day, accept this justice as gift.."

Why did I want the green pecans?  Nocino of course!!
Suzi

Okay, I'll bite? How do you make nocino/nocini?

C.J.

Hi Suzi

What is  Walnut Liquor????????????????
Sounds like something Great

Al

There are tons of recipes for Nocino on the web.  I am making 2 liqueurs with the green pecans.  I am substituting pecans instead of walnuts because I have some homemade pecan wine that I want to fortify with the pecan Vin de Noix, so I'm making both with green pecans.

The pecans or walnuts must be picked green.  There is a tiny window in mid to late june, where you can push a needle into the outer layer with no problem.  Once they get too hard, it's too late. 

Also, you should wear gloves and use a plastic cutting board because the nuts will make everything they touch go black when you quarter them.

Nocino/Orahovac

Make a syrup with 1 C sugar and one cup water and bring to a boil.  Boil for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and store in the refrigerator for topping up the Nocino as needed.   In a large clean jar, mix 25 Green Walnuts (quartered), 1 quart vodka, 8 lemon leaves, 4 orange leaves, 4 cloves, 1 stick cinnamon, 1 vanilla bean split with seeds exposed, and 2 cups of sugar.  Close the jar and sit in the sun for 60 days.  Keep the steeping nuts covered with the syrup, adding as needed.  If you need more syrup, make additional, but don’t exceed ½ cup.  At the end of 60 days add any remaining syrup then strain liquid through fine cheesecloth lined sieve.   Bottle and seal. 



Vin De Noix

Add 38-40. green walnuts, quartered to 750 ml (one bottle) finished wine and let sit in a cool dark place for 40 days.   Using a fine mesh sieve lined with several layers of cheesecloth, strain wine into a large clean dry crock or pot.  Discard nuts.  To fortify the wine, pour 80 + proof unflavored Vodka into the pot with the wine.  Add 4 ½ C granulated sugar and stir until it has dissolved (about 10 minutes.)  Bottle, and age in the bottles for as long as you desire. 

And if these links don't get your juices going, nothing will!!

Nocino is mentioned in this forum many times: 

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?/topic/13996-nocino-green-walnut-liqueur-vin-de-noix/

http://kitchen-notebook.blogspot.com/2006/07/vin-de-noix.html

Enjoy!

Suzi