HOMEMADE WALNUT LIQUEUR

 I've tried homemade walnut liqueurs many times in my life. I was never impressed. It always felt more like a medicine than as a liqueur. Do people make things mechanically just to say "oh yes, I made that, it's good for the health"? I don't function that way, I input energy and love to whatever I do, believe me, it is the only way to make things right and it does affect the final product. So I tried to make my own version of the liqueur - from scratch. First, I picked the walnuts myself in one sunny May day from the Bukovo region. I managed to pick about 150 walnuts. I never knew walnuts are so small and so green when growing. And their shell is soft, you can cut it with a knife. 

First let's see why walnuts are important for us

Walnuts are the fruit of the walnut tree, which can be grown in almost all terrains. This plant can be wild but can also be planted on a plantation. Its fruit is round, consisting of a core and an outer shell. The walnut kernel is edible and weighs only a few grams. To get to the core we must first break the solid shell that protects the core from pests.

Walnut is a traditional plant, for centuries the medicinal properties of its fruit have been known and therefore it is considered a protected or royal plant in some countries.

In addition to the recognizable taste, walnuts have excellent properties for improving concentration and memory, and the high price at which they are sold indicates that walnuts are an increasingly profitable business in the future.

Walnuts health benefits

Walnuts have found practical application in making various preparations and products such as: brandy or liqueur, these tried and tested recipes help our body to fight certain diseases. They help solve problems with the thyroid gland, throat, bronchitis, respiratory tract and immunity. 

Walnut as a medicine

The most famous walnut products are brandy, liqueur, balms and various preparations that have found application in the treatment of a large number of diseases. It has long been used as a medicine. Due to its specific composition and energy value, walnuts can be characterized as one of the most important fruits that we should consume during the day.

Young green walnuts

Walnut brandy

Walnut brandy is one of the most recognizable recipes among the people. This sweet drink is made with young green walnuts, sugar and homemade brandy. It is an excellent aperitif, improves appetite in people. It is used as a remedy for thyroid problems and serves to speed up metabolism. It is more effective than many known and recognized drugs. It should be enjoyed and consumed moderately.

Walnuts in brandy contain a lot of vitamins such as B1, B6, B9, C and E, a lot of iron, iodine, potassium, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus, sulfur, manganese and many other minerals and vitamins.

Due to the high concentration of iodine, it is useful for the treatment of hypothyroidism, a disease that attacks the thyroid gland and which occurs due to a lack of iodine in the body. Brandy is also used to cleanse the body and cleanse parasites in humans.

It prevents the appearance of periodontitis, is used to treat the skin and remove pimples, acne, blackheads, eczema. 

How to prepare homemade walnut brandy?

First, you need young green walnuts. Their size should be around 2 cm long. They grow in spring, best month on the North hemisphere is May. In Macedonia, we pick them ourselves and the brandy you see in the photos is made with walnuts I've picked myself. For 1 liter bottle, you will need 30 walnuts. You will also need a good honey, and the most important - high quality grape rakia. I used homemade white 50 degrees strong rakia, you use whatever is available in your country.

Ingredients for 1 liter bottle:

• 30 young green walnuts cut horizontally in half
• 200 g honey
• 3 orange slices
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3-4 cloves
• 3-4 coffee grains
• 1 cinnamon stick
• grape brandy about 700 ml 

1. Wash and dry walnuts, then cut in half horizontally.
2. Put walnuts in the bottle. Use a bottle with wider opening. You can use a glass jar too.
3. Add the honey. 
   
   
   
4. Add the rest of the ingredients and finally fill the bottle till the top with the brandy.
5. Close the bottle or the jar and leave on a sun for 40 days. Shake the bottle every several days.
6. After 40 days, you can strain the resulting liqueur and pour in another bottle. I never do that. I just keep it as it is in the fridge. The color will turn into almost black.
7. The best for consuming is after several months. If you try it right away, you won't be thrilled with the taste. But after several months when all flavors set, you'll fell in love with your liqueur, so I strongly suggest to prepare several bottles, so you'll have enough during the year.
8. Take 1 cup in the morning and enjoy the benefits of your healthy and tasty drink.
9. The walnuts in the bottle will shrink and harden but you can still eat them. Eat one walnut occasionally.

   Other way of using young walnuts is to put them in honey