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Home » Foraging & Sustainable Living

How To Make Pickled Green Walnuts

Published: Jul 3, 2022 · Modified: Nov 17, 2022 by Chef Tripti · This post may contain affiliate links

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Admittedly, not the first thing to come to mind when thinking of pickled foods, so if you have never tried pickled walnuts, give this pickled walnut recipe a go. Pickled green walnuts are an English pickle dating back to the 18th century. I still remember trying them for the first time in a posh English hotel I once worked in and loving the taste. I am Indian and love my pickles and sour things, and this took me back to my childhood days when I would eat dried date pickles, which in India we call chuara churan.

This pickled walnuts recipe is easy to follow. Traditionally pickled walnuts are eaten with sharp cheddar, or with roasts and game; however, I find them equally delicious on toast with vegan cheese, in pies, pasties and even in my burgers.

A small black dish containing sliced pickled walnuts surrounded by bread slices, cheese slices and a jar of pickled walnuts

Pickled green walnuts are sour/tangy, like solid Worcestershire sauce. It's probably England's best-kept secret!

Continuing the pickling theme, check out my quick and easy method for pickled red onions and pickled green wild plums.

How Do I Identify A Walnut Tree?

A mature walnut tree can grow up to 35m high. They have a short trunk with a broad, expansive canopy.

A common way to identify a tree is by its leaves. Each leaf of the walnut tree has between five and nine leaflets. The leaflets are shaped like a feather and paired along the leaf stem. A single leaflet terminates the stem. Crushed walnut leaves have a distinct, citrus-like smell.

Close up of leaves of the walnut tree with unripe green walnuts

We want to harvest the fruit for pickled walnuts before the hard nut shell starts to form. Late June, Early July is the time for this. In autumn, the nut case opens and exposes the walnut, which falls to the ground.

A wicker basket sat on grass containing unripened green walnuts
Harvested Unripe Walnuts For Pickling
Close up of an unripe walnut sliced in half showing inside of walnut
Sliced Unripe Walnut

You can see if you have caught them before the nutshell hardens by cutting through one of them. If you can cut it in half, it is suitable for pickling, and you can carry on gathering the unripe walnuts.

Of course, you can enjoy the walnuts when they have fully matured. The nuts themselves will be ready to harvest around October.

Jump to:
  • How Do I Identify A Walnut Tree?
  • Ingredients For Pickled Walnuts
  • Instructions
  • How-To Video
  • Substitutions
  • Variations
  • Equipment
  • Storage
  • Top tip
  • 📖 Recipe
  • Food safety

Ingredients For Pickled Walnuts

Ingredients for pickled walnuts in small dishes, annotated. Malt vinegar, course sea salt and castor sugar
  • Unripe green walnuts
  • Coarse sea salt
  • Malt vinegar

See the recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

First, find a walnut tree to harvest the unripe, green walnuts. Do this in late June or early July.

Wash and pat dry the walnuts.

Close up of a fork being used to stab an unripe, green walnut

With a fork, stab the walnuts all over.

A saucepan containing water and course seas salt to make brine

Add the water and coarse sea salt to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Once the salt has dissolved, please remove it from the heat and set it aside to cool.

Close up of a jar containing tightly packed in unripe, green walnuts.

Tightly pack the pricked walnuts into a sterilised jar. Pack tight enough so that the walnuts do not float in the brine.

Pouring brine into a jar containing tightly packed in walnuts.

Pour the brine (salt water) into the jar to cover all walnuts completely. Secure the jar lid and store it in a cool, dark place for eight days.

Brine soaked walnuts laid out on a baking tray.

After eight days, drain the brine-soaked walnuts and place them on a tray. Put the walnuts outside in the sun all day. Turn them from time to time, so they darken evenly.

Close up of a hand holding a brine soaked walnut that has been darkened by the sun

After a day in the sun, the brine-soaked walnuts will have darkened in colour.

A jar containing walnuts on a pickling malt vinegar picking liquor.

In a saucepan, add the malt vinegar and castor sugar. Bring to a boil. Once the sugar has dissolved, set it aside to cool. Tightly pack the darkened walnuts into a sterilised jar and pour in this pickling liquor once it has cooled down.

A sealed jar containing walnuts in pickling liquor ready for storage.

Seal the jar and place it in a cool, dark place for one month. Label the jar so that you know when the pickled walnuts are ready.

A small, black shallow dish containing sliced pickled walnuts, ready to eat

How-To Video

Here is a video guide to making the pickled walnuts recipe.

Substitutions

This pickled walnuts recipe uses malt vinegar specifically for the earthy flavour it gives; however, you can replace it with cider vinegar.

Variations

This recipe for pickling walnuts is simple. However, you can add another layer of flavour by adding a choice of spices to the pickling liquor. Perhaps try black pepper or allspice and even ginger.

Equipment

You will need a large glass jar for pickling. The jar size will depend on how large the walnuts are and how many you would like to pickle.

Storage

If you have adequately sterilised the jar, the pickles should be good for up to a year. To sterilise a jar, wash in warm soapy water and then place in an oven at 100ºC for thirty minutes. Make sure you use a clean, dry spoon each time you take out the pickled walnuts.

Top tip

The brine and pickling liquid measurement in the recipe card is based on the size of my jar and walnuts. The best way to judge exactly how much of each you need is to pack the walnuts in your selected jar and add water before you start. The amount of water you pour in is the amount of brine and pickling liquid you will need for the recipe proper.

📖 Recipe

Close up of a shallow black dish containing sliced pickled walnuts.

Pickled Walnuts

Chef Tripti
How to pickle unripe green walnuts.
4.41 from 5 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 10 minutes mins
Pickling time 39 days d
Total Time 39 days d 15 minutes mins
Course Appetizer, Main Course, Salad, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine British
Servings 10 pickled walnuts

Equipment

  • 500 or 750 ml Jam jar or similar

Ingredients
  

  • 10 Green Walnuts
  • 2 teaspoon Coarse sea salt
  • 25 gms Castor sugar
  • 250 ml Malt vinegar
  • 300 ml Water

Instructions
 

  • Wash and pat dry the walnuts. Using a fork, prick the walnuts all over.
  • In a pot or pan, add the water and the salt and bring to a boil. Once it boils and the salt has dissolved, immediately turn off the heat and set aside to cool.
  • In a sterilised jar, pack the walnuts tightly (tight enough so they don't float up when adding the brine.)
  • Pour the cooled-down brine (salt-water) into the jar with the walnuts and seal tight. Leave the jar in a cool dark place for eight days.
  • After eight days, drain the brine. Place the walnuts onto a flat plate or tray, and leave them in the sun for a whole day. Turn the walnuts from time to time, so that they darken evenly. At the end of the day you will see that the walnuts have turned black.
  • Pour the malt vinegar and castor sugar into a pan and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat once the sugar has dissolved and set it aside to cool.
  • Once again, pack the walnuts into a sterilised jar tightly.
  • Pour the cooled-down pickling liquor into the jar with the walnuts and seal the jar shut. Set aside in a cool dark place (under 21ºC) for a month.
  • After a month, the pickled walnuts are ready to use as desired.
Keyword Cheese board, Green Walnuts, Pickled Green Walnuts, Pickling
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Food safety

In a professional kitchen, food hygiene and safety are top priorities, and from the beginning of my training, I practised good habits and routines. Here are some fundamental practices to adopt in the kitchen at home.

  • Wash your hands regularly while preparing, handling and cooking food.
  • Wipe down countertops and high-contact points regularly.
  • If you cook meat and fish, do not use the same utensils on cooked food that previously touched raw meat. Use separate chopping boards for meat and fish. Wash your chopping boards immediately after use.
  • Thoroughly cook food to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C).
  • Don't leave food at room temperature for extended periods (more than 2 hours).
  • Store food correctly.

For more details regarding food hygiene and safety in the home, visit the UK Government's Food Standards Agency webpage.

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  1. Bill says

    July 19, 2023 at 10:54 am

    5 stars
    Will this still work even if I've cut the walnuts in half rather than pricked them?

    Reply
    • Chef Tripti says

      July 24, 2023 at 8:16 pm

      I wouldnt recommend using the walnuts that have been cut in half. When you cut the walnuts in half they release this sticky stuff and that's why I don't cut them before pickling. You can try it, however am unable to say how it will turn out and if the taste or texture will differ. Another thing is that they would become too soft after the pickling process and may disintegrate.
      I hope this helps.

      Reply
  2. Sandra says

    June 21, 2024 at 5:29 pm

    Can you use balsamic vinegar? Would I still need the sugar?

    Reply
    • Chef Tripti says

      June 27, 2024 at 8:54 pm

      Hello Sandra
      I haven't tried pickling walnuts with balsamic vinegar yet, however I think it would work. It is sweet like malt vinegar, however, the flavour will change a bit. You would need the sugar, as salt, sugar and vinegar are the basic pickling process.
      All the very best.Let me know how it goes.

      Reply
Blog author behind lavender plant
Chef Tripti

Hi! Tripti here. I am a Michelin-trained chef with over 20 years of experience in the industry. My mission is to help you cook fresh, nutritious food with simple recipes that deliver creativity and taste—food with heart and soul.

More about me →

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