Why nocino is made on June 24th

Nocino is traditionally prepared on June 24th, the feast of St. John the Baptist. This is no coincidence: this date is rooted in a specific botanical explanation, centuries of popular tradition, and a curious legend.

What is the legend of nocino?

According to popular tradition, walnuts destined for nocino had to be harvested on the night between June 23rd and 24th, because it was considered a time when nature reached its peak power. It is said that young women, barefoot and at dawn, would climb the trees to pick the unripe walnuts, without using metal tools, so as not to alter their properties.

The legend has its roots in ancient pagan rites linked to the summer solstice. It was believed that the dew on the night of San Giovanni possessed beneficial virtues , and that walnuts , imbued with this energy, had protective, healing, and even propitiatory powers. Another widespread tradition, especially in Emilia-Romagna, holds that witches and spirits gathered under the large walnut trees during the night of San Giovanni. The walnuts collected on that occasion would therefore absorb a particular magical power, which was then passed on to the liqueur.

Why is nocino made on St. John's Day?

Legend aside, there's a specific botanical reason behind this custom: June 24th—that is, late June—is (or rather, was) the right time to harvest green walnuts. On that date, the husk—the outer green shell—was still soft and easily cut. The inner kernel, too, had not yet hardened, making it rich in iodine , tannins, and essential oils: it is precisely these compounds that give nocino its dark color and intense, spicy aroma.

Our ancestors had identified this very brief window with astonishing precision. The fact that it coincided with the feast of St. John the Baptist did the rest: by combining peasant knowledge with religious tradition, they ensured its survival over the centuries.

It's important to consider, however, that the seasons have changed. Walnuts now ripen earlier than they once did , often as early as early June. Those who wait for San Giovanni (St. John's Day) risk finding them too hard, and nuts that are too hard don't make a good nocino. The advice is to harvest them before that date, a few days or weeks early. Not by choice, but because the climate has changed, and this must be taken into account.

How to prepare nocino

Nocino is one of those recipes passed down by word of mouth , with approximate quantities and endless regional variations. The following is the recipe for nocino from the Order of Modenese Nocino , the classic Emilian version, the most widespread and the most balanced.

Ingredients

• 1 liter of 95° alcohol
• 1 kg of sugar
• About 1 kg of walnuts (about 33-35 fruits)
• 1 stick of cinnamon
• 3 cloves

Preparation

• Get the green walnuts and rinse them well under running water.
• With a sharp knife, cut each walnut into four wedgesCaution: The juice from the husk will permanently stain your work surface.
• Place the husks in a glass jar, alternating them with the sugar.
• Leave the jar exposed to sunlight for 1–2 days, stirring occasionally.
• After this time, add the alcohol and flavorings, then transfer the jar to a sunny spot. Open the container occasionally and stir regularly.
• FLet everything rest for at least 60 days before filtering it. Then, pour the liquor into dark glass bottles and store them in a dark, dry environment.
• Wait at least 12 months before opening the bottles.

How not to waste leftover walnuts: Once strained, macerated walnuts shouldn't be thrown away . You can chop them coarsely and use them to enrich the batter of some desserts, add them to meat sauces, or mix them into fig or plum jam.

Read also:

• Homemade walnut liqueur
• Walnuts lengthen life
• What can you do with walnut shells?

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