Nocino is a homemade Italian walnut liqueur. May-June, one of the farmers sells young green walnuts at the Civic Center farmer’s market. I had never seen them before, but thought I’d try this out. You make nocino by quartering the green walnuts and infusing them in vodka (I used a local vodka) with coffee beans, cinnamon stick and I forget what else for a month, shaking it once a day, then straining it and diluting it with sugar. Then store it in the basement. Some people say to let it age at least two years; this one is from 2015. I didn't make mine super-sweet but I honestly don’t remember how much sugar I put in it. It’s halfway between straight vodka and a liqueur.

It is excellent for cooking and baking, such as in pound cake and ice cream.