Pickled walnuts

This year one of our walnut trees (about 10 years old) has produced an enormous amount of walnuts. So this year for the first time we are trying to pickle them while they are green. So half a bucket collected and then the "stabbing" started!
Our son brought a present for us from Uzbekistan. It is a small tool used to decorate Uzbek bread. Well this has been brilliant in allowing us to "stab" the walnuts and then put them in brine. Quite a long process and hope it will be worthwhile.

 

I admire you! Mum used to do them (I hated them).
She also pickled samphire and made lots of chutneys.
When I started my little chutney business, I vowed I'd never do walnuts! I was asked for them quite often.

 

Brains

 

What do they taste like?

 

I've never tried a pickled walnuts.
But they sound revolting.

On a par with pickled eggs.

 

I'm going to try them. They might be nice. I know a woman who likes them but she is a vegetarian. They like strange things.

 

I just wonder if there is an optimal point in growth that they are ready to pickle.

 

Yes @pete before the shells begin to harden inside the outer 'nut'. That's why you have to prick them all over to check. Now is the ideal time.

 

I think we need to taste the commercial ones first to see if they have potential. Some things are irredeemably disgusting @pete

 

Pickled eggs, for a start.

 

I love pickled walnuts! (Quite like pickled eggs too)

 

There are loads of immature walnuts in the park, you could just stand there and pick them at the moment, usually once they are ready either the squirrels get them or some of the community have them.

 

To most of you we have never eaten pickled walnuts either so this is the first time of trying to make our own. We may end up not liking them or they also may not pickle properly. But having so many on the tree it is worth an experiment. There are still so many higher up the tree but we expect the crows will take the green ones and any left that become nuts the squirrels will take them.

 

And the squirrels most likely will bury them in the lawn for later