Green walnuts, if you haven't had the pleasure of working with them, are an incredibly versatile ingredient. Their tender, slightly tart flesh makes them perfect for pickling. One of my favourite recipes involves brining the walnuts in a vinegar solution with a medley of spices—think cloves, cinnamon, and allspice. After a few weeks, the walnuts transform into a savoury delicacy that pairs beautifully with cheese and charcuterie. Pickled green walnuts add a burst of complex flavour to any dish and are a unique addition to festive spreads.Learn mo

But the uses for green walnuts extend beyond the kitchen. Their husks are a treasure trove for those with a penchant for crafting. Historically, walnut husks have been used to make a rich, dark ink. With just a few simple steps, you can create your own natural ink at home. Boiling the husks with water and a bit of vinegar, then straining and reducing the liquid, results in a beautiful ink that can be used for writing, drawing, or even dyeing fabric. It's a rewarding process that connects us to ancient traditions and adds a personal touch to our creative projects. See an example of walnut ink dyed fabric below:

Learn more about natural, organic walnut ink here.

Despite the enthusiasm and potential for these wet, green walnuts, we've decided not to sell them—at least not this year. With demand for dry British organic walnuts high and limited quantities, we are focusing on dry walnuts this year. However, we've already received a lot of interest from friends and visitors. It's heartening to see such excitement around our British organic walnuts, and it's made us reconsider our initial plan.

If the demand continues to grow, we're seriously considering making green walnuts available for purchase in 2025. It would be wonderful to share the fruits of our labour with more people and see how they incorporate green walnuts into their own culinary and craft traditions.

Green walnuts growing on a walnut tree

For now, though, we invite you to follow our journey, experiment with your own green walnut recipes if you can source them locally, and share your experiences with us. We're thrilled to be part of this vibrant, organic farming community and can't wait to see what the future holds for our green walnut harvests at Sharpham Park.

Thank you for being part of this exciting journey with us. Whether it's through a jar of pickled walnuts or a bottle of homemade ink, we hope you find as much joy in green walnuts as we do. Here's to many more abundant walnut harvests ahead!