Königskind Black Walnuts 45g. Black walnuts in a small jar – green walnuts in spiced syrup, handmade, for sampling.
Königskind Black Walnuts 45g are the small jar of black walnuts from Wiehl in the Oberberg region. Inside are green, unripened walnuts preserved in a sugar syrup with orange, lemon, water, and spices. The jar contains 115 g. The 45 g in the name refers to the drained weight, meaning the walnuts without the syrup.
Black walnuts from Königskind are tied to a date on the calendar: June 24th, St. John's Day. Until shortly before this, the young walnut on the tree is green, and its later hard shell is still soft. A few weeks later, it has become woody, leaving only the cracking sound of autumn. Because of this, unique traditions have formed around this day in several countries. In Italy, families use such green walnuts to make the walnut liqueur Nocino. In this country, they used to be pickled, especially in rural areas, before they were largely forgotten. At Königskind, "pickled" means: soaked in water until the walnuts turn black, and then cooked in a sweet syrup. The entire fruit is eaten, cut into thin slices. This small jar is the easiest way to bring this specialty to your plate for the first time.
Taste: sweet syrup, citrus, and a tart depth
A single slice is enough to get to know their character. First comes the sweetness of the syrup, carried by orange and lemon. This is followed by the tartness of the green walnut, slightly bitter and spicy, as only unripened walnuts possess. The producer describes this as tart-aromatic.
The consistency is reminiscent of pickled fruit. The walnut is soft through and through and can be sliced with ease. The casing, shell, and kernel have merged during the months in the syrup into a piece that glows evenly black. The spices in the syrup remain subtle and add warmth to the whole.
Eaten on their own, the walnuts are very sweet. Those who rarely eat sweets might find them too sugary straight from the spoon. Their strength truly shines only in combination with salt and fat: with cheese, roast meat, or pâté. And if you are looking for the crunch of roasted walnuts, you are in the wrong place, as these nuts are soft.
Use: the first nut for cheese, the rest for roasts and dessert
For a first try, a piece of cheese works best. Slice a walnut into thin pieces and place them on Camembert or soft goat cheese. The salt and fat of the cheese balance the sweet-tart nut, and you will quickly realize why this combination is traditional. For a cheese board for two, the amount in the small jar is well-proportioned.
The walnuts also go well with meat. A few slices next to game, the Sunday roast, or on a slice of cold roast beef on Monday give the plate a fruity, dark note. They work just as well with pâtés. You can warm them and add them to a risotto, chopped and folded in just before serving.
As a dessert, they are ready in two minutes. Place a few slices on a scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzle some syrup from the jar over it. The orange in the syrup combines with the vanilla, while the nut's tartness keeps the sweetness in check.
The label advises storing them in a cool place after opening. Keep the small jar in the refrigerator after opening and remove the nuts with a clean fork. Save the syrup; it is a condiment in its own right.
Our tip: Try the first nut very simply. A piece of soft goat cheese on dark bread, topped with two thin slices of black walnut and a drop of syrup. This is how you will taste the nut most clearly and know immediately whether it fits into your kitchen.
Origin: half a year of work for a small jar
The journey into the jar begins in the final days of June before St. John's Day. The walnuts are picked green while the shell is still soft. Each nut is pierced several times with wooden skewers. After that, the nuts lie in a water bath for weeks, which is refreshed every day. During this time, they change color until they are completely black.
This is followed by three days with syrup: the walnuts are poured over with hot syrup and brought to a boil, then they rest until the next round. After filling, they need several months in the jar until the sweetness and tartness have harmonized. A large part of the year lies between the harvest and the finished jar.
All of this is done by Uwe and Sabine König at the Königskind Genussmanufaktur in Wiehl in the Oberberg district. Uwe König started this as a hobby in his own kitchen in 2005, and in 2014, he turned it into his workshop. Everything is done by hand and in small batches. According to the producer, no added flavors, dyes, preservatives, or flavor enhancers are used. "Oberbergisches Produkt" (Product of Oberberg) is printed on every label.
For whom: for sampling and as a gift
The small jar is aimed at anyone who wants to try black walnuts for the first time. It fits into small households where a cheese board is being prepared for two. And it is a gift that stands out. It is suitable for an invitation involving cheese and wine, as a souvenir from the Oberberg region, or as a little surprise for anyone who enjoys cooking. With such a rare specialty, there is usually a story to tell when unwrapping it.
Once you have developed a taste for them, you can reach for the Black Walnuts in the large jar with 260 g. The Raspberry Mustard from the same manufacturer also goes well with Camembert. In our Antipasti category, you will find other specialties in jars, and the Königskind page shows the entire assortment from Wiehl.
Note: The jar contains walnuts, which are tree nuts. It is not suitable for those who are allergic to nuts.
Black walnuts in a small jar, handmade in Wiehl – for sampling, for a cheese board for two, and as a gift.
