"Karidaki glyko" - sweet walnut

Sweet and nostalgic....

“Karidaki glyko” – sweet walnut

“Karidaki glyko” is made with fresh and tender walnuts picked late in May and early in June.

Ingredients:

. 50 fresh green walnuts

. 1 cup lime powder

. 4-5 lemons juiced

. 2kg granulated sugar

. 5-6 cups water

. 1tbs whole cloves

. ½ lemon juiced for the finish

Preparation:

Before starting peeling the walnuts you must wear gloves in order to protect your hands from turning almost black because of the iodine that presents in the walnuts.

Cut a small triangle at the top of each walnut (as shown in the pictures), peel them and pierce each walnut horizontally and vertically with a skewer, and place them in a bucket with plenty of water. Let them stay like this for six days by changing the water every morning and night.

The seventh day change the water again and put the lime powder. Let them stay for 5-6 hours. Lime is used to make walnuts “crunchy” and prevent from softening. Wash the walnuts thoroughly to rinse the lime away.

Put walnuts in a deep pan with fresh cold water and bring to boil for 2-3 minutes. Empty the water and refill with cold water again and bring to boil for 2-3 minutes. Repeat this procedure once more and let the walnuts to be cooked. To make sure that they are cooked pierce with a needle, if it slides off the needle that means they are ready!  

Empty the water again and add the juice of 4-5 lemons, cover with cold water and let them stay for one hour. Lemon juice help walnuts to become shiny and crispy.

Empty the water, drain the walnuts and put them in a clean deep pan. Add the sugar, 5-6 cups of water and bring to boil for about 5 minutes. Repeat this procedure for three more days, twice a day (morning and night). On the third day, the last time you are doing this, add the cloves and let the mixture boil and reach to a point where the sugar syrup becomes thick and drops off a spoon slowly. Just before the end add the juice of half a lemon.

Karidaki glyko is now ready. Let sweet walnuts cool cmpletely and place them along with syrup in clean and dry glass jars.

Serve karidaki with cold water…. Enjoy!!!....