The Walnut Tree
and
Spiced Runner Bean Pickle
At the bottom of the garden at our holiday home in France, nearly touching the old stone wall, is a walnut tree; I’d like to say it was the “old walnut tree”, in the manner of the Old Quince Tree that we also have in the same garden, but, in fact it is quite young and we only planted it seven years ago. The tree has been extremely prolific and never more than this year, with both of us collecting at least two kilos of fresh walnuts every day……the wind kindly harvests the walnuts for us, and, as we have no squirrels in the area, most of our crop is safe. The tree leans at a strange angle already, and it’s green boughs provide cool solace and shelter for the chickens during the height of summer, as well as framing the bottom of the garden with a lovely canopy of glossy green leaves; but, it’s when the bright green orbs start to shed their outer skins and reveal their inner secret that I find the tree at its most attractive. For those of you who have only ever bought walnuts in those little netting bags from the supermarket or farmer’s market, you might find the photos I am sharing today as fascinating as I do when I wander down to collect the nuts.
The nuts are hidden inside a thick green skin, and as they ripen the skin starts to crack and eventually opens to reveal the walnut inside. Most of the nuts end up on the ground, but you can give them a helping hand and pick them as and when you see the skins starting to open……
…….you are then left with an empty husk and with a tell-tale nut brown colour inside the shell/skin – walnuts are known for their qualities as a natural dye, and when pickling the fresh green walnuts at the end of spring, you need to wear gloves – I will be sharing a recipe for traditional pickled walnuts next year. However, if the walnuts have been prolific, then our runner beans have RUN away this year………
……..every day until about two weeks ago, Malcolm would dump a couple of kilos of runner beans on the kitchen counter and say “over to you”! His duties as a gardener were over and mine, as a cook, were just beginning. At first it was wonderful…….we revelled in freshly cooked runner beans with every meal – sautéed with lemon and hazelnuts, gently steamed and served with salty butter, cooked au gratin or even made into curries, the beans kept on coming and I was able to create delectable recipes with them; until one day it all stopped and I heard myself utter the immortal words, “NOT MORE bloody runner beans”! It ‘s that stage in a harried cook’s life that the art of preserving needs to be activated, and that’s exactly what I did a week ago……it was time to dust off my preserving jars and get pickling.
My recipe today for Spiced Runner Bean Pickle is an old one – tried and tested countless times over the decades, it’s an amalgamation of an old recipe cut out of a weekly paper and my grandmother’s recipe for Runner Bean Chutney. Think Piccalilli but sweeter and milder and with less crunch, think mellow and yet subtly spiced, think “FAB with cheese and charcuterie” and you are on the right track with this classic pickle recipe. NOW is the time to make it, so the pickle has time to mature from an unruly and gobby teenager in to a fully morphed well spoken adult…….yes, it DOES need time to mellow and mature before you dare anoint any cheese or ham with a “gurt big dollop” on top.
The recipe is shared below, and in the absence of a few hundredweight of runner beans, you CAN use French (green) beans in this recipe, as in Haricots Verts. It is also very well-behaved after it is opened – I found a jar found lurking at the back of my fridge several months after opening and all was well…….if you have seen my fridge you will understand why! Serve this old fashioned pickle with cheese, of course, cold cuts, ham, charcuterie and with egg and chips too – it’s a great condiment to have to hand, and it takes care of all those unwanted late runner beans you may have at your disposal. Enjoy……and see you soon with a NEW recipe for STICKY CARROTS as well as my day at a leading carrot farm and manufacturer. Karen
Spiced Runner Bean Pickle
Print recipe
| Serves | Approx. 2.25kgs (5lbs) |
| Prep time | 45 minutes |
| Cook time | 35 minutes |
| Total time | 1 hours, 20 minutes |
| Dietary | Vegan, Vegetarian |
| Meal type | Condiment |
| Misc | Pre-preparable, Serve Cold |
| Occasion | Barbecue, Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving |
| Region | British |
| By author | Karen Burns-Booth |
Ingredients
- 1.350g (3lbs) runner beans (trimmed and sliced)
- 1.350g (3lbs) onions (peeled and chopped)
- 850mls (1 1/2 pints) malt vinegar
- 675g (1 1/2 lbs) Demerara sugar
- 2 teaspoons cornflour
- 1 tablespoon dry "English" mustard powder
- 1 tablespoon turmeric powder
- salt
Note
A very old family recipe for runner bean pickle, this recipe is perfect when you have a glut of runner beans and is very easy to make. It tastes similar to Piccalilli, but it slightly sweeter and is wonderful in cheese sandwiches, as well as with ham, corned beef and other cold cuts. My mum loves it with egg and chips too!
Directions
| Step 1 | Boil the prepared beans in salted water until just tender. In a separate pan, boil the onions in salted water until soft. Strain both and combine the beans and the onions together in a preserving pan. |
| Step 2 | Add the vinegar, excepting 2 tablespoons, and the sugar to the bean and onion mixture and mix well. Boil for 15 minutes. |
| Step 3 | In a small bowl, mix the mustard powder, turmeric and cornflour to a smooth paste with the reserved vinegar. |
| Step 4 | Add the mustard and turmeric mixture to the beans and onions and boil for another 15 minutes. |
| Step 5 | Remove the pickle from the heat and pour (or spoon) into warm sterilised jars. |
| Step 6 | Seal and label when the pickle is cool. |
| Step 7 | The pickle will be quite runny when it is hot, but it thickens on cooling and storing, Best eaten 4 weeks after making it. Serve with cold cuts, cheese and in sandwiches. |
Some WALNUT recipes on Lavender and Lovage:
English Apple and Walnut Salad Salad
Fresh Fig and Goat’s Cheese Salad with Walnuts
Frazzled Kale and Frisee salad with Pomegranate, Persimmon and Walnuts
Rosemary & Smoked Sea Salt Roasted Walnuts
Salted Chocolate Brownies with Walnuts
Pumpkin, Walnut & Poppy Seed Muffins with Cheddar Cheese
Pumpkin, Kale and Walnut Galette with Pancetta and Onion Jam
Sonia Constant says
This looks yummy, especially the way you have broken up that bread! yummy 🙂
Karen Burns-Booth says
Thanks Sonia, it is such a mellow pickle and great with all sorts of ingredients.
Kate - gluten free alchemist says
Ah yes…… the immortal words cursing the endless beans that need tending daily! I had the same problem this year and used the very same solution (with almost the same recipe), although I spiced up my chutney with a bit of chilli for good measure. Bean chutney is amazingly good and perfect for ‘managing’ the beany glut!
Karen Burns-Booth says
Love your addition of chilli to your pickle recipe Kate!
Dominic says
how utterly wonderful!… to have your own walnut tree. I remember my aunt in California having a couple of trees in her back yard and she had baskets and baskets of walnuts in the house, almost in every room!… gorgeous recipe, straight from the earth!
Karen Burns-Booth says
I also adorn the house with freshly picked walnuts when our season is in full fruit mode Dom! Love my walnut tree as much as do my quince tree.
Glamorous Glutton says
It is a lovely garden full of abundance and charm. I loved seeing the chickens happily pecking away under the shade of the walnut tree. The figs were in full fruit when I was there too. I’ve made this wonderful runner bean pickle and it’s a keeper. Definitely a recipe to pass down the generations. Thanks Karen. GG
Karen Burns-Booth says
Thanks so much for your lovely words GG – yes, the fig tree and walnut tree are the shady friends of the chickens!
Bintu @ Recipes From A Pantry says
Oh loves beans so he plants sooooooo many of them I never know what to do. So you don’t know how glad I am to see this so next year I know what to do with some of the excess.
Karen Burns-Booth says
This is just the recipe for excess beans Bintu!
Tina @ The Spicy Pear says
What stunning pictures of your walnut tree, had no idea those little nuts emerged from green pods. I would love to come and see your home and garden Karen. Sounds like a magical place. And what a lovely pickle, perfect for the festive season coming. I need to take some time out so that I can start preserving and pickling last of the seasons fruits and veg.
Karen Burns-Booth says
Thanks so much Tina, I always think my garden is magical and the walnut tree is the centre of the garden at this time of year.
Choclette says
Thought I’d already commented on this one Karen – love it. Haven’t made runner bean pickle for a few years, but must get around to it next year. So envious of your walnuts, how very wonderful. Have stumbled.
Karen Burns-Booth says
Thanks Choclette, a useful recipe for your runner bean glut too maybe?
Joanna Pettitt says
What a beautiful site! Glorious photos and attention to detail. I am going to try your runner bean pickle very soon and can’t wait – I have never made a chutney or pickle before and I’m excited about it! I love my tiny veg garden and many friends/family have benefitted from all of my beans so far but now it’s time to think ahead for the cooler months and enjoy simple food with maximum flavour and I can’t think of anything better than gorgeous meats and cheese with beautiful bread and a dollop of this pickle! I may add a sprinkle of chilli flakes and some garlic to another batch and taste the difference. I shall report back!
Keep doing what you are doing, I’m so very glad I have come across your site after much searching.
Warm regards,
Joanna
Karen Burns-Booth says
Hello Joanna,
Thanks so much for your supportive and kind comments, and I am so pleased that you love what I am doing here, it is a labour of love sometimes, but I love cooking, baking, writing and taking photos!
The chilli and garlic will be a great addition, do try the original version too though, as it’s such a fabulous taste, warm and spiced with a hint of mustard which goes so well, as you say, with cheese and and cold cuts of meat.
Thanks once again for leaving such a lovely comment, and welcome to my site!
Karen
julie says
hi i really like the look of the bean pickle so will give a gp
JohnS says
Hi – discovered your recipe on Pinterest and am going to make it today! Question: Your suggestion “best eaten 4 weeks after making it” – I’m not sure whether that means Ishould wait for weeks before starting to eat it – or it should all be consumed within 4 weeks of making it? Thanks!
Karen Burns-Booth says
Hi John
Yes – it needs to mature for 4 weeks at least, so it best eaten after 4 weeks from making, BUT lasts for ages if not eaten in that time frame!
Karen
Louise says
Hi… I am making the runner bean recipe I am unclear on the last two steps.
Am I supposed to add the hot pick to a warm jar and then seal
then label when the pickle is cool
OR
add the pickle to warm jars
then seal and label when the jars and the pickle are cool?
Please help as I am currently wondering if the jars will seal …
thanks!
Louise
Karen Burns-Booth says
Hi Louise
I am sorry for the late reply, but I have been away working with limited wifi.
You add the hot pickle to the hot jars and seal IMMEDIATELY. Then add a label when the jars are cold.
Hope that helps?
Karen
Dara says
Another question re: jarring up. Do you store this in the fridge after they have cooled or can they be stored at room temperature? Just wondering as I know many preserves etc. Need to be processed in boiling water before storing at room temp.
Karen Burns-Booth says
Hi Dara, they can be stored in a cool and dry place, such as pantry but must be stored in the fridge after opening. Karen
Andrew Hague says
How young do the beans need to be? I want to make the pickle, but some of my beans are starting to get a wee bit mature.
Karen Burns-Booth says
Hi Andrew
They need to be fairly young as they become very hard to soften and can be a wee bit fibrous.
Karen
Meg says
Just about to make this chutney again this year. Made it for the first time last year and our family and friends couldn’t get enough of it! It really is fabulous. Thank you for a great recipe that we will come back to time and time again.
Have frozen par boiled beans from earlier in the season so will see how it turns out !
Karen Burns-Booth says
That is LOVELY to hear Meg – thanks so much for taking the time to pop by and let me know, Karen