1. Pour the balsamic vinegar into a saucepan and simmer until the liquid has reduced by about a half.
2. When reduced, the vinegar becomes less sharp; it can therefore also smell very strong when it reduces.
3. Add lemon thyme, sugar and water to the reduced balsamic vinegar.
4. Allow it to simmer until the sugar has dissolved and it has a syrupy consistency.
5. Then turn in the nuts and leave to simmer for a couple of minutes.
6. Tip the pickled nuts into a jam jar.
Castello Matured Cheddar is a delicious and versatile cheese. It is an excellent choice for an appetizer, simply broken out into smaller pieces, but it’s also ideal on the Christmas cheese board with some crunchy pickled nuts.