Vogtige Witte Noten
"Moist White Walnuts"
From the treasured pages of Het Hollands, of Neederlands kook-boek
Unknown Author
Vogtige Witte Noten
"Neemt fraaye groene Noten, die niet te hard zyn, schiltse tot aan het wit, zoo dat 'er niets groens aanblyft: doet ze in koud water; laatse dan braaf opsieden, tot dat gy ze met een Lardeer-priem of Spel prickelende, zy 'er weer van zelfs afvallen, zonder te blyven aanhangen: scheptse dan op, en legtse weer in koud Water: druktse wat in 'er midden; doet 'er Kruid-Nagelen, of Kaneel in kleine stukjens gesneden, of ook wel Citroenschil by: Kookt dan Suiker à Lisse, waar in dat gy uw Nooten zult doen: laat ze fraai kooken, en dan een half uur rusten: zet ze voorts weer op een groot vuur, tot dat de Syroop tot à Parlé is gekookt, en bewaard ze gelyk als de andere Confituren. De Nooten zyn zeer wit indien men schoone witte Suiker gebruikt; men kan als men wil deze Confituur Ambreren, als wanneer dat men deze Parfuim daar by mengt."
English Translation
"Take fine green walnuts that are not too hard, peel them down to the white so that nothing green remains: put them in cold water; then let them boil well, until, when you prick them with a larding needle or pin, they fall off by themselves, without sticking: scoop them out and place them again in cold water: press them a bit in the middle; add cloves or cinnamon cut into small pieces, or also lemon peel: then cook sugar to 'lisse', in which you will put your walnuts: let them cook nicely, and then rest for half an hour: then put them back on a high heat, until the syrup is cooked to 'parlé', and preserve them as you would other preserved fruits. The walnuts are very white if you use beautiful white sugar; if desired, you can perfume this preserve, by mixing in this perfume when you wish."
Note on the Original Text
The recipe is written in an instructional, narrative style, typical of early modern cookbooks—it assumes the reader knows basic kitchen techniques and omits precise quantities, relying on sensory cues instead. Spelling and word usage reflect early 18th-century Dutch: 'noten' for walnuts, 'kookt' for cook or boil, and 'parlé' referencing an advanced syrup stage. Some terms, such as 'ambreren', reference the addition of ambergris (a rare aromatic) to impart a luxurious scent—more common then than now, when it is replaced by edible flavors. The casual, conversational nature of the recipe expects the reader to work by eye and touch, guided by experience.
Title
Het Hollands, of Neederlands kook-boek (1725)
You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome
Writer
Unknown
Era
1725
Publisher
J. du Vivie
Background
A delectable journey into 18th-century Dutch cuisine, this cookbook serves up traditional recipes, culinary wisdom, and a flavorful glimpse of the Netherlands’ rich gastronomic heritage.
Kindly made available by
Internet Archive
This recipe hails from the early 18th-century Dutch culinary tradition (first published in Leyden, 1725), when sugar preserves were all the rage among the European elite and middle class. Sugar was expensive and preserving fruit and nuts in it was both a display of wealth and a practical way to enjoy seasonal produce year-round. Green walnuts, harvested before their shells harden, were particularly prized for their mild, creamy taste and their ability to absorb spice and aromatics. The addition of ambergris—a rare and costly perfume ingredient—hinted at further luxury, although safer edible essences are used today.
Cooks of the period would have used a sturdy paring knife to peel the walnuts, a large cauldron or brass pot for boiling and simmering, and wooden spoons for stirring. They tested sugar syrup stages with fingers or by dropping it into cold water. For inserting spices or aromatics, a larding needle or skewer was used, and conserves would be kept in glazed earthenware or glass jars sealed with parchment or bladder. Precision thermometers did not exist, so cooks relied on tactile and visual clues to judge syrup consistency.
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Servings
10
We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!
Ingredients
- 1 lb 2 oz fresh green (young) walnuts
- water (enough to cover and rinse)
- 1 lb 10 oz white granulated sugar
- Cloves (whole, 5-10 pieces, or to preference)
- Cinnamon stick (cut into small segments, optional)
- Lemon peel (slivers, optional; about half a lemon's worth)
- Ambergris essence (optional; modern substitute: a few drops of vanilla extract or orange blossom water)
Instructions
- Begin by selecting fresh green walnuts that are still tender and not overly hardened (usually harvested early summer).
- Peel them down to the white inner layer, removing all green outer skin.
- Place the peeled walnuts in cold water to avoid browning.
- Boil the walnuts in fresh water until a skewer or needle can pierce them easily and the nut slides off without resistance—this should take about 15-30 minutes depending on nut size.
- Remove from the boiling water and shock them again in cold water.
- Gently press the nuts in the middle to make a slight indentation.
- Insert a few whole cloves or a bit of cinnamon stick, or if you prefer, a sliver of lemon peel, into each walnut.
- Prepare thick sugar syrup by dissolving white granulated sugar (use about 1 lb 10 oz per 1 lb 2 oz of prepared walnuts) with equal weight in water, bringing it to a boil until it reaches thread consistency (about 221°F).
- Add the prepared walnuts to the boiling syrup and simmer gently.
- Let the mixture rest for half an hour off the heat, then boil again until the syrup reaches the 'parlé' stage (just before soft-ball stage, about 230°F, when the syrup forms threads).
- Cool and store the walnuts in their syrup in sterilized jars.
- The resulting conserve should be very pale if you use high-quality white sugar.
- If you wish, you may add a little culinary ambergris essence (nowadays: vanilla extract or orange blossom water) for fragrance as a finishing touch.
Estimated Calories
180 per serving
Cooking Estimates
You will spend about 30 minutes peeling and prepping the walnuts, and around 45 minutes simmering and boiling them in syrup. One serving is about 2-3 walnut pieces with their syrup, and each serving has roughly 180 calories, mostly from the sugar syrup.
As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.
We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.
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