Recipe Manuscript

To Make Walnut Catchup

Name: To Make Walnut Catchup
Prep time: PTPT30M
Cook time: PTPT30M
Yield: 50
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 2 kg green (unripe) walnuts, or 2 kg young walnuts in brine (well rinsed); 2 liters walnut juice (from above); 60 g sea salt; 15 g ground mace; 15 g ground nutmeg; 15 g ground black pepper; 7 g ground cloves; 500 ml white wine vinegar

1709

From the treasured pages of Cook-book of Margaret Turner

Written by Margaret Eyre

Culinary Enlightenment (1700 - 1800)European Intermediate Other

Original Recipe • 1709

Original Manuscript(circa Culinary Enlightenment, 1700 - 1800)

As inscribed by the original author's hand, transcribed with care by Lost Kitchen Scrolls

To Make Walnut Catchup

"Beat the green Walnuts in a Stone Morter, & take 2 quarts of the juce strained thro a Flannel. Put but to it 2 Handfull's of Salt, then boyle it over the fire till ye scum rises & keep skiming it till it's pretty clear. then put to it Mace, Nutmeg, & Pepper of each half an ounce, and a quarter of an ounce of Cloves all finely beaten, and let ye whole boyle together with a pint of good Vinegar, then pour it into an Earthen Pan and cover it close till it be cold, yn Bottle it, & Cork it well & tye a Bladder over ye Cork, set it in a cold dry place & in 6 Moneths it will be fit to use."

Note on the Original Text

The recipe is written in the instructive, non-quantified prose common to early modern English manuscripts. Quantities are given by eye and handful, reflecting both the hands-on nature of period cookery and the scarcity of precise measuring tools. Spellings vary (e.g., "ye" for 'the', "boyle" for 'boil'), and terms like "catchup" echo the era before the tomato’s rise in Britain, when 'ketchups' were savory, spiced sauces built on local ingredients like walnuts, mushrooms or oysters. Directions are brisk and assume a working knowledge of kitchen basics of the time, expecting the cook to judge readiness by look and feel rather than thermometer or timer.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Cook-book of Margaret Turner - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Cook-book of Margaret Turner (1709)

You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome

Writer

Margaret Eyre

Era

1709

Publisher

Unknown

Background

Step into the refined world of early 18th-century cookery with Margaret Eyre, where recipes are whispered secrets and culinary wonders await. From hearty roasts to delicate sweets, this charming tome serves up inspiration fit for the tables of historic England.

Kindly made available by

Folger Shakespeare Library

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe hails from the early 18th century, penned by Margaret Eyre around 1709. Walnut catchup, or ketchup, was a popular condiment in Britain long before the tomato-based ketchup we know today appeared. This savory, spiced sauce was used to flavor meats, ragouts, and stews. The recipe reflects the era's fondness for strong, umami-rich sauces influenced by both British preservation traditions and global spice trade access. Recipes like this were usually compiled by women running large country households, preserving seasonal bounty for year-round use. The slow maturation of the sauce, instructed here as a six-month wait, shows a patience and understanding of fermentation and flavor development characteristic of historic English kitchens.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

In the early 1700s, cooks would have used stone mortars and pestles to crush the green walnuts, a flannel cloth for straining, and large earthenware or copper pans for boiling the liquid. The catchup would have been stored in glazed earthenware jars or glass bottles, sealed with corks and an animal bladder or parchment tied securely over the top to keep out air and potential pests. All heating was done over open hearth fires, requiring attentive skimming and temperature control by hand.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Servings

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

4.5 lbs green (unripe) walnuts, or 4.5 lbs young walnuts in brine (well rinsed)
2 quarts walnut juice (from above)
2 oz sea salt
1/2 oz ground mace
1/2 oz ground nutmeg
1/2 oz ground black pepper
1/4 oz ground cloves
2 cups white wine vinegar

Instructions

To make this walnut catchup with modern ingredients, begin by sourcing about 4.5 lbs of fresh green walnuts (these are unripe walnuts, picked before the shell hardens; if unavailable, young walnuts in brine can be found in specialty stores).
Crush them thoroughly using a sturdy food processor or a mortar and pestle.
Strain the resulting pulp through a fine muslin cloth or nut milk bag until you extract about 2 quarts of juice.
Mix in around 2 oz of sea salt and bring the liquid to a gentle boil in a stainless steel saucepan, patiently skimming off the scum as it rises until the liquid clears.
Add 1/2 oz each of ground mace, nutmeg, and black pepper, and 1/4 oz of ground cloves.
Stir in 2 cups of good-quality white wine vinegar.
Simmer the mixture for a further 10-15 minutes, then decant into a large non-reactive bowl or earthenware, and let it cool covered.
Bottle in sterilized glass bottles, seal with corks, and if you're feeling period-accurate, tie on a clean balloon or wax paper over the top.
Store in a cool, dry place, letting the flavors mature for six months before using.

Estimated Calories

10 per serving

Cooking Estimates

It takes about 30 minutes to prepare the walnuts and measure the spices. Cooking and simmering together takes about 30 minutes more. The original recipe makes roughly 2.5 liters, which is about 50 servings of 50 ml each. Each serving has around 10 calories because the mixture is mostly water, vinegar, spices, and a small amount of walnut juice.

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.