Recipe Manuscript

To Make Green Goosberry Wine, Mrs Richardson

Name: To Make Green Goosberry Wine, Mrs Richardson
Prep time: PTPT20M
Cook time: PTPT0M
Yield: 10
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: Underripe gooseberries, 450g; Water, 1 liter; Granulated sugar (as substitute for loaf sugar), 340g per liter strained liquid; Brandy, 60ml per liter strained liquid (optional); Isinglass (optional, or use gelatin sheets as clarifier)

1720

From the treasured pages of Cookbook of 1720

Unknown Author

Culinary Enlightenment (1700 - 1800)European Intermediate Drink

To Make Green Goosberry Wine, Mrs Richardson

Original Recipe • 1720

Original Manuscript(circa Culinary Enlightenment, 1700 - 1800)

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

To Make Green Goosberry Wine, Mrs Richardson

"To every pound of Goosberrys (before they are ripe) when pick'd or bruis'd put one quart of water, let it stand three days stiring it twice a day, to every gallon of liquor, when strain'd, put three pounds of loaf sugar, put it in a barrel & let it stand half a year, then bottle it, to twenty quarts of liquor add a quart of brandy, or a little isinglass"

Note on the Original Text

The recipe is written in plain, flowing prose, typical of early 18th-century English manuscripts. Measurements are based on practical domestic units like 'pound,' 'quart,' and 'gallon,' with sugar referred to as 'loaf sugar,' the standard of the time. Spellings like 'Goosberrys' and 'stiring' reflect period conventions and the absence of standardized spelling before the late 18th century. Instructions are brief, trusting in the housekeeper’s knowledge and experience for the details of fermentation and bottling.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Cookbook of 1720 - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Cookbook of 1720 (1720)

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

Writer

Unknown

Era

1720

Publisher

Unknown

Background

Step back to the early 18th century and discover a delightful treasury of recipes and culinary secrets, where traditional flavors meet timeless technique—a feast for curious cooks and history lovers alike.

Kindly made available by

Folger Shakespeare Library

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe comes from early 18th-century England (circa 1720), when country housewives and gentlewomen delighted in making wine from garden fruits as a thrifty alternative to imported wines. Gooseberry wine was prized for its refreshing taste and festive sparkle. The recipe is attributed to Mrs. Richardson, likely a housekeeper or lady of the house, and was preserved in a manuscript collection of household secrets, reflecting the domestic skill and ingenuity of the period.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

The original method required large earthenware or wooden tubs for macerating and fermenting the fruit, a wooden or metal stirring paddle, linen cloths or fine sieves for straining, barrels or stoneware jars for aging, and glass bottles sealed with cork or wax. Some kitchens may have used a hand-cranked fruit crusher or simply a wooden pestle. The addition of isinglass or brandy would require careful measuring and mixing tools.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

0 mins

Servings

Ingredients

Underripe gooseberries, 1 lb
Water, 1 quart
Granulated sugar (as substitute for loaf sugar), 12 oz per quart strained liquid
Brandy, 2 oz per quart strained liquid (optional)
Isinglass (optional, or use gelatin sheets as clarifier)

Instructions

To make historical gooseberry wine, start with underripe gooseberries for a fresh, tart note.
For each 1 lb of gooseberries, bruise or crush them gently, and add 1 quart of water.
Let the mixture stand in a clean container for three days, stirring it twice daily.
After three days, strain the liquid and measure the volume.
For every 1 gallon of liquid, stir in 3 lbs of white granulated sugar.
Pour the sweetened liquid into a sanitized fermenting vessel, seal, and leave it to ferment and mature for six months in a cool, dark place.
After six months, bottle the wine.
(If making five gallons, add 1 quart of brandy before bottling for extra strength and preservation, or a little isinglass as a clarifier—gelatin may be substituted.) Age further in bottle before serving.

Estimated Calories

120 per serving

Cooking Estimates

You will spend about 20 minutes preparing the gooseberries and mixing ingredients. The recipe then needs to stand for three days before straining, followed by a six-month fermentation. Each serving contains about 120 calories, and the recipe makes about 10 servings per batch if you start with 450g of gooseberries.