Recipe Manuscript

To Pickle Cucumbers

Name: To Pickle Cucumbers
Prep time: PTPT30M
Cook time: PTPT10M
Yield: 10
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 1 kg small cucumbers; 20 g fresh ginger, finely shredded; 10 g fresh dill; 10 g fennel fronds (or substitute with fennel seeds, 2 g, if fresh unavailable); 1 liter white wine vinegar (or substitute with white grape vinegar if available); 80–100 g non-iodized salt (to 'float an egg')

1689

From the treasured pages of Cookbook of Mary Cruso and Timothy Cruso

Written by Mary Cruso

Renaissance (1400 - 1700)European Intermediate Snack Other

Original Recipe • 1689

Original Manuscript(circa Renaissance, 1400 - 1700)

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

To Pickle Cucumbers

"Take the Cucumbers run very dry lay ym with a small grain of shred Ginger then a lay of Dill and fennell then boyle - some Grape Vinegar Seasond as high as will almost bear an egg let it just boyl up and then put it to the Cucumbers covering ym afterwards very close So let ym stand 3 or 4 days boyling the liquor twice more at the same distans after and putting it in agn hot so the Cucumbers as before --"

Note on the Original Text

This recipe is written in the typical early modern English style: brief, with little explicit instruction, and assumed knowledge of techniques and tools. The spelling—'ym' for 'them', 'boyle' for 'boil', and 'agn' for 'again'—reflects the flexible and unstandardized orthography of the time. Directions are given as a sequence of actions without precise timings or quantities, as was common when experienced readers were expected to fill in the gaps using their own judgment and knowledge.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Cookbook of Mary Cruso and Timothy Cruso - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Cookbook of Mary Cruso and Timothy Cruso (1689)

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

Writer

Mary Cruso

Era

1689

Publisher

Unknown

Background

Step into the flavorful world of 17th-century cuisine with Mary Cruso’s delightful collection, where time-honored recipes and inventive cookery tips offer a peek at the tastes and talents of yesteryear’s domestic kitchens.

Kindly made available by

Folger Shakespeare Library

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe dates from 1689 and comes from the collection attributed to Mary Cruso, a woman working or living in England during the late 17th century. At this time, pickling was an essential method for preserving the bounty of summer well into the winter months, as refrigeration was centuries away. The use of grape vinegar suggests a connection to either domestic winemaking or trade routes bringing grape-based products into English kitchens. Layering fresh herbs and ginger not only flavored the cucumbers but also showcased the increasing variety of ingredients available to well-heeled households during this period. Recipes like this would have been used by knowledgeable housewives, stewards, or cooks to ensure a steady supply of savory preserves for the table year-round.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

In the late 17th century, cooks would have used earthenware or stoneware jars to hold the cucumbers and brine. Vinegar would be heated in a brass or copper pan over an open hearth or charcoal brazier. Measuring was done by weight (for salt) or by traditional advice such as whether an egg would float. Herbs and ginger would be cut with a small sharp knife. The containers were sealed with waxed cloth or leather and tied tightly with cord to make them as air-tight as possible.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

10 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

2.2 lb small cucumbers
0.7 oz fresh ginger, finely shredded
0.35 oz fresh dill
0.35 oz fennel fronds (or substitute with fennel seeds, 0.07 oz, if fresh unavailable)
1 quart white wine vinegar (or substitute with white grape vinegar if available)
2.8–3.5 oz non-iodized salt (to 'float an egg')

Instructions

Begin by selecting small, firm cucumbers—about 2.2 pounds.
Wash and dry them thoroughly.
Next, prepare about 0.7 ounces of fresh ginger, peeled and finely shredded.
On a large, sterile preserving jar, make a single layer of cucumbers, sprinkle them with a small pinch of the shredded ginger, then add a layer of fresh dill (about 0.35 ounces) and fennel fronds (about 0.35 ounces).
Repeat the layers until the jar is full.
For the pickling liquid, use approximately 1 quart (about 4 cups) of good-quality white wine vinegar or white grape vinegar.
Warm this vinegar in a saucepan until almost boiling.
Add non-iodized salt until the mixture is so salty that an egg will nearly float (about 2.8–3.5 ounces of salt per quart, but test with an egg as in the period).
Let the vinegar just come to a boil.
Pour the hot, seasoned vinegar over the cucumbers, ginger, dill, and fennel in the jar.
Seal tightly.
Let the pickles stand for 3–4 days in a cool place.
After this, pour off the liquid, reboil it, and pour it back over the cucumbers.
Repeat this process one more time at similar intervals.
After the third time, allow the cucumbers to mature for at least another week before sampling.

Estimated Calories

25 per serving

Cooking Estimates

You will spend about 30 minutes preparing the cucumbers and herbs and making the vinegar brine. The cook time is very short, just the time it takes to heat the vinegar. Allow the pickles to sit and mature for about 2 weeks before eating. One serving is 100 grams, and this recipe makes about 10 servings. Each serving has about 25 calories since this is mostly vegetables and vinegar.

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.