To Pickle Green Peas That Are Green Wn. Ripe
From the treasured pages of Various Cookeries
Unknown Author
To Pickle Green Peas That Are Green Wn. Ripe
"Take the peas & shell 'em when they are of a midling sise & put 'em in salt & water in a pott that has a strait mouth, then cover the top of 'em with the Green swads & let 'em stand for a week then take 'em out & wash 'em in water & have a clean scowred pan & have it half full of water & as much Alegar as will make it indifferent sharp, then put in your pease & cover 'em with a white plate & cover the top of it with web Cloth & sett it on a slow fire to stew but do not let 'em boyl & when you think they begin to be green take off the white plate & put in some salt & close 'em up on the Hearth for a quarter of an hour, then sett 'em on the fire & let 'em stew till they be a good colour so take 'em out of the pan & let 'em stand till they be cold & take 'em out of the water & put 'em into the pickle which must be made of Alegar & salt & when cold put 'em up & keep 'em for use."
Note on the Original Text
This recipe, like many from the early modern era, is written in dense, flowing prose with minimal punctuation and no standardized spelling ('boyl' for 'boil', 'pease' for 'peas', 'scowred' for 'scoured', etc.). Quantities are not given precisely, assuming the cook's familiarity with proportions and techniques. Instead, it guides the reader step by step through visual or tactile cues, such as 'a midling sise' (middling size) peas or 'indifferent sharp' vinegar. Spelling and word choices such as 'stright mouth' (straight/narrow mouth pot) and 'Alegar' (ale vinegar) are typical for the era. The overall instruction emphasizes monitoring color and consistency as signs of readiness.
Title
Various Cookeries (1690)
You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome
Writer
Unknown
Era
1690
Publisher
Unknown
Background
A delightful glimpse into late 17th-century kitchens, this book brims with recipes, methods, and culinary wisdom passed down through generations, capturing the essence of historical gastronomy.
Kindly made available by
Folger Shakespeare Library
This recipe hails from late 17th-century England, a period when food preservation was paramount for survival throughout the year. Pickling in vinegar, especially using Alegar (a vinegar made from ale), was a popular way to store summer produce like peas for use in the winter months. The green pods (swads) were used not just as a covering but also to impart flavor and perhaps to help retain color during the brining stage. This recipe reflects both the scarcity of refrigeration and the ingenuity of early modern cooks. Using fermentation (a short salt brine) and vinegar pickling, it reveals the dual tactics employed to keep vegetables edible and appetizing long after harvest.
Back in the 1600s, cooks would have used a pottery or stoneware jar with a narrow mouth for the brining stage, wooden or metal utensils for handling the peas, a cloth (web cloth) for covering pots, and a plates weighted to keep the peas submerged. The heating stage would have been done over a hearth or open fire, using a scoured (cleaned) metal or earthenware pan. Later, the pickled peas would be stored in well-sealed stoneware or glass jars.
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
40 mins
Servings
4
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 (16 oz) fresh green peas (mid-sized, podded)
- 3 1/4 cups water (for initial brine)
- 1 3/4 oz (about 4 1/2 tbsp) sea salt (for initial brine)
- Fresh pea pods (handful, for covering peas during brining)
- 2 cups water (for stewing)
- 2 cups ale vinegar (Alegar; or malt vinegar as substitute)
- 1-2 tbsp salt (for stewing stage)
- 2 cups ale vinegar or malt vinegar (for final pickle)
- 3/4 oz (about 2 tsp) salt (for final pickle brine)
Instructions
- To make pickled green peas in the style of the late 1600s, begin by shelling about 1 lb (16 oz) of fresh, mid-sized green peas.
- Place them in a large glass jar and cover with a brine made from 3 1/4 cups water and 1 3/4 oz (about 4 1/2 tbsp) sea salt.
- Lay some of the pea pods (swads) over the peas in the jar.
- Seal and let it sit at room temperature for 1 week, allowing the peas to ferment slightly.
- Afterward, drain and rinse the peas in fresh water.
- In a clean, non-reactive pot, combine 2 cups water and 2 cups ale vinegar (Alegar; substitute with malt vinegar if unavailable) to make a sharply-flavored solution.
- Add the peas and gently weigh them down with a heat-safe plate.
- Drape a clean cloth over the top.
- Set the pot over low heat and let the peas stew gently—do not allow to boil—until the peas regain a bright green color (about 15-20 minutes).
- Sprinkle in 1-2 tbsp of salt, cover, and let them sit off the heat for 15 minutes.
- Return to the gentle heat until a deeper green develops, then remove peas and let them cool.
- Transfer to clean jars, covering with fresh cold ale vinegar brine (mix 2 cups ale/malt vinegar with 3/4 oz [about 2 tsp] salt).
- Store sealed in the fridge or a cool pantry; use within a few months.
Estimated Calories
60 per serving
Cooking Estimates
Set aside about 15 minutes to prepare and shell the peas, and make the brine. The peas will ferment for 1 week, but this is hands-off time. Cooking takes around 40 minutes in total, including gentle stewing and cooling. Each serving has about 60 calories, and the whole recipe yields 4 servings.
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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