Recipe Manuscript

To Pickle Walnuts Mr. Mary Hill'S Way

Name: To Pickle Walnuts Mr. Mary Hill'S Way
Prep time: PTP10DT1H
Cook time: PTPT15M
Yield: 25
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 100 large young green (French/English) walnuts (about 1.2–1.5 kg); Salt (about 200 g per 2 liters water for brine); 2 liters vinegar (malt or cider); 28 g whole black peppercorns; 28 g fresh ginger root (sliced or crushed); 14 g whole cloves; 14 g whole mace blades; 14 g whole nutmeg (cracked or grated); 15 g yellow mustard seeds; 3–4 whole garlic cloves (optional)

1695

From the treasured pages of Cookery and medicinal recipes of the Granville family from Worcestershire and Cadiz

Written by Granville family

Renaissance (1400 - 1700)European Intermediate Other

Original Recipe • 1695

Original Manuscript(circa Renaissance, 1400 - 1700)

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

To Pickle Walnuts Mr. Mary Hill'S Way

"Take an hundred of ye Largest french Walnuts at the beginning of July before they are hard shell'd just Scald rub off them, throw them into Brine yt will bear an Egg, for 9 or 10 Days changing them Evry other day & keep them close from the Air yn make your pickle of good Vinegar Black pepper, Ginger, of each one ounce, cloves mace, & Nutmeg of each half an ounce beat the Spice wth a Large Spoonful of Musterd Seed, boiling your Spice in ye pickle & put yo^r pickle on yo^r boiling hot! 3 or 4 times. If you See Occasion. be Sure to keep them close Stop'd. A Spoonful of this pickle is good in any Sauce. 3 or 4 cloves of Garlick do's well if you do not dis like the tast. two quarts of Vinegar to this quantity."

Note on the Original Text

In this period, recipes were communicated in terse, direct language with few standardized measures, assuming practical kitchen knowledge. Quantities were often by number ("100 walnuts") or rough volume ("a spoonful"). Spelling was fluid, capitalization inconsistent, and abbreviations common (e.g., 'yt' for 'that', 'yo^r' for 'your'). Instructions, while concise, hint at a local, direct transfer of knowledge—intended for experienced cooks and housekeepers, not novices.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Cookery and medicinal recipes of the Granville family from Worcestershire and Cadiz - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Cookery and medicinal recipes of the Granville family from Worcestershire and Cadiz (1695)

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

Writer

Granville family

Era

1695

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A delightful journey through the culinary traditions of the Granville family, this historical recipe collection serves up a taste of English kitchens from the 17th and early 18th centuries. Brimming with time-honored techniques and flavors, it invites modern readers to savor the spirited inventiveness of early modern home cooks.

Kindly made available by

Folger Shakespeare Library

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe hails from the Granville family’s household manuscript, recorded between 1640 and 1750—an era when country houses kept extensive handwritten collections of practical culinary and medicinal recipes. Pickled walnuts were a favorite English condiment, valued for their sharp, spicy tang that complemented roasted meats and rich sauces. The process preserves otherwise perishable young walnuts and exemplifies the creative preservation techniques of early modern Britain.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the cook would use large earthenware jars or barrels for the brining and pickling stages, covered tightly with cloth or leather to keep air out. A brass or copper pan served for boiling the vinegar and spices. Wooden spoons, mortars and pestles, and a ladle for pouring hot brine were essential. Scalding walnuts was done in a separate boiling pot, and brine strength was checked with a fresh egg—a timeless kitchen trick.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

P10DT1H

Cook Time

15 mins

Servings

Ingredients

100 large young green (French/English) walnuts (about 2.5–3 lb)
Salt (about 1.6 oz per 1 pint water for brine)
2 quarts vinegar (malt or cider)
1 oz whole black peppercorns
1 oz fresh ginger root (sliced or crushed)
0.5 oz whole cloves
0.5 oz whole mace blades
0.5 oz whole nutmeg (cracked or grated)
0.5 oz yellow mustard seeds (about 1 generous tablespoon)
3–4 whole garlic cloves (optional)

Instructions

To make pickled walnuts following Mrs.
Mary Hill's 17th-century method, begin with about 100 large, young green (French) walnuts—these must be harvested before the shells have hardened, typically in early July.
Scald the walnuts in boiling water to help rub off the outer skin easily.
Submerge them in a salt brine strong enough to float an egg (about 1.6 oz salt per pint of water); keep the walnuts covered and change the brine every other day for 9 or 10 days, always ensuring the container is sealed from air.
Prepare your pickling liquid using 2 quarts of good quality vinegar.
Add 1 oz each of whole black peppercorns and fresh ginger (sliced or crushed), and 0.5 oz each of whole cloves, mace blades, and nutmeg (cracked or roughly ground).
Add a generous tablespoon (about 0.5 oz) of yellow mustard seeds.
Boil the spices in the vinegar, and while still hot, pour the spiced vinegar over the drained walnuts; repeat this process (re-boiling and pouring) 3 to 4 times over several days, if desired.
Optionally, add 3–4 peeled garlic cloves unless you dislike the flavor.
Seal tightly and allow the walnuts to mature for at least a month before using.
A spoonful of this pickle liquid can enliven sauces and gravies.

Estimated Calories

20 per serving

Cooking Estimates

Preparing pickled walnuts takes about 30 minutes per day for soaking, salting, and rinsing over 9–10 days, plus about 30 minutes for making the spiced vinegar. Cooking time is minimal since you just boil the vinegar and pour it over the walnuts, but there is a lot of hands-on preparation and waiting time. The calories per serving are very low since the walnuts absorb little of the vinegar, salt, and spices.