Recipe Manuscript

To Make A Green Cheese In Summer

Name: To Make A Green Cheese In Summer
Prep time: PTPT30M
Cook time: PTPT0M
Yield: 8
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 4 liters whole cow's milk; 250 ml heavy cream (or overnight-collected cream); 30 ml (2 tablespoons) aged liquid rennet; Salt, to taste (about 1–2 tablespoons); Green rushes, grass mats, or food-safe reed mats (for wrapping and draining)

1680

From the treasured pages of Manuscript cookery book

Unknown Author

Renaissance (1400 - 1700)European Intermediate Snack Other

Original Recipe • 1680

Original Manuscript(circa Renaissance, 1400 - 1700)

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

To Make A Green Cheese In Summer

"Take the milke from the Cow and let it stand halfe an houre to coole, take as much as will make a compleat cheese, with a quart of nights creame, then take two spoonfulls of Rennet old made, if the cheese be three howrs a coming it is the better, season it before it come too hard you breake it, and let it stand no longer in the whey then it is a gathering, then breake it againe into the morter, bruise you doe not press it too little then too much, at noon turne it and salt it at Night. at next night lay it in a long plant with a great many green rushes under it and over it. and let it lye so four days, if it be to little pressd put on it sooner to wipe away the water, it is good to keepe it round but close from the aire. and in a moist plant. in a fort night it will be ready to spend if not too thicke."

Note on the Original Text

This recipe showcases the informal, conversational tone common to 17th-century English manuscripts. Spellings such as 'milke,' 'howrs,' and 'whey' reflect period orthography and regional speech. Directions mix timing cues ('at noon turne it') with sensory instructions ('as soon as it is a gathering'), relying on kitchen experience rather than strict weights or temperatures. Quantities are often approximate or implied, expected to be interpreted by an experienced cook. Notably, 'green cheese' refers not to color but to the cheese’s freshness—young, unripened, and moist, meant for eating within a fortnight.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Manuscript cookery book - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Manuscript cookery book (1680)

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

Writer

Unknown

Era

1680

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A tantalizing window into the kitchens of yesteryear, this late-17th century collection presents recipes and culinary wisdom meant to delight and surprise even the most discerning of historical gourmands.

Kindly made available by

Folger Shakespeare Library

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe is drawn from an English household manuscript, dating from approximately 1675 to 1686. In this era, cheese-making was a regular part of rural domestic life, particularly during the lush summer months when cows grazed on green pastures, resulting in milk rich in flavor and nutrients. Cheese like this—a soft, lightly pressed 'green cheese'—would have been enjoyed fresh, as a seasonal delicacy. The technique captures both the unhurried pace of home dairying and the connection to the land, with sheets of green rushes imparting their aroma and helping to regulate moisture. It’s a vivid window into the rhythms of 17th-century English kitchens.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

Back in the day, milk would have been collected in large pails directly from the cow. Curdling was done in wide, shallow wooden tubs or earthenware pans, with rennet sourced from home-cured animal stomachs. Curds were broken up using bare hands or wooden ladles, then gently crushed in a stone mortar. Salt was added by hand. Rushes were harvested from local wetlands in summer and cleaned for cheese draining. Maturation took place in cool, moist pantries, and cheese was kept under cloths or wooden covers to maintain humidity and exclude pests.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

0 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

1 gallon (4 quarts) whole cow's milk
1 cup (8 fluid ounces) heavy cream (or overnight-collected cream)
2 tablespoons (1 fluid ounce) aged liquid rennet
Salt, to taste (about 1–2 tablespoons)
Green rushes, grass mats, or food-safe reed mats (for wrapping and draining)

Instructions

Begin by taking approximately 1 gallon (about 4 quarts) of fresh whole cow's milk and allow it to cool to room temperature for about 30 minutes.
Add in 1 cup (about 8 fluid ounces) of heavy cream (ideally, this would be the cream skimmed off from milk that sat overnight, as it once was).
Then, stir in 2 tablespoons (about 1 fluid ounce) of high-quality, aged liquid rennet.
The curd should take around 3 hours to form—a slow set is actually desired.
Once the curd is just set but still soft, cut and gently break it up before it gets too firm.
Drain off the whey as soon as the curd pulls together.
Using a clean mortar or bowl, gently bruise (crush, not pulverize) the curds.
Do not press them too hard; lighter is better.
Turn the cheese out onto a clean board at midday and sprinkle with salt; repeat at night.
The next day, place the cheese in a long wooden tray (or a draining basket) layered with plenty of green rushes or substitute with clean, food-grade reed or grass mats—both under and over the cheese.
Let it sit undisturbed for four days, occasionally pressing lightly if it seems too moist.
Afterward, store the cheese in a cool, moist place, covered to keep out air.
In about two weeks, provided it is not made too thick, this soft, green-tinged cheese will be ready to enjoy.

Estimated Calories

350 per serving

Cooking Estimates

It takes about 20 minutes of active prep, and the curd forms over three hours before more hands-on steps. You mostly wait as the cheese drains and matures. Each serving has about 350 calories, and this recipe makes 8 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.