Recipe Manuscript

To Pickle French Beans

Name: To Pickle French Beans
Prep time: PTPT30M
Cook time: PTPT30M
Yield: 20
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 4 liters (approx. 2 kg) French beans (haricots verts), trimmed; 300 ml bay salt (or 300 g flaky sea salt + 3 dried bay leaves, crushed); Regular salt, as needed for brine (to test, an egg will float); Water, enough to cover beans; 60 ml vinegar (for boiling water stage); 28 g whole black peppercorns; 14 g whole cloves; 7 g whole mace blades; 2 liters vinegar (for pickling—apple cider or wine vinegar is a good substitute); Additional salt, to taste

1700

From the treasured pages of Receipt book

Unknown Author

Renaissance (1400 - 1700)European Intermediate Snack Other

Original Recipe • 1700

Original Manuscript(circa Renaissance, 1400 - 1700)

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

To Pickle French Beans

"take halfe a peck of french beans and halfe a pint of bay salt & make a pickle of it and other salt that will bear an egg and lay them in it 10 dayes then boyle them in fresh water and put a glass of veniger in the water then lay them a drayning and dry them well with a cloth you must take an ounce of black peper halfe an ounce of cloves a quarter of an ounce of mace then put your beans in the pott and strow your spice among the beans then take 2 quarts of veniger boyle a pint of the veniger with a litle of the spice and salt it as you think fit then put it upon the beans cold Mrs Gill"

Note on the Original Text

This recipe is written in a typically abbreviated, almost telegraphic form, assuming the reader already has experience with basic techniques like brining, draining, and using spices. The spelling is characteristic of the late 17th and early 18th centuries—'boyle' for 'boil', 'veniger' for 'vinegar', and instructions to 'strow' (strew) the spice among the beans. Quantities are a mix of volume and weight, and units like 'peck' have been converted to modern metric values.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Receipt book - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Receipt book (1700)

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

Writer

Unknown

Era

1700

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A delightful glimpse into the kitchens of the early 18th century, this historic culinary manuscript promises a feast of recipes, remedies, and perhaps a pinch of mystery. Expect both practical fare and elegant inspiration for the curious cook.

Kindly made available by

Folger Shakespeare Library

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe comes from an English manuscript dated around 1700, a period when pickling was a primary method for preserving seasonal produce for the winter months. French beans, or haricots verts, were considered a luxury in England at the time, and this method ensured they could be enjoyed long after the growing season. The recipe demonstrates both household ingenuity and the importance of spice in upper-middle-class kitchens, as spices like mace and cloves were still valuable imports.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

In the early 18th century, cooks would have used large earthenware or stoneware pots for soaking and pickling. Other essential tools included heavy kitchen knives, linen cloths for drying, wooden spoons for stirring, brass or copper pans for boiling, and glass or glazed pottery jars for the finished pickles. All work was done by hand, with no refrigeration, using only cool pantries or cellars for storage.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

30 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

4 quarts (approx. 4 1/2 lbs) French beans (haricots verts), trimmed
1 1/4 cups bay salt (or 1 1/4 cups flaky sea salt + 3 dried bay leaves, crushed)
Regular salt, as needed for brine (to test, an egg will float)
Water, enough to cover beans
1/4 cup vinegar (for boiling water stage)
1 oz whole black peppercorns
1/2 oz whole cloves
1/4 oz whole mace blades
2 quarts vinegar (for pickling—apple cider or wine vinegar is a good substitute)
Additional salt, to taste

Instructions

Begin with about 4 quarts of French beans (haricots verts), trimmed.
Dissolve 1 1/4 cups of bay salt (or a mixture of flaky sea salt and crushed bay leaves) and sufficient regular salt in water so that an egg will float—this indicates brine saturation.
Soak the beans in this pickle for 10 days.
Next, boil the beans briefly (about 2-3 minutes) in fresh water to which a small glass (about 1/4 cup) of vinegar has been added.
Drain the beans and dry them thoroughly with a clean cloth.
Layer the beans in a jar, scattering over 1 ounce of black peppercorns, 1/2 ounce of whole cloves, and 1/4 ounce of mace broken into pieces.
Boil 2 quarts of vinegar with a little of the reserved spice mix and salt to taste; cool this mixture.
Pour the cooled, spiced vinegar over the beans and spices in the jar, ensuring everything is well-submerged.
Seal and leave to pickle for several weeks before enjoying.

Estimated Calories

35 per serving

Cooking Estimates

This recipe takes some patience! You'll spend about 30 minutes preparing the beans and brine on day one. After soaking for 10 days, the actual cooking – boiling and pickling – shouldn’t take more than 30 minutes hands-on time. The calorie estimate assumes pickled French beans without added sugar, at a typical serving size.

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.