Light Willowes
From the treasured pages of Receipt book
Unknown Author
Light Willowes
"For your lightest willowes take veryns two ounces to dark pound of worcet, brayd small; then worke it like soap amongst warm water; then put in your willowes, set not allum'd, and passe it amongst this liquor; and so doe twise or thrise aday for thrise or four dayes, and af ter dry it, when it is enough dyed."
Note on the Original Text
The recipe is written in the plain, direct style of 17th-century household manuals, with spelling deviations like 'veryns' (verdigris), 'worcet' (whiting), and 'brayd' (braid—meaning grind). Steps are given as a process, assuming the reader has basic craft knowledge. There is little separation between ingredient list and method, reflecting the oral teaching traditions of the era. Clarifications: 'set not allum'd' means the willow has not been previously mordanted with alum. The language is practical and assumes an experienced reader accustomed to adapting quantities and processes to the task at hand.
Title
Receipt book (1670)
You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome
Writer
Unknown
Era
1670
Publisher
Unknown
Background
A delightful voyage through 17th-century kitchens, this manuscript tempts the senses with timeless recipes, forgotten flavors, and the intrigue of historical culinary craft. Savory secrets and sweet indulgences await within its well-worn pages.
Kindly made available by
Folger Shakespeare Library
This recipe comes from a manuscript dating approximately to the 1660s–1680s, a period when recipes for practical crafts such as dyeing, pigment-mixing, and ornamental coloring were hand-copied into household books. 'Light willowes' refers not to a food, but to a dyed material—lightly colored willow rods—intended for decorative basketry or crafting. The use of pigments such as verdigris and whiting reflects the early chemistry of artisanal Britain, when households created their own colored materials for everyday objects. In this time, willow was a favored material for rural basketmaking and decorative arts; color-tinted willows were highly prized for distinctive weaving and edging detail.
Back in the day, the tools for this recipe were humble but effective: a stone pestle and mortar for grinding the verdigris and whiting together, a wooden or clay trough for mixing and soaking, and bare hands for kneading the paste, much like a soap-maker would. The willow rods would be agitated by hand within the dye-bath, and a stove or open hearth would provide gently warmed water. After dyeing, rods were dried by air—likely hung or laid out in a well-ventilated, shaded corner of a barn or workshop.
Prep Time
45 mins
Cook Time
0 mins
Servings
10
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 ounces verdigris (copper acetate, or safe modern green pigment as substitute)
- 1 pound whiting (ground calcium carbonate, or fine chalk powder)
- Warm water, enough to make a paste
- Willow rods (thin, flexible branches, untreated with alum; substitute with rattan or similar craft stick if unavailable)
Instructions
- To create 'Light Willowes' in a modern context, begin by grinding 2 ounces of verdigris (a green pigment, now often substituted for safety with copper acetate) very finely.
- Mix this pigment into 1 pound of 'worcet'—most likely referring to whiting (ground calcium carbonate), a traditional pigment base.
- Do this by blending the two togeather, much as one might knead soap, adding enough warm water to create a paste.
- Once mixed, take your willows (willow wands or splits—these would typically be thin, flexible branches or rods of willow wood) that have not been previously treated with alum (a mordant used to fix dyes) and soak or pass them through this pigment-rich liqid.
- Repeat this process two or three times each day, over the course of three or four days, reapplying fresh mixture each time to build up the color.
- When the willows have taken on enough of the pigment, remove them and let them dry fully before use.
- This process tints the willow a bright, light green suitable for decorative or craft uses.
Cooking Estimates
Preparing and dyeing the willow rods involves grinding and mixing the pigments, then repeatedly soaking the rods over several days. There is not much hands-on time each day, but you will need to come back to the project a few times. The process does not involve cooking or calories, as this is a craft recipe and not for eating.
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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