Recipe Manuscript

To Pickle Wallnuts

Name: To Pickle Wallnuts
Prep time: PTPT30M
Cook time: PTPT15M
Yield: 12
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 1 kg fresh green walnuts (in husk, unripe); Sufficient cool water for soaking; 1 liter white wine vinegar; 10 grams black peppercorns; 10 grams whole cloves; 10 grams allspice berries; 2 bay leaves; 1–2 bulbs garlic (about 10–15 cloves), crushed; 15 grams (1–2 tablespoons) mustard seeds, crushed or ground; Salt, to taste

1700

From the treasured pages of Receipts in cookery and medicine 1700

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 Wallnuts

"Lay your walnuts in water twelve or fourteen days shiftinge ym once in every day, then boyle them pritty tender, make yo'r pickle with good white wine vinegar, boyle it will with all sorts of spice of garlick, and mustardseed beaten fine, when it is cold pour it upon your Wallnuts, cover them close and use them when you please."

Note on the Original Text

This recipe is typical of its time: it provides method rather than measured amounts, assumes experience on the part of the cook, and reflects the origins of modern English. Spelling variants ('walnuts' as 'wallnuts', 'your' as 'yo'r'), and punctuation were irregular. Quantities and times were left flexible, relying on the cook's judgment and the quality of ingredients. The terms 'pickle', 'boyle', and 'cover them close' all reflect both the vocabulary and food-preserving priorities of the period, when clarity gave way to brevity and presumed expertise in the reader.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Receipts in cookery and medicine 1700 - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Receipts in cookery and medicine 1700 (1700)

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

Writer

Unknown

Era

1700

Publisher

Unknown

Background

Step into the kitchen of the early 18th century, where this charming culinary manuscript tempts tastebuds with recipes and secrets from a bygone era. A delicious journey for both the curious cook and the history lover.

Kindly made available by

Folger Shakespeare Library

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe appears in an English manuscript household cookbook dated roughly to 1700, at a time when pickling was essential for food preservation and culinary excitement. Pickled walnuts were a prized delicacy, especially as a condiment for roasted and boiled meats. Such recipes reflected both the seasonality—using walnuts when still green and tender—and the growing English passion for spicy, complex flavors inspired by global trade and colonial imports. Pickled walnuts continued to be a feature of British cuisine well into the 19th century, and today, they're a cherished curiosity for lovers of historical foods.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

In the early 1700s, cooks used large earthenware or wooden tubs for soaking and rinsing the walnuts. Boiling was done in copper or iron pots over an open hearth. Spices were crushed with a mortar and pestle. The cooling of the vinegar may have taken place in ceramic bowls, and storage was in glass or glazed stoneware jars, covered with parchment and waxed cloth, or ceramic lids to minimize air exposure. Today, we use stainless steel pots for boiling, measuring spoons and spice grinders, and sterilized glass canning jars with airtight lids for safe, reliable preservation.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

15 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

2 pounds fresh green walnuts (in husk, unripe)
Sufficient cool water for soaking
1 quart white wine vinegar
1/3 ounce black peppercorns
1/3 ounce whole cloves
1/3 ounce allspice berries
2 bay leaves
1–2 bulbs garlic (about 10–15 cloves), crushed
1–2 tablespoons mustard seeds, crushed or ground
Salt, to taste

Instructions

To create pickled walnuts as in the early 18th century, begin by submerging fresh green walnuts (still in their husks, before the shells have hardened) in cool water for 12 to 14 days, changing the water daily.
After soaking, drain the walnuts and simmer them until just tender—this takes about 10 to 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare a pickling brine with approximately 1 quart of white wine vinegar, bringing it to a boil with a generous mix of spices—use about 1/3 ounce each of black peppercorns, cloves, allspice, plus a few bay leaves, and 1-2 bulbs of garlic, lightly crushed, and 1-2 tablespoons of mustard seeds, crushed or ground.
Let the brine cool fully.
Pack the boiled walnuts in sterilized jars and pour the cooled spiced vinegar over them, ensuring the walnuts are completely submerged.
Seal the jars tightly and allow the flavors to infuse for several weeks before tasting.
The result is a tangy, spicy pickle, once beloved at English tables.

Estimated Calories

30 per serving

Cooking Estimates

Soaking the walnuts takes about 2 weeks, but the actual prep time each day is short as you just change the water. Cooking the walnuts takes about 15 minutes, and preparing the brine will take another 10–15 minutes. The recipe yields about 12 servings, with roughly 30 calories in each serving since most of the calories come from vinegar and spices.

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.