Recipe Manuscript

To Preserve Gooseberys

Name: To Preserve Gooseberys
Prep time: PTPT15M
Cook time: PTPT30M
Yield: 6
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 500 g fresh gooseberries (or similar tart berries, if unavailable); 500 g white granulated sugar (for preserves); 625 g sugar for clear cakes/jellies; 90 ml gooseberry juice (or substitute with apple or grape juice); 90 ml water

1700

From the treasured pages of Receipts in cookery and medicine 1700

Unknown Author

Renaissance (1400 - 1700)European Intermediate Dessert Snack

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 Preserve Gooseberys

"Take their weight in sugar before they are ston'd and put six spoonfull of juice or more and as much water to halfe a pound and boyle them up quick For clear cakes and a pound and quarter of sugar to a pint of juice."

Note on the Original Text

This recipe is written in the terse, elliptical style typical of early modern cookery books, assuming the reader already knows basic kitchen procedures. Quantities are based on weights and measures familiar to cooks of the time, and instructions for processes like 'stoning' (removing tops and tails) are left implicit. Spelling such as 'boyle', 'spoonfull', and 'stone' reflects the orthography of the period. The lack of precise measurements (such as exact boiling times or temperatures) relies on the cook’s experience and observation, leaving ample room for interpretation.

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 hails from around 1700, a time when home preserving was essential for making the most of seasonal fruits. Gooseberries, being abundant in British gardens, were perfect for preserving in sugar, which both sweetened the tart fruit and acted as a natural preservative. Preserving methods like this allowed people to enjoy fruit throughout the year and also to create elegant confections for the table. Sugar had become more accessible to well-off households by this time, ushering in an era of creative fruit preserves and cakes.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

Cooks of the early 18th century would have used a large brass or copper preserving pan over an open flame or range. A wooden spoon for stirring and possibly a slotted spoon for skimming foam off the syrup would have been required. Stoneware or glass jars sealed with parchment or corks were used to store the preserved fruit. For clear cakes, small moulds—often made of ceramic or pewter—were common.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

15 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

1 lb fresh gooseberries (or similar tart berries, if unavailable)
1 lb white granulated sugar (for preserves); 22 oz sugar for clear cakes/jellies
3 fl oz gooseberry juice (or substitute with apple or grape juice)
3 fl oz water

Instructions

To preserve gooseberries as they did in the early 1700s, first weigh your fresh gooseberries—let’s say you have 1 pound (16 oz).
For each 1 lb gooseberries (before removing the stems and tops), measure out 1 lb (16 oz) white granulated sugar.
Remove the tops and tails ("stoning") from the gooseberries.
Add 6 tablespoons (about 3 fl oz) of freshly squeezed gooseberry juice (or water if extra juice is needed) to every 9 oz of sugar, along with an equal amount (3 fl oz) of water.
Boil the mixture quickly until the fruit is soft and the mixture becomes syrupy and clear.
For those interested in making clear fruit jellies or "cakes," use a stronger ratio: 22 oz sugar stirred into 1 pint gooseberry juice.
Boil vigorously until it thickens nicely and sets when cooled on a plate.
Pour into sterilised jars for preserves, or moulds for jellies or cakes.

Estimated Calories

175 per serving

Cooking Estimates

It takes about 15 minutes to prepare the gooseberries by topping and tailing them, and about 30 minutes to cook them with sugar into preserves or jelly. Each serving contains about 175 calories. This recipe makes around 6 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.