Recipe Manuscript

To Preserve Walnuts

Name: To Preserve Walnuts
Prep time: PTPT12H
Cook time: PTPT1H
Yield: 10
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 500g young, green walnuts (pricked to test for tenderness); 550g white granulated sugar; 500ml water; Whole cloves (optional, about 8–12 pieces)

1700

From the treasured pages of Receipts in cookery and medicine 1700

Unknown Author

Renaissance (1400 - 1700)European Intermediate Dessert 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 Preserve Walnuts

"Take yr walnuts when they are prickt by so that they be not hard & boyle them in several waters to take the bitternes out of them then fill them, take to a pound of walnuts a pound & quarter of suger & a pint of water let the water & Suger boyle & Scume it, yn put in yr walnuts & let them boyle a great while if you please you may stick Cloves in them before you boyle them."

Note on the Original Text

The recipe is written in the terse, instruction-heavy style of early modern English cookery, assuming a base level of kitchen knowledge. Spelling and grammar vary, with little standardization ('boyle' for 'boil', 'Scume' for 'skim', 'Suger' for 'sugar'). Quantities are given in pounds and pints, which have been converted to metric, though the text allows flexibility ('if you please'). The layering of steps and lack of exact timings reflect the oral culinary tradition of the time.

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 is drawn from an early 18th-century English manuscript, showcasing the methods households used to preserve seasonal produce well before refrigeration. Walnuts were prized in the kitchen for their unique, complex flavor, and preserving them in sugar syrup provided a sweet treat and an ingredient for both savory and sweet dishes throughout the year. The manuscript reference 'V.b.273' notes its origin around 1700, a period when recipe collections often circulated in handwritten books among households, passing down and adapting culinary wisdom.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

Cooks in 1700 would have used a hearth or open fire and robust iron or copper pots for boiling. Wooden spoons and ladles were common for stirring. For pricking walnuts, a knitting needle or long pin would suffice. Skimming off the foam from the sugar syrup was likely done with a large spoon or small skimmer. For storage, glass jars were rare but possible in wealthier homes; otherwise, ceramic or earthenware jars sealed with parchment or leather were used.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

12 hrs

Cook Time

1 hr

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 2 oz young, green walnuts (pricked to test for tenderness)
1 lb 3.4 oz white granulated sugar
2 cups water
Whole cloves (optional, about 8–12 pieces)

Instructions

Begin by selecting young, green walnuts – they should be pierced easily with a needle or skewer, indicating they aren’t yet hard.
Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the walnuts, and boil them briefly.
Drain, then repeat this boiling and draining process with fresh water several times to remove their natural bitterness.
Once done, drain well.
For each 1 lb 2 oz of prepared walnuts, measure out 1 lb 3.4 oz of sugar and 2 cups of water.
In a saucepan, combine sugar and water and bring to a rolling boil, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface.
If desired, stud the walnuts with cloves before the next step.
Add the drained walnuts to the syrup and simmer gently until the nuts are well-saturated with the syrup and glossy.
Cool and store in sterilized jars.

Estimated Calories

130 per serving

Cooking Estimates

It takes time to prepare the walnuts by boiling and draining them several times to remove bitterness, then simmering them in syrup. Each serving has about 130 calories, and this recipe makes 10 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.