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Walnut Catsup

A historical recipe from Margaret Brown's French Cookery Book, by Margaret Brown (1886).

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A historical recipe

Margaret Brown's French Cookery Book, by Margaret Brown (1886). Project Gutenberg eBook #44915.

From an old book: a historical recipe, not current advice. Its methods, additives and storage may be unsafe by today's standards. Its words name: home canning or sealing in jars, preserving or pickling. Check current food-safety guidance before following this.

France

Known as a French recipe, with similar versions prepared across other nations.

  • Home canning. Old canning methods can let botulism through. Use current tested canning guidance.
  • Preserving. Old preserving methods may not make food safe to keep. Use current tested guidance.

Ingredients 4 ingredients

  1. 1/4 pound of ginger
  2. 1/4 pound of allspice
  3. 2 ounces of long pepper
  4. 2 ounces of cloves

Cook safely

Keep children and pets away from the hob and the oven, and keep oven gloves and a lid within reach.

  • Boiling water and steam. Turn pan handles inward, away from the edge of the hob. Lift lids away from you, and pour hot water away from your body: steam burns too.

Method

  1. Take 6 half sieves of green walnut shells, put them in a tub, mix well with common salt (from 2 to 3 pounds), let it stand for 6 days, frequently beating and mashing them;
  2. after a while the shells will become soft and pulpy.
  3. Pushing the shells up one side of the tub and tipping the tub a little, the liquor will run to the other side.
  4. This will be nice and clear.
  5. Take it out;
  6. repeat the above process until no more liquor can be obtained.
  7. You will get in all about 6 quarts.
  8. Let this simmer in an iron boiler as long as any scum rises.
  9. Bruise 1/4 pound of ginger, 1/4 pound of allspice, 2 ounces of long pepper, 2 ounces of cloves, put these in the liquor and boil slowly for 1/2 hour.
  10. When bottled put an equal quantity of spice in each bottle.
  11. When corked let the bottle be well filled up.
  12. Cork tightly, seal them over and put in a cool and dry place for 1 year.

Plating

Cookware for this recipe

  • Saucepan
  • Sieve
Source Public domain in the USA
Credit

From Margaret Brown's French Cookery Book, by Margaret Brown (1886). Digitised by Project Gutenberg, eBook #44915 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/44915). Public domain in the USA; its status may differ elsewhere.

What was changed: As printed, from the book's text; Project Gutenberg's header and licence removed. Ingredient lines were read out of the text by a program. A historical recipe, not current advice.