I came across some Australian recipes from 1933; my attention was drawn by Nottingham pudding, and I wondered if it involved a Nottingham jar which was like a casserole dish – a ceramic pot with a lid in which delicious things could simmer and cook. Well, no; a Nottingham pudding is a sweet, spiced batter poured into a well buttered dish (it sounds a bit like a clafoutis) and peeled, cored whole apples set into it and cooked until they are soft and the batter is crispy and light… sounds very nice, actually!
On the same page was a recipe for candied lemon peel which involved a lot of processes including brining the lemons for four days and cooking them for two hours before anything else happened. There was another recipe, for Worcestershire sauce which seemed mainly vinegar and mushroom ketchup boiled for many hours with spices and lemon then left to stand for a week before bottling… then, the recipe tells us, it will keep indefinitely.
A boiled fruit cake and an apple yeast cake, are both what you would expect, both sounding as if they would taste very good with a nice cup of tea… maybe they are the sort of things I could take on the family holiday next year!
Then came a recipe which sounds most intriguing, but I don’t think I will ever try, partly because it involves young, green almonds before the kernels have set… which I can’t imagine me ever coming across! At home as a child there was often a jar of pickled walnuts in the cupboard, my dad and I both loved them – you never see them these days; I have occasionally bought a jar but they are just sour and nasty… maybe it is time playing tricks, but I remember they had ‘bite’ and a distinctive flavour.
So if I – or you should ever come across some young, green almonds before the kernels have set, here is the recipe you need:
Pickled Almonds
- young, green almonds before the kernels have set (no quantities are given so just use your instincts!)
- salt for brine
- vinegar (enough to cover almonds)
- pickling spices
- wash the almonds thoroughly and prick with a darning needle (if you haven’t a darning needle, and I’m not sure any of us have such things these days, use a skewer or fork)
- . throw into a strong brine of salt and water (about a cup of salt to every quart of water) and leave for 24 hours
- heat the amount of vinegar required (enough to cover almonds), season with spices (as for pickled onions)
- bring to the boil and pour over the almonds
- put into jars and when cold tie down
- leave for at least a fortnight before using
I love recipes like this because it shows how people never used to waste anything; whatever the product or stage of its growth, or state of its condition it could be used for something.
Lois Elsden 
When I was a child my great aunt made pickled walnuts!
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I seem to remember they have to be left out in the sun – maybe if an acquisition of walnuts and a period of sunny weather coincides then I could try making them!
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Our ancestors filled their days with amazing projects, things we profess we no longer have time to do. I sometimes think a day of cooking and creating non-essentials such as candied lemon peel and pickled walnuts or almonds would be a fun life to lead.
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It really would… and it would give such a sense of pride to see those pantry shelves lined with all the goodies made from ingredients which we these days would just throw away!
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Not heard of this before. Obviously didn’t catch on as much as Yorkshire Pudding.
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Well Yorkshires are a class act! Hard to follow!!
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