The Closet of Sir Kenelm Digby Knight OpenedDigby, Kenelm
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The Closet of Sir Kenelm Digby Knight Opened
Digby, Kenelm
Cooking -- Early works to 1800; Digby, Kenelm, Sir, 1603-1665; Liquors; Wine and wine making -- Early works to 1800
My last Gelly of Quinces I made thus. The Quinces being very ripe, and
having been long gathered, I took the flesh of twelve Quinces in quarters,
and the juyce of fifteen or sixteen others, which made me two pounds of
juyce; And I made a strong decoction of about twenty four others, adding
to these twenty four (to make the decoction the stronger, and more slimy)
the Cores and the Parings of the twelve in quarters; and I used the Cores
sliced and Parings of all these. All this boiled about an hour and half in
eight or ten pound of water; Then I strained and pressed out the decoction
(which was a little viscous, as I desired) and had between 4 and five pound
of strong decoction. To the decoction and Syrup, I put three pound of pure
Sugar, which being dissolved and scummed, I put in the flesh, and in near
an hour of temperate boiling (covered) and often turning the quarters, it
was enough. When it was cold, it was store of firm clear red gelly,
environing in great quantity the quarters, that were also very tender and
well penetrated with the Sugar. I found by this making, that the juyce of
Quinces is not so good to make gelly. It maketh it somewhat running like
Syrup, and tasteth sweetish, mellowy, syrupy.
The Decoction of the flesh is only good for Syrup. I conceive, it would be
a grateful sweetmeat to mingle a good quantity of good gelly with the
Marmulate, when it is ready to put into pots. To that end they must both be
making at the same time: or if one be a little sooner done then the other,
they may be kept a while warm (fit to mingle) without prejudice. Though the
Gelly be cold and settled, it will melt again with the warmth of the
Marmulate, and so mingle with it, and make a Marmulate, that will appear
very gellyish; or peradventure it may be well to fill up a pot or glass
with gelly, when it is first half filled with Marmulate a little cooled.
PRESERVED QUINCE WITH GELLY
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