The Closet of Sir Kenelm Digby Knight OpenedDigby, Kenelm
History
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
She maketh the past of Apricocks (which is both very beautiful and clear,
and tasteth most quick of the fruit) thus, Take six pound of pared and
sliced Apricocks, put them into a high pot, which stop close, and set it in
a kettle of boiling water, till you perceive the flesh is all become an
uniform pulp; then put it out into your preserving pan or possenet, and
boil it gently till it be grown thick, stirring it carefully all the while.
Then put two pound of pure Sugar to it, and mingle it well, and let it boil
gently, till you see the matter come to such a thickness and solidity, that
it will not stick to a plate. Then make it up into what form you will. The
like you may do with Raspes or Currants.
It is a pleasant and beautiful sweet meat to do thus: Boil Raspes in such a
pot, till they be all come to such a Liquor; Then let the clear run through
a strainer; to a pound, or English wine pint whereof, put a pound of red
Currants (first stoned and the black ends cut off) and a pound of Sugar.
Boil these, till the Liquor be gellied. Then put it in Glasses. It will
look like Rubies in clear Gelly. You may do the like with Cherries, either
stoned, and the stalks cut off, or three or four capped upon one stalk, and
the stone left in the first, and boiled in Liquor of Raspes.
She makes her curious red Marmulate thus: Take six pounds of Quince-flesh;
six pounds of pure Sugar; and eight pints of juyce; boil this up with quick
fire, till you have scummed it, then pull away all the Coals, and let it
but simper, for four or five hours, remaining covered, renewing from time
to time so little fire, as to cause it so to continue simpring. But as soon
as it is scummed, put into it a handful of Quince kernels, two races of
Ginger sliced, and fourteen or fifteen Cloves whole; all these put into a
Tyffany-bag tyed fast; when you finde that the colour is almost to your
minde, make a quick fire, and boil it up a pace, then throw away your bag
of kernels, Ginger and Cloves, and pot up your Marmulate, when it is cool
enough.
She makes her red Gelly of Quince thus: Put the Quinces pared and sliced
into a pot, as above; and to every pound of this flesh put about half a
demistier of fair water, and put this into a kettle of boiling water, till
you perceive all the juyce is boiled out of the Quince. Then strain it out,
and boil this Liquor (which will not yet be clear) till you perceive it
gellieth upon a plate. Then to every pint of Liquor put a pound of Sugar,
and boil it up to a gelly, skimming it well, as the scum riseth, and you
will have a pure gelly.
GELLY OF RED CURRANTS
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