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
In twenty Gallons of water boil Sweet-bryar-leaves, Eye-bright, Rosemary,
Bayes, Clove-gilly-flowers of each five handfuls, and four Eringo-roots. To
every two gallons and a half of this decoction, put one gallon of honey;
boil it, &c. When it is tunned up, hang in it a bag containing five
handfuls of Clove-gilly-flowers, and sufficient quantity of the spices
above.
In both these Receipts, the quantity of the herbs is too great. The strong
herbs preserve the drink, and make it nobler. Use Marjoram and Thyme in
little quantity in all.
MY LADY COWERS WHITE MEATHE USED AT SALISBURY
Take to four Gallons of water, one Gallon of Virgin-honey; let the water be
warm before you put in the honey; and then put in the whites of 3 or 4 Eggs
well beaten, to make the scum rise. When the honey is throughly melted and
ready to boil, put in an Egge with the shell softly; and when the Egge
riseth above the water, to the bigness of a groat in sight, it is strong
enough of the honey. The Egge will quickly be hard, and so will not rise;
Therefore you must put in another, if the first do not rise to your sight;
you must put in more water and honey proportionable to the first, because
of wasting away in the boiling. It must boil near an hour. You may, if you
please, boil in it, a little bundle of Rosemary, Sweet-marjoram, and Thyme;
and when it tasteth to your liking, take it forth again. Many do put
Sweet-bryar berries in it, which is held very good. When your Meath is
boiled enough take it off the fire, and put it into a Kiver; when it is
blood-warm, put in some Ale-barm, to make it work, and cover it close with
a blancket in the working. The next morning tun it up, and if you please
put in a bag with a little Ginger and a little Nutmeg bruised; and when it
hath done working, stop it up close for a Moneth, and then Bottle it.
SIR THOMAS GOWER'S METHEGLIN FOR HEALTH
First boil the water and scum it; Then to 12 Gallons put 6 handfuls of
Sweet-bryar-leaves, of Sweet-marjoram, Rosemary, Thyme, of each one a
handful: Flowers of Marigold, Borrage, Bugloss, Sage, each two handfuls.
Boil all together very gently, till a third waste. To eight Gallons of this
put two Gallons of pure honey, and boil them till the Liquor bear an Egge,
the breadth of threepence or a Groat, together with such spices as you like
(bruised, but not beaten) an ounce of all is sufficient.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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