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
You must observe carefully. 1. Before you set the Liquor to boil, to cause
a lusty Servant (his Arms well washed) to mix the honey and water together,
labouring it with his hands at least an hour without intermission. 2. That
when it begins to boil fast, you take away part of the fire, so as it may
boil slowly, and the scum and dross go all to one side, the other remaining
clear. When you take it off, let none of the liquor go away with the dross.
3. When you take it from the fire, let it settle well, before it be tunned
into the vessel, wherein you mean to keep it: and when it comes near the
bottom, let it be taken carefully from the sediment, with a thin Dish, so
as nothing be put into the vessel, but what is clear. 4. Stop it very
close (when it is set in the place, where it must remain) cover it with a
cloth, upon which some handfuls of Bay-salt and Salpeter is laid, and over
that lay clay, and a Turf. 5. Put into it, when you stop it, some
New-laid-eggs in number proportionable to the bigness of the vessel,
Shell's unbroken. Six Eggs to about sixteen Gallons. The whole Egg-shell
and all will be entirely consumed.
METHEGLIN FOR TASTE AND COLOUR
Must be boiled as the other, if you intend to keep it above half a year;
but less according to the time, wherein you mean to use it. You must put in
no Herbs, to avoid bitterness and discolouring; and the proportion of water
and honey more or less, as you would drink it sooner or later; (as a Gallon
of honey to 4, 5, or 6 of water.) If to be weak, and to be soon drunk, you
must when it is tunned, put in a Tost of bread (hard tosted) upon which
half a score drops of Spirit of yest or barm is dropped; for want of it,
spread it with purest barm beaten with a few drops of Oyl of Cinnamon. If
you intend to give it the taste of Raspes, then adde more barm, to make it
work well, and during that time of working, put in your Raspes (or their
Syrup) but the fruit gives a delicate Colour, and Syrup a duller Tincture.
Drink not that made after the first manner, till six moneths, and it will
endure drawing better then wine; but Bottleled, it is more spirited then
any drink.
The Spirit of Barm is made by putting store of water to the barm; then
distill the Spirit, as you do other Spirits; At last an oyl will come,
which is not for this use.
Sir Thomas Gower maketh his ordinary drink thus: Make very small well
Brewed Ale. To eight Gallons of this put one Gallon of honey; when it is
well dissolved and clarified, tun up the Liquor, making it work in due
manner with barm. When it hath done working, stop it up close, and in three
months it will be fit to drink.
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