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
Take eight Gallons of water, and set it over a clear fire in a Kettle; and
when it is warm, put into it sixteen pounds of very good honey; stir it
well together, till it be all mixed; and when it boileth, take off the
scum, and put in two large Nutmegs cut into quarters, and so let it boil at
least an hour. Then take it off, and put into it two good handfuls of
grinded Malt, and with a white staff keep beating it together, till it be
almost cold; then strain it through a hair sieve into a tub, and put to it
a wine pint of Ale-yest, and stir it very well together; and when it is
cold, you may, if you please, Tun it up presently in a vessel fit for it,
or else let it stand, and work a day: And when it hath done working in your
vessel, stop it up very close. It will be three weeks or a month, before it
will be ready to drink.
TO MAKE WHITE MEATH
Take six Gallons of water, and put in six quarts of honey, stirring it till
the honey be throughly melted; then set it over the fire, and when it is
ready to boil, skim it very clean. Then put in a quarter of ounce of Mace,
so much Ginger, half an ounce of Nutmegs, Sweet-marjoram, Broad-thyme, and
Sweet-bryar, of altogether a handful; and boil them well therein; Then set
it by, till it be through cold, and then Barrel it up, and keep it till it
be ripe.
TO MAKE A MEATH GOOD FOR THE LIVER AND LUNGS
Take of the Roots of Coltsfoot, Fennel and Fearn each four Ounces. Of
Succory-roots, Sorrel-roots, Strawberry-roots, Bitter-sweet-roots, each two
Ounces, of Scabious-roots and Elecampane-roots, each an Ounce and a half.
Ground-ivy, Hore-hound, Oak of Jerusalem, Lung-wort, Liver-wort,
Maiden-hair, Harts-tongue of each two good-handfulls. Licorish four Ounces.
Jujubes, Raisins of the Sun and Currents, of each two Ounces; let the roots
be sliced, and the herbs be broken a little with your hands; and boil all
these in twenty quarts of fair running water, or, if you have it, in Rain
water, with five Pints of good white honey, until one third part be boiled
away; then pour the liquor through a jelly bag often upon a little
Coriander-seeds, and Cinnamon; and when it runneth very clear, put it into
Bottles well stopped, and set it cool for your use, and drink every morning
a good draught of it, and at five in the afternoone.
TO MAKE WHITE METHEGLIN
Put to three Gallons of Spring-water, one of honey. First let it gently
melt; then boil for an hour, continually skiming it; then put it into an
earthen or a woodden vessel, and when it is a little more than Blood-warm,
set it with Ale-yest, and so let it stand twelve hours. Then take off the
yest, and bottle it up. Put into it Limon-peel and Cloves, or what best
pleaseth your taste of Spice or Herbs. Eringo-roots put into it, when it
is boiling, maketh it much better.
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