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 twelve Gallons of water, a handful of Muscovy (which is an herb, that
smelleth like Musk), a handful of Sweet-Marjoram, and as much of
Sweet-bryar. Boil all these in the water, till all the strength be out.
Then take it off and strain it out, and being almost cold, sweeten it with
honey very strong, more then to bear an Egg, (the meaning of this is, that
when there is honey enough to bear an Egg, which will be done by one part
of honey to three or four quarts of water: then you add to it a pretty deal
of honey more, at least 1/4 or 1/3 of what you did put in at first to make
it bear an Egg: then it is to be boiled and scummed: when it is thus
strong, you may keep it four years before you drink it. But at the end of
two years you may draw it out into bottles) just above it, else it will not
keep very long: for the more honey the better. Then set it over the fire
till it boils, and scum it very clean. Then take it from the fire, and let
it stand, till it be cold: then put it into your vessel. Take Mace, Cloves,
Nutmegs, Ginger, of each a quarter of an Ounce: beat them small, and hang
them in your vessel (being stopped close) in a little bag.
Note, when any Meath or Metheglin grows hard or sower with keeping too
long, dissolve in it a good quantity of fresh honey, to make it pleasantly
Sweet; (but boil it no more, after it hath once fermented, as it did at the
first Tunning) and with that it will ferment again, and become very good
and pleasant and quick.
TO MAKE METHEGLIN
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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