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
When strong Beer groweth too hard, and flat for want of Spirits, take four
or five Gallons of it out of a Hogshead, and boil five pounds of honey in
it, and skim it, and put it warm into the Beer; and after it hath done
working, stop it up close. This will make it quick, pleasant and stronger.
SMALL ALE FOR THE STONE
The Ale, that I used to drink constantly of, was made in these proportions.
Take fourteen Gallons of Water, and half an Ounce of Hops; boil them near
an hour together. Then pour it upon a peck of Malt. Have a care the Malt be
not too small ground; for then it will never make clear Ale. Let it soak so
near two hours. Then let it run from the Malt, and boil it only one walm or
two. Let it stand cooling till it be cool enough to work with barm, which
let be of Beer rather than Ale, about half a pint.
After it hath wrought some hours, when you see it come to it's height, and
is near beginning to fall in working, Tun it into a barrel of eight
Gallons; and in four or five days it will be fit to broach to drink. Since
I have caused the wort to be boiled a good half hour; since again I boil it
a good hour, and it is much the better; because the former Ale tasted a
little Raw. Now because it consumes in boiling, and would be too strong, if
this Malt made a less proportion of Ale; I have added a Gallon of water at
the first, taking fifteen Gallons instead of fourteen. Since I have added
half a peck of Malt to the former proportions, to make it a little stronger
in Winter.
APPLE DRINK WITH SUGAR, HONEY, &c
A very pleasant drink is made of Apples, thus; Boil sliced Apples in water,
to make the water strong of Apples, as when you make to drink it for
coolness and pleasure. Sweeten it with Sugar to your tast, such a quantity
of sliced Apples, as would make so much water strong enough of Apples; and
then bottle it up close for three or four months. There will come a thick
mother at the top, which being taken off, all the rest will be very clear,
and quick and pleasant to the taste, beyond any Cider. It will be the
better to most taste, if you put a very little Rosemary into the liquor,
when you boil it, and a little Limon-peel into each bottle, when you bottle
it up.
TO MAKE STEPPONI
Take a Gallon of Conduit-water, one pound of blew Raisins of the Sun
stoned, and half a pound of Sugar. Squeese the juyce of two Limons upon the
Raisins and Sugar, and slice the rindes upon them. Boil the water, and pour
it so hot upon the ingredients in an earthen pot, and stir them well
together. So let it stand twenty four hours. Then put it into bottles
(having first let it run through a strainer) and set them in a Cellar or
other cool place.
WEAK HONEY-DRINK
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