"Conserve of Red Roses. Doctor Glisson makes his Conserve of
red Roses thus: Boil gently a pound of red Rose-leaves (well
picked, and the nails cut off) in about a pint and a half
(or a little more, as by discretion you shall judge fit,
after having done it once; the Doctor's Apothecary takes two
pints) of Spring water; till the water have drawn out all
the Tincture of the Roses into itself, and that the leaves
be very tender, and look pale like Linnen; which may be in a
good half hour, or an hour, keeping the pot covered whiles
it boileth. Then pour the tincted Liquor from the pale
leaves (strain it out, pressing it gently, so that you may
have Liquor enough to dissolve your Sugar) and set it upon
the fire by itself to boil, putting into it a pound of pure
double refined Sugar in small Powder; which as soon as it is
dissolved, put into it a second pound, then a third, lastly
a fourth, so that you have four pounds of sugar to every
pound of Rose-leaves. (The Apothecary useth to put all the
four pounds into the Liquor altogether at once.) Boil these
four pounds of Sugar with the tincted Liquor, till it be a
high Syrup, very near a candy height (as high as it can be
not to flake or candy). Then put the pale Rose-leaves into
this high Syrup, as it yet standeth upon the fire, or
immediately upon the taking it off the fire. But presently
take it from the fire, and stir them exceeding well
together, to mix them uniformly; then let them stand till
they be cold, then pot them up. If you put your Conserve
into pots whiles it is yet thoroughly warm, and leave them
uncovered some days, putting them in the hot Sun or stove,
there will grow a fine candy on the top, which will preserve
the conserve without paper upon it, from moulding, till you
break the candied crust to take out some of the conserve.
"The colour both of the Rose-leaves and the Syrup about
them, will be exceedingly beautiful and red, and the taste
excellent, and the whole very tender and smoothing, and
easie to digest in the stomack without clogging it, as doth
the ordinary rough conserve made of raw Roses beaten with
Sugar, which is very rough in the throat. The worst of it
is, that if you put not a Paper to lie always close upon the
top of the conserve, it will be apt to grow mouldy there on
the top; especially après que le pot est entamé."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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