Mrs. Hale's Receipts for the Million: Containing Four Thousand Five Hundred and Forty-five Receipts, Facts, Directions, etc. in the Useful, Ornamental, and Domestic Arts
John Stuart Mill · en
1254. _Rich Mead._--Mix well the whites of six eggs in twelve gallons
of water; and to this mixture, when it has boiled half an hour and
been well skimmed, add thirty-six pounds of the finest honey, with
the rinds of two dozen lemons. Let them boil together some little
time, and on the liquor's becoming sufficiently cool, work it with a
little ale-yeast. Put it with the lemon peel into a seasoned barrel,
which must be filled up as it flows over with some of the reserved
liquor; and when the hissing ceases, drive the bung close. After the
wine has stood five or six months, bottle it for use. If intended to
be kept several years, put in a pound more honey for every gallon of
water.
1255. _Red and White Mead with Raspberries and Currants._--For every
gallon of wine to be made, take one pound and a half of honey,
half an ounce of tartar, or Bologna argol, and three-quarters of a
pound of fruit. If for white wine, white argol should be used with
white currants; if for red wine, red argol with red currants or
raspberries. Prepare the honey by mixing it with as much water as
will, when added to the juice of the fruit (allowing for diminution
by boiling, &c.), make the proposed quantity of wine. This being well
boiled and clarified, infuse in it a moderate quantity of rosemary
leaves, lavender, and sweet-brier, and when they have remained for
two days, strain the liquor, and add it to the expressed juice of
the fruit, put in the dissolved argol, stir the whole well together,
and leave it to ferment. In two or three days, put it in a seasoned
barrel; keep filling it up, as the liquor flows over; and on its
ceasing to work, sink in it a muslin bag of Seville orange and lemon
peel, with cinnamon, cloves and nutmegs, and closely bung the cask.
If kept for six months or more in the wood, and at least nine in
bottles, this wine will be excellent, whether red or white. In a
similar way may be made all sorts of fruit wines, thus substituting
honey for sugar.
1256. _Nectar._--Take half a pound of raisins of the sun, chopped,
one pound of powdered loaf sugar, two lemons, sliced, and the peel
of one. Put them into an earthen vessel with two gallons of water,
the water having been boiled half an hour; and put them in while the
water is boiling. Let the whole stand three or four days, stirring it
twice a day; then strain it, and in a fortnight it will be ready for
use.
1257. _Syrup of Cloves, Cinnamon, or Mace._--All these syrups are
made exactly on the same plan.--Take two ounces of either cloves,
cinnamon, or mace, well pounded, and put it into a pint of boiling
water in a small stewpan. Let it boil half an hour, pass the liquor
through a hair sieve, dissolve in it a pound and a half of powdered
loaf sugar, clear it over the fire, with the white of an egg beaten
to a froth, and a little rose or orange-flower water, and let it
simmer gently till the syrup is formed and clear. When quite cold,
put it in bottles, which must be closely corked.