water, and two good handfuls of Herbs ; and six
Ounces of Spice of all sorts : All which will be mel-
lowed and rotted away quite, (as well as the lush-
iousnessof theHoney)inthe spaceof ayear or two.
For this is to be kept so long before it be drunk.
If you would have it sooner ready to drink,
you may work it with a little yeast, when it is al-
most cold in the Kiver : and Tun it up as soon
as it begins to work, doing afterwards as is said
before ; but leaving a little vent to purge by, till
it have done working. Or in stead of yeast, you
may take the yolks of four New-laid-eggs, and
almost half a pint of fine Wheat-flower, and some
of the Liquor you have made : beat them well
together, then put them to the Liquor in the Cask,
and stop it up close, till you see it needful, to give
it a little vent.
Note, that yeast of good Beer, is better then
that of Ale.
The first of Septemb. 1663. Mr. Webb came to
my House to make some for Me. He took fourty
three Gallons of water, and fourty two pounds of
Norfolk honey. As soon as the water boiled. He
put into it a slight handful of Hops ; which after
it had boiled a little above a quarter of an hour,
he skimed off; then put in the honey to the
boyling water, and presently a white scum rose,
which he skimed off still as it rose ; which skim-
ing was ended in little above a quarter of an hour
more. Then he put in his herbs and spices, which
were these : Rose-mary, Thyme, Winter-savory,
THE CLOSET OPEUjED 17
Sweet -marjoram, Sweet -bryar- leaves, seven or
eight little Parsley-roots : There was most of the
Savoury, and least of the Eglantine, three Ounces
of Ginger, one Ounce and a half of Cinnamon,
five Nutmegs (half an Ounce of Cloves he would
have added, but did not,) And these boiled an
hour and a quarter longer ; in all from the first
beginning to boil, somewhat less then two hours :
Then he presently laded it out of the Copper into
Coolers, letting it run through a Hair-sieve : And
set the Coolers shelving (tilted up) that the Liquor
might afterwards run the more quietlyout of them.
After the Liquor had stood so about two hours,
he poured or laded out of some of the Coolers
very gently, that the dregs might not rise, into
other Coolers. And about a pint of very thick
dregs remained last in the bottom of every Cooler.
That which ran out, was very clear : After two
hours more settling, (in a shelving situation,) He
poured it out again into other Coolers ; and then
very little dregs (or scarce any in some of the
Coolers) did remain. When the Liquor was even
almost cold, He took the yolks of three New-laid-
eggs, a spoonful of fine white flower, and about
half a pint of new fresh barm of good strong Beer
(you must have care that your barm be very white
and clean, not sullied and foul, as is usual among
slovenly Brewers in London). Beat this very well
together, with a little of the Liquor in a skiming
dish, till you see it well incorporated, and that it
beginneth to work. Then put it to a pailful (of
about two Gallons and a half) of the Liquor, and
1 8 SIR KENELMS DIGBIS ✪ Meathe
Page 29 · 1 recipe record on this page
Presented as published in 1910. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
water, and two good handfuls of Herbs ; and six Ounces of Spice of all sorts : All which will be mellowed and rotted away quite, (as well as the lushousnessof the Honey) in the space of a year or two. For this is to be kept so long before it be drunk.
If you would have it sooner ready to drink, you may work it with a little yeast, when it is almost cold in the River : and Tun it up as soon as it begins to work, doing afterwards as is said before ; but leaving a little vent to purge by, till it have done working. Or in stead of yeast, you may take the yolks of four New-laid-eggs, and almost half a pint of fine Wheat-flower, and some of the Liquor you have made : beat them well together, then put them to the Liquor in the Cask, and stop it up close, till you see it needful, to give it a little vent.
Note, that yeast of good Beer, is better then that of Ale.
The first of Septemb. 1663. Mr. Webb came to my House to make some for Me. He took fourty three Gallons of water, and fourty two pounds of Norfolk honey. As soon as the water boiled. He put into it a slight handful of Hops ; which after it had boiled a little above a quarter of an hour, he skimed off; then put in the honey to the boyling water, and presently a white scum rose, which he skimed off still as it rose ; which skiming was ended in little above a quarter of an hour more. Then he put in his herbs and spices, which were these : Rose-mary, Thyme, Winter-savory,
Sweet -marjoram, Sweet -bryar- leaves, seven or eight little Parsley-roots : There was most of the Savoury, and least of the Eglantine, three Ounces of Ginger, one Ounce and a half of Cinnamon, five Nutmegs (half an Ounce of Cloves he would have added, but did not,) And these boiled an hour and a quarter longer ; in all from the first beginning to boil, somewhat less then two hours : Then he presently laded it out of the Copper into Coolers, letting it run through a Hair-sieve : And set the Coolers shelving (tilted up) that the Liquor might afterwards run the more quietlyout of them. After the Liquor had stood so about two hours, he poured or laded out of some of the Coolers very gently, that the dregs might not rise, into other Coolers. And about a pint of very thick dregs remained last in the bottom of every Cooler. That which ran out, was very clear : After two hours more settling, (in a shelving situation,) He poured it out again into other Coolers ; and then very little dregs (or scarce any in some of the Coolers) did remain. When the Liquor was even almost cold, He took the yolks of three New-laideggs, a spoonful of fine white flower, and about half a pint of new fresh barm of good strong Beer (you must have care that your barm be very white and clean, not sullied and foul, as is usual among slovenly Brewers in London). Beat this very well together, with a little of the Liquor in a skiming dish, till you see it well incorporated, and that it beginneth to work. Then put it to a pailful (of about two Gallons and a half) of the Liquor, and
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