1. Warm sixteen Gallons of this water (luke-
warm) and put two Gallons of Honey to it, in a
half tub or other fit Woodden vessel. Lave it
very well with a clean arm, or woodden battle-door
for two or three hours, dissolving the honey very
well in the water. Let it stand thus two or three
days in wood, laving it thrice a day, a pretty while
each time. Then put it back into your Copper
and boil it gently, till you have scummed away all
the foulness that will rise ; and clarifie it with
whites of Eggs : Then put into it a little handful
of cleansed and sliced white Ginger, and a little
mace ; when they have boiled enough, put in a
few Cloves bruised, and a stick of Cinamon, and
a little Limmon-peel, and after a walm or two,
pour the Liquor into a woodden half tub, with
the spices in it. Cover it close with a Cloth and
blanquet, and let it stand so two days. Then let
the liquor run through a bolter, to sever the spice,
stopping before any settlings come. Then pour
this clear liquor into pottle-bottles of glass, not
filling them by a fingers breadth or more. Stop
them close with Cork tied in, and set them in a
cool place for 6, 7 or 8 weeks.
2. In fourty Gallons of the first boiled and set-
tled water, boil five handfuls of sweet-bryar tops,
as much of Cowslip-flowers, as much of Prim-
rose-flowers, as much of Rosemary-flowers, as
much of Sage-flowers, as many of Borage-flowers,
as many of Bugloss-flowers ; two handfuls of the.
THE CLOSET OPEJjED 37
tops of Betony, four handfuls of Agrimony, and
as many of Scabious, one handful of Thyme, as
much of Sweet-marjoram, and two ounces of Mus-
tard-seed bruised. When this hath boiled so long,
that you judge the water hath drawn out all the
vertue of the Herbs (which may be in half an
hour) pour out all into a vatte to cool and settle.
Scum away the herbs, and pour the clear from the
sediment, and to every four gallons of liquor
(luke-warm) put one gallon of honey, and lave it
to dissolve the honey, letting it stand two or three
days, laving it well thrice every day. Then boil
it till it will bear an Egge high, then clarifie it
with whites and shells of Eggs, and pour it into
a vatte to cool, which it will do in a days space or
better. Whilst it is yet luke-warm, put Ale-yest
to it, (no more then is necessary) to make it work,
and then tun it into a Rundlet of a fit Size, that
hath been seasoned with Sack ; and hang in it a
boulter bag containing half a pound of white Gin-
ger cleansed and sliced, three ounces of Cloves
and as much of Cinamon bruised, as much Cori-
ander seed prepared, and as much Elder-flowers✪ Herbal Mead.
As it purgeth and consumeth by running over the
bung, put in fresh honey-liquor warmed, that you
keep or make on purpose for that end. When the
working is even almost at an end, stop it up close
with clay and sand, and have great care to keep it
always close stopped. After a year draw in into
pottle Glass-bottles stopped with ground stoppels
of glass, and keep them in a cool place, till they
are ready to drink, if they as yet be not so.
38 SIR KENELMS DIGBIS
Have a care, that never any Liquor stay in
Copper longer then whilst it is to boil.
Page 39 · 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
1. Warm sixteen Gallons of this water (lukewarm) and put two Gallons of Honey to it, in a half tub or other fit Woodden vessel. Lave it very well with a clean arm, or woodden battle-door for two or three hours, dissolving the honey very well in the water. Let it stand thus two or three days in wood, laving it thrice a day, a pretty while each time. Then put it back into your Copper and boil it gently, till you have scummed away all the foulness that will rise ; and clarifie it with whites of Eggs : Then put into it a little handful of cleansed and sliced white Ginger, and a little mace ; when they have boiled enough, put in a few Cloves bruised, and a stick of Cinamon, and a little Limmon-peel, and after a walm or two, pour the Liquor into a woodden half tub, with the spices in it. Cover it close with a Cloth and blanquet, and let it stand so two days. Then let the liquor run through a bolter, to sever the spice, stopping before any settlings come. Then pour this clear liquor into pottle-bottles of glass, not filling them by a fingers breadth or more. Stop them close with Cork tied in, and set them in a cool place for 6, 7 or 8 weeks.
2. In fourty Gallons of the first boiled and settled water, boil five handfuls of sweet-bryar tops, as much of Cowslip-flowers, as much of Primrose-flowers, as much of Rosemary-flowers, as much of Sage-flowers, as many of Borage-flowers, as many of Bugloss-flowers ; two handfuls of the
tops of Betony, four handfuls of Agrimony, and as many of Scabious, one handful of Thyme, as much of Sweet-marjoram, and two ounces of Mustard-seed bruised. When this hath boiled so long, that you judge the water hath drawn out all the vertue of the Herbs (which may be in half an hour) pour out all into a vatte to cool and settle. Scum away the herbs, and pour the clear from the sediment, and to every four gallons of liquor (luke-warm) put one gallon of honey, and lave it to dissolve the honey, letting it stand two or three days, laving it well thrice every day. Then boil it till it will bear an Egge high, then clarifie it with whites and shells of Eggs, and pour it into a vatte to cool, which it will do in a days space or better. Whilst it is yet luke-warm, put Ale-yest to it, (no more then is necessary) to make it work, and then tun it into a Rundlet of a fit Size, that hath been seasoned with Sack ; and hang in it a boulter bag containing half a pound of white Ginger cleansed and sliced, three ounces of Cloves and as much of Cinamon bruised, as much Coriander seed prepared, and as much Elder-flowers. As it purgeth and consumeth by running over the bung, put in fresh honey-liquor warmed, that you keep or make on purpose for that end. When the working is even almost at an end, stop it up close with clay and sand, and have great care to keep it always close stopped. After a year draw in into pottle Glass-bottles stopped with ground stoppels of glass, and keep them in a cool place, till they are ready to drink, if they as yet be not so.
Have a care, that never any Liquor stay in Copper longer then whilst it is to boil.
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Herbal Mead