poundof Ginger, and one ounceof Cloves. Where-
as the white hath one pound of Ginger, and two
ounces of Cloves. To this you use three quarts, or
rather more of Ale-yest (fresh and new) and when
all your Liquor is in a high slender tall pipe with
the narrowest circumference that may be (which
makes it work better then a broad one, where the
Spirits loose themselves) you have the yest in a
large Noggin with a handle, or pail, and put some
of the Liquor to it, and make that work ; then pour
it from pretty high unto the whole quantity in the
pipe, and lade it strongly with that Noggin five or
six, or eight times, pouring it every time from high,
and working it well together, that so every A tome
of the yest maybe mingled with every Atome of the
Liquor. And this course (in this particular) you
may also use in the white. It is best not to broach
this, till a year be over after the making it.
TO MAKE GOOD METHEGLIN
Take to every Gallon of Honey, three Gallons of
water, and put them both together, and set them
over so soft a fire, that you may endure to melt and
break the honey with your hands. When the honey
is all melted, put in an Egge✪ Good Metheglin,and let it fall gently to
thebottome, and if the Egge rise up to the topagain
of theLiquor,thenis it strong enough of the honey;
but if it lie at the bottome, you must put in more
honey, stirring of it till it do rise. If your honey be
very good, it will bear half a Gallon of water more
to a Gallon of Honey. Then take Sweet-bryar,
Rose-mary, Bayes, Thyme, Marjoram, Savory, of
each a good handful, which must be tyed up all
THE CLOSET OPE^^ED S3
together in a bundle. This Proportion of herbs
will be sufficient for 12 Gallons of Metheglin ; and
according to the quantity you make of Metheglin,
you must add of your herbs or take away. When
you have put these things together set it upon a
quick fire, and let it boil as fast as you can for half
an hour, or better, skiming of it very clean, which
you must Clarifie with two or three whites of Eggs.
Then take it off from the fire, and put it presently
into some clean covers, and let it stand till the next
morning ; then pour the clear from the bottom and
tun it up; putting in a little bag of such spice as you
like, whereof Ginger must be the most. After it
hath stood some three or four days, you may put in
some two or three spoonfuls of good-ale-yest ; it
will make it ready the sooner to drink, if you let it
work together, before you stop it up.
The older the honey is, the whiter coloured the
Metheglin will be.
TO MAKE WHITE METHEGLIN OF SIR
JOHN FORTESCUE
Take twelve Gallons of water, one handful of each
of theseherbs,Eglantine,Rosemary,Parsley,Straw-
berry-leaves, Wild-thyme, Balm, Liver-wort, Be-
tony, Scabious ; when your water begins to boil,
cast in your herbs, and let them boil a quarter of an
hour. Then strain it from the herbs. When it is
almost cold, then put in as much of the best honey,
as will make it bear an Egge, to the breadth of two
pence ; and stir it till all the honey be melted. Then
boil it well half an hour at the least, and put into it
the whites of six Eggs beaten to a froth to clarifie
54 SIR KENELMS DIGBIB
Page 47 · 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
poundof Ginger, and one ounceof Cloves. Whereas the white hath one pound of Ginger, and two ounces of Cloves. To this you use three quarts, or rather more of Ale-yest (fresh and new) and when all your Liquor is in a high slender tall pipe with the narrowest circumference that may be (which makes it work better then a broad one, where the Spirits loose themselves) you have the yest in a large Noggin with a handle, or pail, and put some of the Liquor to it, and make that work ; then pour it from pretty high unto the whole quantity in the pipe, and lade it strongly with that Noggin five or six, or eight times, pouring it every time from high, and working it well together, that so every Atome of the yest maybe mingled with every Atome of the Liquor. And this course (in this particular) you may also use in the white. It is best not to broach this, till a year be over after the making it. Take to every Gallon of Honey, three Gallons of water, and put them both together, and set them over so soft a fire, that you may endure to melt and break the honey with your hands. When the honey is all melted, put in an Egge,and let it fall gently to thebottome, and if the Egge rise up to the topagain of theLiquor,thenis it strong enough of the honey; but if it lie at the bottome, you must put in more honey, stirring of it till it do rise. If your honey be very good, it will bear half a Gallon of water more to a Gallon of Honey. Then take Sweet-bryar, Rose-mary, Bayes, Thyme, Marjoram, Savory, of each a good handful, which must be tyed up all
together in a bundle. This Proportion of herbs will be sufficient for 12 Gallons of Metheglin ; and according to the quantity you make of Metheglin, you must add of your herbs or take away. When you have put these things together set it upon a quick fire, and let it boil as fast as you can for half an hour, or better, skiming of it very clean, which you must Clarifie with two or three whites of Eggs. Then take it off from the fire, and put it presently into some clean covers, and let it stand till the next morning ; then pour the clear from the bottom and tun it up; putting in a little bag of such spice as you like, whereof Ginger must be the most. After it hath stood some three or four days, you may put in some two or three spoonfuls of good-ale-yest ; it will make it ready the sooner to drink, if you let it work together, before you stop it up.
The older the honey is, the whiter coloured the Metheglin will be.
JOHN FORTESCUE
Take twelve Gallons of water, one handful of each of theseherbs,Eglantine,Rosemary,Parsley,Strawberry-leaves, Wild-thyme, Balm, Liver-wort, Betony, Scabious ; when your water begins to boil, cast in your herbs, and let them boil a quarter of an hour. Then strain it from the herbs. When it is almost cold, then put in as much of the best honey, as will make it bear an Egge, to the breadth of two pence ; and stir it till all the honey be melted. Then boil it well half an hour at the least, and put into it the whites of six Eggs beaten to a froth to clarifie
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Good Metheglin