If youwould have it to drink within two or three
months, let it be no stronger then to bear an Egg to
the top of the water. If you would have it keep six
months, or longer, before you drink it, let it bear
up the Egg the breadth of two pence above the
water. This is the surer way to proportion your
honey then by measure. And the time of the tryal
of the strength is, when you incorporate the honey
and water together, before the boiling of it.
ANOTHER SORT OF MEATH
Take thirty six Gallons of fountain water (first
boiled, &c.) and dissolve twelve Gallons of Honey
in it. Keep them boiling an hour and a half after
they begin to boil, skimming well all the while. It
will be an hour upon the fire before it boil. When
it is clear and enough boiled, pour it out into wood-
den vessels to cool. When you are ready to Tun it,
have four Gallons of Black-currants✪ Another Sort of Meath, bruise them
in a stone mortar, that they may the more easily
part with their juyce to the Liquor. Put them
and their juyce into the barrel, and pour the cool
Liquor upon them, so as the vessel be quite full.
Cover the bung with a plate of lead lying loose on,
that the working of the Liquor may lift it up, as it
needeth to cast out the filth. And still as itworketh
over, fill it up with fresh Liquor, made in the same
proportion of honey and water. A moneth after it
works no longer, stop up the bung very close.
TO MAKE VERY GOOD METHEGLIN
Take of all sorts of herbs, that you think are good
and wholesome, as Balm, Minth, Fennel, Rose-
mary, Angelica, Wild-thyme, Hyssop, Agrimony,
THE CLOSET 0PE:HED 77
Burnet, and such other as you may like ; as also
some field herbs; But you must notput in too many,
especially Rose-mary or any strong herb. Lessthen
half a handfull will serve of every sort. Boil your
herbs,and strain them out, and let the Liquor stand
till the morrow, and settle; Then take of the clear-
est of the Liquor two Gallons and a half to one
Gallon of Honey; and in that proportion take as
much of them as you will make, and let it boil an
hour, and in the boiling scum it very clean. Then
set it a cooling as you do Beer ; and when it is cold,
take some very good Ale-barm, and put it into the
bottom of the Tub you mean the Metheglin shall
work in, which pour into the Tub by little and
little, as they do Beer, keeping back the thick sett-
ling, which lieth in the bottome of the vessels,
wherein it is cooled. And when all is put together,
cover it with a cloth, and let it work very near three
days. Andwhen you mean to put it up,scum off all
the barm clean, and put it up into your Barrel or
Firkin, which you must not stop very close in four
or five days, but let it have a little vent, for it will
work ; and when it is close stopped, you must look
to it very often, and have a peg in the top, to give it
vent, when you hear it make a noise (as it will do)
or else it will break the barrel. You may also, if you
please, make a bag, and put in good store of sliced
Ginger, and some Cloves and Cinnamon, and boil
it in, or put it into the barrel and never boil it. Both
ways are good.
If you will make small Metheglin, you may put
five or six Gallons of water to one of honey. Put in
78 SIR KENELM8 DIGBIS
Page 59 · 2 recipe records 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
If youwould have it to drink within two or three months, let it be no stronger then to bear an Egg to the top of the water. If you would have it keep six months, or longer, before you drink it, let it bear up the Egg the breadth of two pence above the water. This is the surer way to proportion your honey then by measure. And the time of the tryal of the strength is, when you incorporate the honey and water together, before the boiling of it. ANOTHER SORT OF MEATH Take thirty six Gallons of fountain water (first boiled, &c.) and dissolve twelve Gallons of Honey in it. Keep them boiling an hour and a half after they begin to boil, skimming well all the while. It will be an hour upon the fire before it boil. When it is clear and enough boiled, pour it out into woodden vessels to cool. When you are ready to Tun it, have four Gallons of Black-currants, bruise them in a stone mortar, that they may the more easily part with their juyce to the Liquor. Put them and their juyce into the barrel, and pour the cool Liquor upon them, so as the vessel be quite full. Cover the bung with a plate of lead lying loose on, that the working of the Liquor may lift it up, as it needeth to cast out the filth. And still as itworketh over, fill it up with fresh Liquor, made in the same proportion of honey and water. A moneth after it works no longer, stop up the bung very close. TO MAKE VERY GOOD METHEGLIN Take of all sorts of herbs, that you think are good and wholesome, as Balm, Minth, Fennel, Rosemary, Angelica, Wild-thyme, Hyssop, Agrimony,
[illustration: THE CLOSET OPENED 77]
Burnet, and such other as you may like ; as also some field herbs; But you must notput in too many, especially Rose-mary or any strong herb. Lessthen half a handfull will serve of every sort. Boil your herbs,and strain them out, and let the Liquor stand till the morrow, and settle; Then take of the clearest of the Liquor two Gallons and a half to one Gallon of Honey; and in that proportion take as much of them as you will make, and let it boil an hour, and in the boiling scum it very clean. Then set it a cooling as you do Beer ; and when it is cold, take some very good Ale-barm, and put it into the bottom of the Tub you mean the Metheglin shall work in, which pour into the Tub by little and little, as they do Beer, keeping back the thick settling, which lieth in the bottome of the vessels, wherein it is cooled. And when all is put together, cover it with a cloth, and let it work very near three days. Andwhen you mean to put it up,scum off all the barm clean, and put it up into your Barrel or Firkin, which you must not stop very close in four or five days, but let it have a little vent, for it will work ; and when it is close stopped, you must look to it very often, and have a peg in the top, to give it vent, when you hear it make a noise (as it will do) or else it will break the barrel. You may also, if you please, make a bag, and put in good store of sliced Ginger, and some Cloves and Cinnamon, and boil it in, or put it into the barrel and never boil it. Both ways are good.
If you will make small Metheglin, you may put five or six Gallons of water to one of honey. Put in
Records on this page
Another Sort of MeathMetheglin