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The closet of Sir Kenelm Digby Knight opened

1910

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Presented as published in 1910. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
and Cloves, and bruise them a little, and put them in a bag, and let them hang in your vessel. Before you put your Meath into the vessel, try if it will bear an Egg as broad as a peny ; if it do, then it is very well ; and if it be made with the best White- honey, it usually is just so. But if it should prove too strong, that it bears the Egge broader; then boil a little more honey and water very small, and put to it, when it is cold : and then put it into the vessel. It is best to be made at Michaelmas, and not drunk of till Lent. TO MAKE SMALL WHITE MEATH Take of the best white honey six quarts ; of Spring- water sixteen Gallons ; set it on a gentle fire at first, tell it is melted, and clean skimmed ; then make it boil apace, until the third part be consumed. Then take it from the fire, and put it in acooler, and when it is cold. Tun it up, and let it stand eight months, before you drink it. When you take it from the fire, slice in three Orris-roots, and let it remain in the Liquor, when you Tun it up. A RECEIPT TO MAKE METHEGLIN Take four Gallons of water, two quarts of Honey, two ounces of Ginger, one ounce of Nutmegs, a good handful of Rose-mary tops, and as much of Bay-leaves, two ounces of dried Orange-peel. Boil all these till it be so strong as will bear an Egg, and not sink ; when it is milk warm, work it up with barm, during twenty four hours, and then barrel it up. And after three months you may bottle it up at your pleasure. As you desire a greater quantity of the drink. THE CLOSET OPEV^D you must augment the ingredients, according to the proportions above recited. TO MAKE METHEGLIN Take four Gallons of water and one of Honey ; boil and skim it : then put into it, Liverwort, Harts- tongue, Wild-carrot, and Yarrow, a little Rose- mary and Bays, one Parsly-root,and a Fennel-root ; let them boil an hour altogether. You may, if you please, hang a little bag of spice in it. When it is cold,put a little barm to it,and let itwork like Beer. The roots must be scraped, and the Pith taken out. MEATH FROM THE MUSCOVIAN AM- BASSADOUR'S STEWARD Take three times as much water as honey ; then let the tubs, that the honey must be wrought in, be cleansed very clean with scalding water, so that it may not prove sowre ; also when you mix them to- gether, take half-warm-water, and half cold, and squeese them well together ; Afterwards when you think the honey is well melted, then let it run through a sieve ; and see your kettle of Copper or Iron (but Copper is better than Iron) be very clean ; then put in your spice,as. Nutmegs, Ginger, Cloves, Cardamome, Anisseeds, Orange peel ; put these in according to the quantity you make, and let them all be bruised, except the Orange peel, which leave whole. The Meath must boil an hour by the Clock ; after put it into Tubs to cool, and when it is cold, take three or four slices of White-bread, tost them very hard, and spread very good yest on both sides of the tosts ; then put them into the Tubs. If it be warm weather, let the Tubs be uncovered ; but if it 82 SIR KENELMS DIGBIS To Make Metheglin