TAKEonehundredpounds weight, or what quantity
you please, of ripe, but sound, pure, dry and well
gathered Cherries. Bruise and mash them with
your hands to press out all their juyce, which strain
through a boulter cloth, into a deep narrow Wood-
den tub, and cover it close with clothes. It will
begin to work and ferment within three or four
hours, and a thick foul scum will rise to the top.
Skim it off as it riseth to any good head, and pre-
sently cover it again. Do this till no more great
quantity of scum arise, which will be four or five
times, or more. And by this means the Liquor will
become clear, all the gross muddy parts rising up in
scum to the top. When you find that the height of
the working is past, and that it begins to go less,
tun it into a barrel, letting it run again through a
boulter, to keepoutall the gross feculent substance.
If you should let it stay before you tun it up, till
the working were too much deaded, the wine would
prove dead. Let it remain in the barrel close
stopped, a month or five weeks. Then draw it into
bottles, into each of which put a lump of fine Sugar✪ To Make Wine of Cherries Alone,
before you draw the wine into it, and stop them very
close, and set them in a cold Cellar. You may drink
them after three or four months. This wine is ex-
ceeding pleasant, strong, spiritful and comfortable.
THE CLOSET OPEV^D iii
OF COOKERY
TO MAKE A SACK POSSET
BOIL two wine-quarts of Sweet-cream in a
Possnet; when it hath boiled a little, take
it from the fire, and beatthe yolks of nine
or ten fresh Eggs, and the whites of four
with it, beginning with two or three spoonfuls, and
adding more till all be incorporated ; then set it over
the fire, to recover a good degree of heat, but not so
much as to boil ; and always stir it one way, least
you break the consistence. In the mean time, let
half a pint of Sack or White muscadin boil a very
little in a bason, upon a Chafing-dish of Coals, with
three quartersof a poundof Sugar,andthreeorfour
quartered Nutmegs, and as many pretty big pieces
of sticks of Cinnamon✪ To Make a Sack Posset. When this is well scummed,
and still very hot, take it from the fire, and immedi-
ately pour into it the cream, beginning to pour neer
it, but raising by degrees your hand so that it may
fall down from a good height; and without anymore
to be done, it will then be fit to eat. It is very good
kept cold as well as eaten hot. It doth very well
with it, to putinto the Sack(immediately before you
put in the cream) some Ambergreece,or Ambered-
sugar, or Pastils. When it is made, you may put
powder of Cinnamon and Sugar upon it, if you like
it.
ANOTHER
To two quarts of Cream, if it be in the Summer,
when the Cream is thick and best, take but two or
112 SIR KENELME DIGBIE
three yolks of Eggs. But in the Winter when it is
thin and hungry, take six or seven ; but never no
whites. And of Sack or Muscadin, take a good
third (scarce half) of a pint ; and three quarters of a
pound of fine Sugar. Let the Sugar and Sack boil
well together, that it be almost like a Syrup ; and
just as you take it from the fire, put in your ground
Amber or Pastils, and constantly pour in the Cream
with which the Eggs are incorporated ; and do all
the rest as is said in the foregoing Process.
Page 76 · 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
TAKE one hundred pounds weight, or what quantity you please, of ripe, but sound, pure, dry and well gathered Cherries. Bruise and mash them with your hands to press out all their juyce, which strain through a boulter cloth, into a deep narrow Woodden tub, and cover it close with clothes. It will begin to work and ferment within three or four hours, and a thick foul scum will rise to the top. Skim it off as it riseth to any good head, and presently cover it again. Do this till no more great quantity of scum arise, which will be four or five times, or more. And by this means the Liquor will become clear, all the gross muddy parts rising up in scum to the top. When you find that the height of the working is past, and that it begins to go less, tun it into a barrel, letting it run again through a boulter, to keepoutall the gross feculent substance. If you should let it stay before you tun it up, till the working were too much deaded, the wine would prove dead. Let it remain in the barrel close stopped, a month or five weeks. Then draw it into bottles, into each of which put a lump of fine Sugar, before you draw the wine into it, and stop them very close, and set them in a cold Cellar. You may drink them after three or four months. This wine is exceeding pleasant, strong, spiritful and comfortable.
THE CLOSET OPENED iii
OF COOKERY
TO MAKE A SACK POSSET
BOIL two wine-quarts of Sweet-cream in a Possnet; when it hath boiled a little, take it from the fire, and beatthe yolks of nine or ten fresh Eggs, and the whites of four with it, beginning with two or three spoonfuls, and adding more till all be incorporated ; then set it over the fire, to recover a good degree of heat, but not so much as to boil ; and always stir it one way, least you break the consistence. In the mean time, let half a pint of Sack or White muscadin boil a very little in a bason, upon a Chafing-dish of Coals, with three quartersof a poundof Sugar,andthreeorfour quartered Nutmegs, and as many pretty big pieces of sticks of Cinnamon. When this is well scummed, and still very hot, take it from the fire, and immediately pour into it the cream, beginning to pour neer it, but raising by degrees your hand so that it may fall down from a good height; and without anymore to be done, it will then be fit to eat. It is very good kept cold as well as eaten hot. It doth very well with it, to putinto the Sack(immediately before you put in the cream) some Ambergreece,or Amberedsugar, or Pastils. When it is made, you may put powder of Cinnamon and Sugar upon it, if you like it.
ANOTHER
To two quarts of Cream, if it be in the Summer, when the Cream is thick and best, take but two or
three yolks of Eggs. But in the Winter when it is thin and hungry, take six or seven ; but never no whites. And of Sack or Muscadin, take a good third (scarce half) of a pint ; and three quarters of a pound of fine Sugar. Let the Sugar and Sack boil well together, that it be almost like a Syrup ; and just as you take it from the fire, put in your ground Amber or Pastils, and constantly pour in the Cream with which the Eggs are incorporated ; and do all the rest as is said in the foregoing Process.
Records on this page
To Make Wine of Cherries AloneTo Make a Sack Posset