White Metheglin of the Countess of Dorset

Ingredients

• a little bowl of water
• twelve gallons of water
• a spoonful of barm
• the whites of six New-laid-eggs
• a linnen bag of Cloves, Mace, Cinamon, and Nutmegs

Method

1. 1

   Steep herbs in water overnight, boil in fresh water until color is high, then strain.

2. 2

   Add honey until it bears an egg.

3. 3

   Work together for a day, let stand overnight, boil with egg whites, skim, and cool.

4. 4

   Add spices in a bag and let it work before sealing.

As published

This recipe was extracted from The closet of Sir Kenelm Digby Knight opened (1910) by Sir Kenelm Digby, page 52. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.

WHITE METHEGLIN OF THE COUNTESS OF DORSET Take Rosemary, Thyme, Sweet-bryar,Peny-royal, Bays, Water-cresses, Agrimony, Marshmallow leaves, Liver-wort, Maiden-hair, Betony, Eye- bright, Scabious, the bark of the Ash-tree, Eringo- roots, Green-wild-Angelica, Ribwort, Sanicle, Ro- man-worm-wood, Tamarisk, Mother-thyme,Sassa- firas, Philipendula, of each of these herbs a like pro- portion ; or of as many of them as you please to put in. But you must put in all but four handfuls of herbs, which you must steep one night, andoneday, in alittlebowlofwater,beingclosecovered; thenext day take another quantity of fresh water, and boil the same herbs in it, till the colour be very high ; then take another quantity of water, and boil the same herbs in it, until they look green ; and so let it boil three or four times in several waters, as long as the Liquor looketh any thing green. Then let it stand with these herbs in it a day and night. Re- member the last water you boil it in to this propor- tion of herbs, must be twelve gallons of water, and when it hath stood a day and a night, with these herbs in it, after the last boiling, then strain the Liquor from the herbs, andput as muchof thefinest THS CLOSET OPEO^ED 6^ and best honey into the Liquor, as will make it bear an Egg. You must work and labour the honey and liquor together one whole day, until the honey be consumed. Then let it stand a whole night, and then let it be well laboured again, and let it stand again a clearing, and so boil it again a quarter of an hour, with the whites of six New-laid-eggs with the shells, the yolks being taken out ; so scum it very clean, and let it stand a day a cooling. Then put it into a barrel, and take Cloves, Mace, Cinamon, and Nutmegs, as much as will please your taste, and beat them altogether ; put them into a linnen bag, and hang it with a thread in the barrel. Take heed you put not too much spice in ; a little will serve. Take the whites of two or three New-laid-eggs, a spoonful of barm

Cook this with the app: pantry check, scaling, and the assistant.