Kenelm Digby - The Closet of Sir Kenelm Digby Knight Opened

K >> Kenelm Digby >> The Closet of Sir Kenelm Digby Knight Opened

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20

To every Gallon of this water, put a quart of pure clear honey, the Liquor
being first strained from the herbs. Your Liquor if it be strong enough
will bear an Egg, the breadth of a three pence above water. When you have
put the honey into the Liquor, you must work and Labour it together a
whole day, until the honey be consumed. Then let it stand a whole night
again a clearing. Then put it into a kettle, and let it boil a quarter of
an hour, with the whites and shells of six Eggs; Then strain it clean, and
so let it stand a cooling. Then put it into a barrel, and take Cloves,
Mace, Cinamon, Nutmegs, and beat them together: put them into a linnen bag,
hang it with a thread into the barrel. If you would have it work, that you
may drink of it presently, take the whites of two or three Eggs, a spoonful
of barm, a spoonful of wheat-flower; beat all these together: Let it work,
before you stop it up. Then afterwards stop it well with clay and salt
tempered together, to keep it moist.

TO MAKE METHEGLIN

If your honey be tryed, take six Gallons of Milk-warm-water, to one of
honey, and stir it well together ever and anon, and so let it stand for a
day and night, or half a day may serve; then boil it with a gentle fire,
for the space of half an hour or thereabouts, and skim it, still as the
skum ariseth. After it is scummed once or twice, you may put in your herbs,
and spice grosly beaten, one half loose; the other in a bag, which
afterwards may be fastned with a string to the tap-hole, as Pepper, Cloves,
Mace, Ginger and the like; when it is thus boiled, let it stand in the
vessel until it be cooled; then Tun it up into your barrel, and let it work
two or three days, or more before you stop the bung-hole; but in putting up
the boiled liquor into the barrel, reserve the thick grounds back, which
will be settled in the pan or kettle.

If you would 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 it worketh 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, Burnet,
and such other as you may like; as also some field herbs; But you must not
put in too many, especially Rose-mary or any strong herb. Less then 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. And when 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 a little Cinnamon and Cloves and boil it well. And
when it is cold, put it up in bottles very close stopped, and the stopples
well tyed on. This will not keep above five or six weeks, but it is very
fine drink.

Make your Metheglin as soon as ever you take your Bees; for if you wash
your combs in the water you boil your herbs in, when it is cold, it will
sweeten much. But you must afterwards strain it through a cloth, or else
there will be much wax.

TO MAKE MEATH

If you will have it to keep a year or two, take six parts of water, and one
of honey; But if you will have it to keep longer, take but four parts of
water to one of honey. Dissolve the honey very well in the water, then boil
it gently, skimming it all the while as the scum riseth, till no more scum
riseth. Then pour it out of the Copper into a fit vessel or vessels to
cool. Then Tun it up in a strong and sweet cask, and let it stand in some
place, where there is some little warmth; (It will do as well without
warmth, but be longer growing ripe) This will make it work. At first a
course foul matter will work over; to which purpose it must be kept always
full with fresh Liquor of the same, as it worketh over. When it begins to
work more gently, and that which riseth at the top, is no more foul, but is
a white froth; then fill and stop it up close, and set it in a cool cellar,
where it is to stand continually.

After half a year or a year, you may draw it off from the Lees into a clean
vessel, or let it remain untouched. It is not fit to be drunk for it's
perfection till the sweetness be quite worn off, yet not to be sower, but
vinous. You may drink it at meals instead of wine, and is wholesomer and
better then wine.

To small Meath, that is to be drunk presently, you may put a little Ginger
to give it life, and work it with a little barm. If the Meath work not at
all, it will nevertheless be good, and peradventure better than that which
worketh; but it will be longer first, and the dregs will fall down to the
bottom, though it work not.

Small Meath of eight or nine parts of water to one of honey, will be very
good, though it never work, but be barrell'd up as soon as it is cold, and
stopped close: and after two or three months drunk from the barrel without
botteling. This is good for Meals.

TO MAKE WHITE MEATH

Take to every three Gallons of water, one Gallon of honey and set the water
over the fire, and let the honey melt, before the water be too hot; then
put in a New-laid-egg, and feel with your hand; if it comes half way the
water, it is strong enough; Then put into it these Herbs, Thyme,
Sweet-marjoram, Winter-savoury, Sweet-bryar, and Bay-leaves, in all a good
great handful; which a proportion for ten Gallons; Then with a quick-fire
boil it very fast half an hour, and no longer; and then take it from the
fire, and let it cool in two or three woodden vessels; and let it stand
without stirring twenty four hours. Then softly drain it out, leaving all
the dregs behind. Put the clear into your vessel; and if you like any
spice, take Ginger, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Mace 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 Springwater 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 a cooler, 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, 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
Rosemary 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 it work like Beer. The
roots must be scraped, and the Pith taken out.

MEATH FROM THE MUSCOVIAN AMBASSADOUR'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 together, 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 be cold,
cover them. This being done, you will find it worked enough by the black
that cometh up by the sides of the Tubs; then take a sieve and take off the
yest and bread. Afterwards draw it off at a tap in the Tub into the cask
you intend to keep it in; then take a quantity of spice as before,
well-bruised, and put it into a bag, and make it fast at the bung, with a
string, and if it begins to work, after it is in the cask, be sure to give
it vent, or else you will loose all.

TO MAKE MEATH

To every quart of honey put four quarts of Springwater; temper the honey in
the water, being a little warmed; then put it on the fire again, with
Fennel, Rose-mary, Thyme, Agrimony, Parsley or the like. Let them boil half
an hour, and upwards; and as it boileth, scum the froth; Then take it off,
and strain it, and let it cool as you do your wort. Then put a little barm
into it, then take off the froath again, and stir it well together. Then
take two quarts of Ale, boiled with Cloves. Mace, Cinnamon, Ginger and
Liquorice; and put it to the Meath and Tun it up.

A RECEIPT TO MAKE WHITE MEATH

Take Rose-mary, Thyme, Sweet-bryar, Peny-royal, Bays, Water-cresses,
Agrimony, Marsh-mallow-leaves and flowers, Liver-wort, Maiden-hair, Betony,
Eye-bright, Scabious, the bark of an Ash-tree, young Eringo-roots,
Wild-Angelica, Ribwort, Sinacle, Roman-worm-wood, Tamarisk, Mother-thyme,
Saxafrage, Philipendula, of each of these herbs a like proportion; or of as
many as you please to put in. You must put in all but four handfuls of
herbs, which you must steep a night and a day, in a little bowl of water,
being close covered. The next day take another fresh quantity of 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, untill it look green; and
so let them boil three or four times in several waters, as long as the
Liquor looketh anything green. Then let it stand with these herbs in it a
day and a night. Remember the last water you boil it in, to this proportion
of herbs, must be eighteen Gallons. 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; and put as much of the finest and best honey into the
Liquor, as will bear an Egg; you must work the honey and liquor together a
whole day, until the honey be consumed; then let it stand one whole night;
then let it be well laboured again, and set it a clearing; and so boil it
again with the whites of six New-laid-eggs with the shells; skim it very
clean; and let it stand a day a cooling; then put it into a barrel, and
take Cloves, Mace, Cinnamon and Nutmegs as much as will please your taste,
and beat them all together, and put them in a Linnen bag, and hang it with
a thread into the barrel. Then take the whites of two or three
New-laid-eggs, a spoonful of barm, a spoonful of Wheat-flower, and beat
them all together, and put it into your Liquor in the barrel, and let it
work before you stop it; then afterwards stop it well, and set it in a cold
place, and when it hath been settled some six weeks: draw it into bottles,
and stop it very close, and drink not of it in a month after.

TO MAKE METHEGLIN

Take eight Gallons of water, set it over a clear fire in a Kettle; and when
it is warm, put it to sixteen pounds of very good honey, and stir it well
together; take off the scum, and put two large Nutmegs cut in quarters, and
so let it boil at least an hour; Then take it off the fire, and put to it
two good handfulls of grinded Malt, and with a white staff keep beating it
together till it be almost cold; then strain it through a hair-sieve into a
Tub, and put to it a wine-pint of Ale-yest, and stir it very well together;
and when it is cold, you may if you please, Tun it up presently into a
vessel fit for it, or else let it stand, and work a day, and when it hath
done working in your vessel, stop it up very close. It will be three weeks
or a month before it be ready to drink.

TO MAKE HONEY DRINK

To two quarts of water take one pound of Honey. When it boileth, skim it
clean as long as any scum ariseth; boil it a pretty while; then take it off
the fire, and put it in an earthen pot, and let it stand till the next day;
then put it into clean bottles, that are throughly dry, rinsing first every
bottle with a little of the liquor; Fill them not too full, and put into
every bottle four or five Cloves, and four or five slices of Ginger: and
stop it very close, and set it in Sand; and within ten or twelve days it
will be ready to drink.

Some, when they take their Bees, put the honey-combs into fair-water, and
make it so strong of the honey that it will bear an Egg; and then boil it
with some Spice, and put it into a barrel: but I think it not so good, as
that which is made of pure honey.

THE EARL OF DENBIGH'S METHEGLIN

Take twenty Gallons of Spring-water; boil it a quarter of an hour, and let
it stand, until it be all most cold; then beat in so much honey, as will
make it so strong as to bear an Egg, so that on the Top, you may see the
breadth of a hasel-nut swimming above; The next day boil it up with six
small handfuls of Rosemary; a pound and a half of Ginger, being scraped and
bruised; then take the whites of twenty Eggs shells and all; beat them very
well, and put them in to clarifie it; skim it very clean, then take it off
the fire and strain: But put the Rosemary and Ginger in again: then let it
remain till it be all most cold: then Tun it up, and take some
New-ale-yest; the whites of two Eggs, a spoonful of flower, and beat them
well together, and put them into the barrel; when it hath wrought very
well, stop it very close for three weeks or a month: then bottle it, and a
week after you may drink it.

TO MAKE MEATH

Take to every Gallon of water, a quart of honey, and set it over a clear
fire, and when it is ready to boil, skim it very clear. Then take two
handfulls of Sweet-marjoram, as much Rose-mary, and as much Baulm: and two
handful of Fennel-roots, as much of Parsley-roots, and as many
Esparages-roots: slice them in the middle, and take out the pith, wash and
scrape them very clean, and put them with your herbs into your Liquor. Then
take two Ounces of Ginger, one Ounce of Nutmegs, half an Ounce of Mace:
bruise them and put them in: and let it boil till it be so strong that it
will bear an Egg: then let it cool: and being cold, put in 3 or 4 spoon
fulls of New-ale yest: and so skim it well, and put it into a Runlet, and
it will work like Ale: and having done working, stop it up close, as you do
New-beer: and lay salt upon it.

TO MAKE METHEGLIN

Take four Gallons of running water, and boil it a quarter of an hour, and
put it in an earthen vessel, and let it stand all night. The next day take
only the water, and leave the settling at the bottom: so put the honey in a
thin bag, and work it in the water, till all the honey is dissolved. Take
to four Gallons of water, one Gallon of Honey: Then put in an Egg, if it be
strong enough of the honey, the Egg will part of it appear on the top of
the liquor: if it do not, put more honey to it, till it do. Then take out
the Egg, and let the Liquor stand till next morning. Then take two Ounces
of Ginger, and slice it and pare it: Some Rose-mary washed and stripped
from the stalk: dry it very well. The next day put the Rose-mary and Ginger
into the drink, and so set it on the fire: when it is all most ready to
boil, take the whites of three Eggs well beaten with the shells, and put
all into the Liquor: and stir it about, and skim it well till it be clear.
Be sure you skim not off the Rose-mary and Ginger: then take it off the
fire, and let it run through a hair sieve: and when you have strained it,
pick out the Rose-mary and Ginger out of the strainer, and put it into the
drink, and throw away the Eggshells, and so let it stand all night. The
next day Tun it up in a barrel: Be sure the barrel be not too big: then
take a little flower and a little bran, and the white of an Egg, and beat
them well together, and put them into the barrel on the top of the
Metheglin, after it is tunned up, and so let it stand till it hath done
working; then stop it up as close as is possible: and so let it stand six
or seven weeks: then draw it out and bottle it. You must tye down the
Corks, and set the bottles in sand five or six weeks, and then drink it.

ANOTHER MEATH

Take twenty Gallons of fair Spring-water. Boil it a quarter of an hour,
then let it stand till the next day. Then beat into it so much honey, as
will make it so strong as to bear an Egg the breadth of a two pence above
the water. The next day boil it up with six small handfulls of Rosemary, a
pound and a half of Ginger, (being scraped and bruised) and the whites of
twenty Eggs together with their shells beaten together, and well mingled
with the Liquor. Clarifie it and skim it very clean, still as the scum
riseth, leaving the Ginger and Rosemary in it. Let it stand till the next
day, then Tun it up, and take some New-ale-yest, the whites of two Eggs, a
spoonful of flower, beat all these together, and put it on the top of the
barrel, when the barrel is full. Let it work, and when it hath done
working, stop it up close for three weeks, or a month. Then you may bottle
it, and a few days after, you may drink it.

ANOTHER

Take three Gallons of water, and boil in it a handful of Rose-mary (or
rather the flowers) Cowslips, Sage-flowers, Agrimony, Betony, and Thyme,
_ana_, one handful. When it hath taken the strength of the herbs, strain it
through a hair-sieve, and let it cool twenty hours. Then to three Gallons
of the clear part of this decoction, put one Gallon of honey, and mingle it
very well with your hand, till it bear an Egg the breadth of a groat. Then
boil it and skim it as long as any scum will rise. Afterwards let it cool
twenty four hours. Then put to it a small quantity of Ale-barm, and skim
the thin-barm that doth rise on it, morning and evening, with a feather,
during four days. And so put it up into your vessel, and hang in it a thin
linnen bag with two Ounces of good White-ginger bruised therein: And stop
it up close for a quarter of a year. Then you may drink it.

ANOTHER

Take a quart of honey to a Gallon of water; set the Kettle over the fire,
and stir it now and then, that the honey may melt; let it boil an hour; you
must boil in it, a Sprig or two of Winter-savory, as much of
Sweet-marjoram; put it into tubs ready scalded, till the next day towards
evening. Then tun it up into your vessel, let it work for three days; after
which hang a bag in the barrel with what quantity of Mace and sliced Nutmeg
you please. To make it stronger then this, 'tis but adding more hony, to
make it bear an Egg the breadth of a six pence, or something more. You may
bottle it out after a month, when you please. This is the way, which is
used in Sussex by those who are accounted to make it best.

ANOTHER RECEIPT

Take to every Gallon of Fountain-water a good quart of honey. Set the water
on the fire, till it be pretty warm; then take it off, and put it in your
honey, and stir it till it be dissolved. Then put into every three Gallons,
two handfuls of Thyme: two good handfuls of Strawberry-leaves, one handful
of Organ; one handful of Fennel-roots, the heart being taken out, and one
handful of Parsley-roots the heart taken out: But as for the herbs, it must
be according to the constitution of them, for whom the Mead is intended.
Then set the Herbs in it on the fire, to boil for half an hour, still
skimming it, as the scum riseth; it must boil but half an hour; then take
it off the fire, and presently strain it from the herbs, and let it stand
till it be fully cold; then pour it softly off the bottom, and put it in a
vessel fit for it, and put a small quantity of barm in it, and mingle it
with it, and when it hath wrought up, which will be in three or four days,
skim off that barm, and set on fresh: but the second barm must not be
mingled with the Meath, but onely poured on the top of it. Take an Ounce of
Nutmeg sliced: one Ounce of Ginger sliced: one Ounce of Cinnamon cut in
pieces, and boil them a pretty while in a quart of White-wine or Sack: when
this is very cold, strain it, and put the spices in a Canvas-bag to hang in
your Meath, and pour in the Wine it was boiled in.

This Meath will be drinkable, when it is a fortnight or three weeks old.

TO MAKE METHEGLIN THAT LOOKS LIKE WHITE-WINE

Take to twelve gallons of water, a handful of each of these Herbs: Parsley,
Eglantine, Rosemary, Strawberry-leaves, Wild-thyme, Baulme, Liverwort,
Betony, Scabious: when the water begins to boil, cast in the herbs: let
them boil a quarter of an hour: then strain out the herbs; and when it is
almost cold, then put in as much of the best honey, you can get, as will
bear an Egg to the breadth of two pence; that is, till you can see no more
of the Egge above the water, then a two pence will cover: Lave it and stir
it till you see all the honey be melted; then boil it well half an hour, at
the least: skim it well, and put in the whites of six Eggs beaten, to
clarifie it: Then strain it into some woodden vessels; and when it is
almost cold, put some Ale-barm into it. And when it worketh well, Tun it
into some well seasoned vessel, where neither Ale nor Beer hath been, for
marring the colour of it. When it hath done working, if you like it, Take a
quantity of Cloves, Nutmegs, Mace, Cinnamon, Ginger, or any of these that
you like best, and bruise them, and put them in a boulter bag, and hang it
in the vessel. Put not too much of the Spice, because many do not like the
taste of much Spice. If you make it at Michaelmas, you may tap it at
Christmas: but if you keep it longer, it will be the better. It will look
pure, and drink with as much spirit as can be, and very pleasant.

TO MAKE WHITE METHEGLIN

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20