The Queen-like Closet or Rich Cabinet Part 14

Boil the Rinds of them in several Waters till they be very tender, beat them small with their weight of Pippins, then take the weight of all in fine Sugar, and to every Pound of Sugar, a Pint of Water, boil your Water and Sugar together, and make a Syrup, then put in your Pulp, and boil it a good while till it be clear, then put in the Juice of some Orange and Limon, so much as will give it a fine taste, then boil it a little longer till you see it will jelly very well, then put it into Gla.s.ses, and keep it in a reasonable warm place; this is very Cordial, and stoppeth Rheum.

248. _To make green Ginger wet._

Take one pound of Ginger, and steep it in Red-Wine and Vinegar equally mixed, let it stand so close covered twelve days, and twice every day stir it up and down, then take two quarts of Red-Wine and as much Vinegar, and boil them together a little while, then put in three pounds of Sugar and make a Syrup therewith, then put in your Ginger and boil it a while, then set it by till the next day, so boil it every day a little, till it be very clear, and so keep it in the Syrup.

249. _To make a Sallad of Limons._

Take the rinds of Limons cut in halves, and boil them in several waters till they are very tender, then take Vinegar, Water and Sugar, and make a Syrup, then put in your Limons, first cut as you would an Apple-paring, round and round till you come at the top, boil them a while in the Syrup, then set them by till the next day, then boil them again a little, and so do till you see they be clear, and the Syrup thick; when you serve them to the Table, wash them in Vinegar.

250. _To stew Prunes without fire._

Take your largest Prunes well washed, and put them into a broad mouthed Gla.s.s, then put to them some Claret Wine, and whole Spice, and cover your Gla.s.s very well, and set it in the Sun ten days or more, and they will eat very finely; you must also put a little Sugar into the Gla.s.s with them.

251. _To make Syrup of the Juice of Citrons or Limons._

Take the Juyce of either of them, and put twice the weight of fine Sugar therein, put it into a long Gallipot, and set that pot into a Kettle of boiling water, till you see they be well incorporated, then take it out, and when it is cold put it up.

252. _To make Punch._

Take one Quart of Claret wine, half a Pint of Brandy, and a little Nutmeg grated, a little Sugar, and the Juice of a Limon, and so drink it.

253. _To make Limonado._

Take one Quarrt of Sack, half a Pint of Brandy, half a Pint of fair Water, the Juyce of two Limons, and some of the Pill, so brew them together, with Sugar, and drink it.

254. _To make Paste of Pomewaters._

Take your Pomewater Apples, and put them in a long Gallipot, and set that Pot in a Kettle of boiling water, till your Apples are tender, then pare them, and cut them from the Core, and beat them in a Mortar very well, then take their weight in fine Sugar, and boil it to a Candy height with a little water, then put in your Apples, and boil them till it will come from the bottom of the Posnet, when it is almost cold mould it with searced Sugar, and make it in Cakes and dry them.

255. _To make Syrup of Rasberries, or of other Fruits, as Grapes or the like._

Take the Juyce of your Fruits and the weight thereof in fine Sugar, mix them together, and put them into a long Gally-pot, and set that pot into a Kettle of seething water, and when you see it is enough let it cool, and then put it up; after you have strained out your Juice, you must let it stand to settle three or four days before you put the Sugar into it, and then take only the clearest, this is exceeding good and comfortable in all Feavers.

256. _To make a Caudle for a sick body both pleasant and comfortable._

Take a quart of white Wine, and boil it a while with a Blade of large Mace, and a little whole Cinamon, then take four Ounces of sweet Almonds blanched and beaten with a little Rosewater, then strain your Almonds with the Wine, and set it over the fire again, and when it is scalding hot, put in the Yolks of four Eggs, and as much Sugar as you think fit.

257. _How to cover all kinds of Seeds, or little pieces of Spices, or Orange or Limon Pill, with Sugar for Comfits._

First of all you mast have a deep bottomed Basin of Bra.s.s or Latin, with two ears of Iron to hang it with two Cords over some hot Coals.

You must also have a broad Pan to put Ashes in, and hot Coals upon them.

You must have a Bra.s.s Ladle to let run the Sugar upon the Seeds.

You must have a Slice of Bra.s.s to sc.r.a.pe away the Sugar from the sides of the hanging Basin if need be.

Having all these things in readiness, do as followeth;

Take fine white Sugar beaten, and let your Seeds and Spice be dry, then dry them again in your hanging Basin:

Take to every two pounds of Sugar one quarter of a pound of Spices or Seeds, or such like.

If it be Aniseeds, two pounds of Sugar to half a pound of Aniseeds, will be enough.

Melt your Sugar in this manner, put in three Pounds of Sugar into the Basin, and one Pint of Water, stir it well till it be wet, then melt it very well and boil it very softly until it will stream from the Ladle like Turpentine, and not drop, then let it seeth no more, but keep it upon warm Embers, that it may run from the Ladle upon the seeds.

Move the Seeds in the hanging Basin so fast as you can or may, and with one hand, cast on half a Ladle full at a time of the hot Sugar, and rub the Seeds with your other hand a pretty while, for that will make them take the Sugar the better, and dry them well after every Coat.

Do thus at every Coat, not only in moving the Basin, but also with stirring of the Comfits with the one hand, and drying the same: in every hour you may make three pounds of Comfits; as the Comfits do increase in bigness, so you may take more Sugar in your Ladle to cast on:

But for plain Comfits, let your Sugar be of a light decoction last, and of a high decoction first, and not too hot.

For crisp and ragged Comfits make your decoction so high, as that it may run from the Ladle, and let it fall a foot high or more from the Ladle, and the hotter you cast on your sugar, the more ragged will your Comfits be; also the Comfits will not take so much of the sugar, as upon a light decoction, and they will keep their raggedness long; this high decoction must serve for eight or ten Coats, and put on at every time but one Ladle full.

A quarter of a pound of Coriander seeds, and three pounds of sugar, will serve for very great Comfits.

See that you keep your Sugar in the Basin always in good temper, that it burn not in Lumps, and if at any time it be too high boiled, put in a spoonful or two of water, and keep it warily with your Ladle, and let your fire be always very clear, when your Comfits be made, set them in Dishes upon Paper in the Sun or before the Fire, or in the Oven after Bread is drawn, for the s.p.a.ce of one hour or two, and that will make them look very white.

257. [Transcriber's note: so numbered in original] _To make a fine Cullis or Jelly._

Take a red c.o.c.k, scald, wash, and dress him clean, seeth it in white Wine or Rhenish Wine, and sc.u.m it clean, put in a Pint of thick cream to it, then put in whole Spices, Sugar and Rosewater, and boil them together.

258. _A white Jelly with Almonds._

Take Rosewater and Gum Dragon first steeped, or Isingla.s.s dissolved, and some Cinamon whole, seeth these together, then take one pound of Almond blanched and beaten with Rosewater, then put them in and seeth them with the rest, stir them always, and when it is enough, sweeten it to your taste, and when it is cold eat it.

259. _To make sweet Cakes without Sugar._

Wash some Parsnep roots, sc.r.a.pe them and slice them very thin dry them in a Dish in an Oven, and beat them to a Powder, mix them with an equal quant.i.ty of fine Flower, mix them with Cream, beaten Spice and Salt, and so make them and bake them.

260. _To keep Roses or Gilliflowers very long._