Take eight Gallons of Water, and as much Honey as will make it bear an Egg;
add to this the Rind of six Lemmons, and boil it well, scumming it
carefully as it rises. When 'tis off the Fire, put to it the Juice of the
six Lemmons, and pour it into a clean Tub, or open earthen Vessel, if you
have one large enough, to work three Days; then scum it well, and pour off
the clear into the Cask, and let it stand open till it has done making a
hissing Noise; after which, stop it up close, and in three Months time it
will be fine, and fit for bottling.
To make Hydromel, or Mead.
Take eight Gallons of Water, and as much Honey as will make the Water bear
an Egg; put to this a quarter of a pound of Cloves tied in three or four
pieces of Muslin or Linnen Cloth, and set it to boil till the Scum has done
rising, scumming it as it rises; then take it off the Fire, and take out
the Cloves, which may be wash'd and dry'd for other Uses, and pour your
Mead into an open Tub to ferment for about three days, till the Violence of
the Working is over; after which, scum it very well, and pour the clear
into a Vessel, leaving the Bung open till it has done hissing, which you
may know by holding your Ear close to it, for at a distance you can hardly
discover it. When this hissing is over, stop it close, and let it stand
three Months till it is fine, before you bottle it; remember in bottling
this, as well as all other Liquors, that the Bottles must be clean, and
perfectly dry, and that every Bottle be well cork'd. This will keep good
several Years.
Besides this way of making Mead, there is another which I have approved to
be very good, which, in all particulars, except the Water, is the same with
this; and instead of the Water, put the like Quantity of small Ale-Wort,
brew'd with pale Malt: but this will require less Honey than the former,
and will require more time in the Vessel before it is fine and fit to
bottle; but it will last many Years good, and will drink like _Cyprus_ Wine
when it is a Year old. In this Liquor, take particular care that your
Cloves are fresh and sound, for else you must add a Quantity in proportion.
_N.B._ We may make these Meads in the Spring of the Year, as well as at
this Season; only the advantage of making it now, is, that you have an
opportunity of washing the Honey-Combs after the Honey is run off, and
thereby will save Expence in Honey.
The Potatoe now begins to be gather'd, and is a very useful Root, being
either boil'd or roasted in hot Embers; and after it is boiled, to be
broiled, or after boiling it tender, and beaten in a Mortar, it is used to
thicken Sauces, and for making of rich Puddings, as I am inform'd by a
skilful Person in this way.
The Roots of red Beets now begin to come in season, and are very good
boiled, and sliced, to be put in a Pickle of Vinegar only: thus you may
keep them to garnish Sallads of small Herbs, and in some Intervals put
Horse-Radish scraped. These Roots will hold all the Winter. The Root of the
red Beet makes an excellent Dish, prepared after the following manner,
which I got abroad.
To fry the Roots of Red Beets.
Wash your Beet-Roots, and lay them in an earthen glazed Pan, bake them in
an Oven, and then peel the Skin off them: after this is done, slit them
from the Top to the Tail, and cut them in the shape of the Fish call'd a
Sole, about the thickness of the third part of an Inch; dip these in a
thick Batter, made of White-Wine, fine Flower, sweet Cream, the Whites and
Yolks of Eggs, rather more Yolks than Whites, some Pepper, Salt, and Cloves
beaten fine, all well mix'd. As you dip every piece of Beet-Root in this
Batter, strew them over thick with fine Flower mix'd with grated Bread, and
Parsley shred small, and then fry them in Lard: when they are enough, let
them dry, and serve them with a Garnish of Lemmon. These likewise may be
put about stew'd Carps, Tench, or roasted Jacks, by way of Garnish, with
scraped Horse-Radish, and pickled Barberries.
In the Heats of this Month, the following Jelly is used by a curious
Gentleman abroad, who gave me the Receipt of it, under the Name of _The
Jelly of Health:_ It is of great use to weak People, and extremely
pleasant.
To make the Jelly of Health.
Take some Calves Feet, according to the Jelly you design to make, and also
get a Cock of the common Poultry kind; wash these well, and put them in a
Kettle to boil, with a proportionable Quantity of Water, particularly
taking off the Scum as it rises. When these Meats are boiled almost to
pieces, it is a sign that your Jelly is boiled enough; but take care that
it is not too stiff, which you may try by taking a little out with a Spoon,
and then setting it to cool. Then pour the Liquor thro' a Sieve into a
Stew-pan, and take off all the Fat; after which, put to the Liquor a
proportionable Quantity of double-refined Loaf-Sugar, a small Stick or two
of Cinnamon, three or four Cloves, and the Rinds of two or three Lemmons:
boil all these together gently for about a quarter of an hour, till it is
well-tasted, and then beat up the Whites of four or five Eggs, with the
Juice of the six Lemmons, and pour them into the Jelly, stirring the whole
a little time over the Fire; then let this Mixture stand still upon the
Fire till it rises ready to boil over; at which time, you must take it off,
and pour it into the Jelly-Bag, and as it runs thro' into a Pan set to
receive it, pour it again into the Jelly-Bag for three or four times till
it comes clear, and then let it drop into Jelly-Glasses. Sometimes, the
above Gentleman told me, he has put a little White-Wine into the Liquor
while the Meats were boiling in it, which he thinks helps it.
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