If you would keep Fish long, kill them as soon as they are out of the
Water, and take out their Gills; then fill their Heads as much as may be,
with Pepper, and wipe them very dry, and pack them in dry Wheat-Straw.
_T. R._
To make _Wine_ of _White Elder-berries,_ like _Cyprus_ Wine from Mrs.
_Warburton_ of _Cheshire._
To nine Gallons of Water, put nine Quarts of the Juice of White Elder
berries, which has been pressed gently from the Berries, with the Hand, and
passed thro' a Sieve, without bruising the Kernels of the Berries; add to
every Gallon of Liquor three Pounds of _Lisbon_ Sugar, and to the whole
Quantity put an Ounce and a half of Ginger, sliced, and three quarters of
an Ounce of Cloves; then boil this near an Hour, taking off the Scum, as it
rises, and pour the whole to cool, in an open Tub, and work it with
Ale-Yeast, spread upon a Toast of white Bread, for three Days, and then tun
it into a Vessel that will just hold it; adding about a Pound and a half of
Raisins of the Sun split, to lie in the Liquor till we draw it off, which
should not be till the Wine is fine, which you will find about _January_.
This Wine is so like the fine rich Wine brought from _Cyprus_, in its
Colour and Flavour, that it has deceiv'd the best Judges, These Berries are
ripe in _August_, and may be had at the Ivy-House at _Hoxton_.
To make _Wine_ of _Black Elder-berries,_ which is equal to the best
_Hermitage_ Claret; from _Henry Marsh,_ Esq. _of Hammersmith._
Take nine Gallons of Spring Water, and half a Bushel of Elder-berries,
pick'd clean from the Stalks; boil these till the Berries begin to dimple,
then gently strain off the Liquor, and to every Gallon of it put two Pounds
of good _Lisbon_ Sugar, and boil it an Hour; then let it stand to cool, in
an open Tub, for if it was to cool in the Copper, or Brass Kettle, it was
boil'd in, the Liquor would be ill-tasted. When it is almost cool, spread
some Ale-Yeast upon a Toast of White Bread, and put it into the Liquor, to
work three Days in the open Tub, stirring the Liquor once or twice a Day,
and then tun it in a Vessel of a right size, to hold it: At the same time
add to every Gallon one pound of Raisins of the Sun whole, and let them lie
in the Cask till the Wine is drawn off.
Such a small quantity of Wine, as is here directed, will be fit to bottle
the _January_ next after it is made, but larger Casks should not be drawn
off till _March_ or _April_.
A Receipt from _Barbadoes,_ to make _Rum;_ which proves very good.
In _Barbadoes_ the Rum is made of the Scum and Offal of the Sugar, of which
they put one ninth part, or eighth part, to common Water, about eighteen
Gallons, all together, in a wooden open Vessel or Tub; cover this with dry
Leaves of Palm, or for want of them, with the Leaves of _Platanus_ or the
Leaves of Fern in _England_, or the Parts or Leaves which Flagg-Brooms are
made of. Let this remain for nine Days, till it changes of a clean yellow
Colour, and it will be then fit to distil; then put it into an Alembic, and
you will have what we call the Low-Wines. A Day or two after distil it
again, and in the Cap of the Still, hang a small muslin Bag of sweet
Fennel-Seeds, and the Spirit will be of a fine Flavour. Some will use
Anniseed in the Bag, and some use a little Musk with the sweet Fennel
Seeds, or else distil the Spirit twice, _viz._, once with the sweet
Fennel-Seeds, and the next with a little Musk.
_N.B._ The wooden Vessels, or open Tubs, must not be made of any Wood that
is unwholesome, or sweet-scented; such as Deal, Firr, or Manchineel.
In _England_, Treacle may be used with equal Success, and is cheap enough
to get a good livelihood; as appears by the several Ways mention'd above,
that have been privately experienced.