Take the fairest Roots of Eringo, fresh taken out of the Ground, wash them
clean, and boil them in several Waters till they are very tender: wash them
again, and rub them with a Cloth, to dry as much as they will bear, without
breaking, or bruising; slit them, and take out the Pith, and twist two
together, like a Screw. Then take to every Pound of Root two Pounds of fine
Sugar powder'd, of which Sugar take one Pound at first, and boil it with
some Rose-Water, to a Syrup; and then put in your Roots, and boil them till
they are clear; then wet the rest of your Sugar with Rose-Water, and boil
it to a candy Height; then put in the Roots, and let them boil, shaking
them often over the Fire, and when you think they are enough, take them
from the Fire, and shake them till they are cold, and almost dry; then lay
them upon Dishes to dry thoroughly, and when they are done, put them up in
Boxes with white Paper, under and over them, then keep them in a dry place.
To preserve _Grapes_ in _Syrup._ From the same.
The best Grapes for this use, are those of the Fronteniac Kind, of which
there are the white and the blue, and the red, which seldom come to ripen
in _England_, with their pure flavour. But as Heat is the occasion of
ripening; so, though they want it with us, from the Sun, we may make good
that deficiency by Fire, which will answer the end fully, and bring them to
the highest perfection of Taste, therefore the Sweet-meat made of these is
excellent; besides these Grapes for preserving, the _St. Peter_ and the
Warner Grapes are very good, and I may mention the grizled Fronteniac,
which is a noble Grape, when it is ripe, as well as the others. And for the
other Sorts of Grapes, they are not fit for preserving, unless I take in
the Raisin Grapes, red and white, and the _Lombardy_ Grape; all which are
full of Pulp, and seldom ripen. These are your sorts, and now to proceed.
Take your Grapes, gather'd in a dry Day, though they are not ripe. You may
guess when we come to the end of _September_, and they are not so, they
never will be ripe: pick them then from the Stalks, and stone them
carefully, without breaking much of the Skin, save the Juice; then take the
weight of them in fine Sugar powder'd, and boil your Sugar with some Water,
wherein Pippins have been boiled before, first straining your Water, and
boil them to Syrup, taking off the Scum as it rises. And when the Scum
rises no more, put in your Grapes, and boil them quick till they are as
clear as Crystal, I mean the white Grapes; but the red Sorts, let them boil
till they are clear, and that the Syrup will jelly; then put them into
Glasses, and when they are cold, cover them close with white Paper; but
mark your Papers, which are of the Fronteniac Kinds, for they will have a
very different Flavour from the other Sorts, an high richness that is much
admired. However, though the other Kinds of Grapes, mention'd in this
Receipt, may want a flavour by themselves, you may add some Orange-Flower
Water to the Syrup, you make for them, which will give them a fine taste.
_N.B._ Take care that when you make this Preserve, you use only one sort at
one time.