A queens delight

Chapter 2

Chapter 24,582 wordsPublic domain

First stone them and weigh them, half a pound of sugar to half a pound of them, then pair them and slice them into that liquor, take the weight of it in sugar; then take as many Rasberries as will colour it, and strain them into the liquor, then put in the sugar, boil it as fast as you can, then skim it till it be very clear, then put in your Barberries, and that sugar you weighed, and so let them boil till the skin be fully risen up, then take them off, and skin them very clean, and put them up.

_To make Lozenges of Red Roses._

Boil your sugar to sugar again, then put in your Red Roses being finely beaten and made moist with the juyce of a Lemmon, let it not boil after the Roses are in but pour it upon a Pye-plate, and cut it into what form you please.

_To make Chips of Quinces._

First scald them very well, then slice them into a Dish, and pour a Candy Syrup to them scalding hot, and let them stand all night, then lay them on plates, and searse sugar on them, and turn them every day, and scrape more sugar on them till they be dry. If you would have them look clear, heat them in syrup, but not to boil.

_To make Sugar of Wormwood, Mint, Anniseed, or any other of that kinde._

Take double refined Sugar, and do but wet it in fair water, or Rose-water and boil it to a Candy, when it is almost boiled take it off, and stir it till it be cold; then drop in three or four drops of the Oyls of whatsoever you will make, and stir it well; then drop it on a board, being before fitted with Sugar.

_To make Syrup of Lemons or Citrons._

Pare off all the rindes, then slice your Lemmons very thin, and lay a lare of Sugar finely beaten, and a lare of Lemons in a silver Bason till you have filled it, or as much as you mean to make, & so let it stand all night; the next day pour off the liquor that runs from it into a glass through a Tiffany strainer. Be sure you put sugar enough to them at the first, and it will keep a year good, if it be set up well.

_To make Jambals of Apricocks or Quinces._

Take Apricocks or Quinces, and quoddle them tender, then take their Pulp and dry it in a dish over a Chafing-dish of coals, and set it in a Stove for a day or two; then beat it in a stone Mortar, putting in as much Sugar as will make a stiff paste; then colour it with Saunders, Cochinele or blew Starch, and make it up in what colour you please, rowl them with battle doors into long pieces, and tye them up in knots, and so dry them.

_To make Cherry-water._

Take nine pound of Cherries, pull out the stones and stalks, break them with you hand, and put them into nine pints of Claret Wine, take nine ounces of Cinamon, and three Nutmegs, bruise them, and put them into this, then take of Rosemary and Balm, of each half a handful, of sweet Marjoram a quarter of a handful; put all these with the aforenamed into an earthen pot well leaded; so let them stand to infuse twenty four hours; so distil it in a Limbeck, keeping the strongest water by it self, put some sugar finely beaten into your glasses. If your first water be too strong, put some of the second to it as you use it. If you please you may tye some Musk and Ambergreese, in a rag, and hang it by a thread in your glass.

_To make Orange Cakes._

Take Oranges and pare them as thin as you can, then take out the meats clean, and put them in water; let them lye about an hour, shift the water, and boil them very tender in three or four waters, then put them up, and dry them on a cloath: mince them as small as you can, then put them into a dish, and squeeze all the juyce of the meat into them, and let them stand till the next day, take to every pound of these a pound and a quarter of double refined Sugar. Boil it with a spoonful of water at the bottom to keep it from burning till it be Sugar again; then put in your Oranges and let them stand and dry on the fire, but not boil; then put them on glass plates, and put them in a stove, the next day make them into Cakes, and so fry them as fast as you can.

_To preserve Oranges the French way._

Take twelve of the fairest Oranges and best coloured, and if you can get them with smooth skins they are the better, and lay them in Conduit water, six dayes and nights, shifting them into fresh water morning and evening; then boil them very tender, and with a knife pare them very thin, rub them with salt, when you have so done, core them with a coring Iron, taking out the meat and seeds; then rub them with a dry cloth till they be clean, add to every pound of Oranges a pound and half of Sugar, and to a pound of sugar a pint of water; then mingle your, sugar and water well together in a large skillet or pan; beat the whites of three Eggs and put that into it, then set it on the fire, and let it boil till it rises, and strain it through a Napkin; then set it on the fire again, and let it boil till the syrup be thick, then put in your Oranges, and make them seethe as fast as you can, now and then putting in a piece of fine loaf Sugar the bigness of a Walnut, when they have boiled near an hour, put into them a pint of Apple water; then boil them apace, and add half a pint of white Wine, this should be put in before the Apple-water, when your Oranges are very clear, & your Syrup is so thick that it will gelly, (which you may know by setting some to cool in a spoon) when they are ready to be taken off from the fire; then put in the juyce of eight Lemons warm into them, then put them into an earthen pan, and so let them stand till they be cold, then put every Orange in a several glass or pot; if you do but six Oranges at a time it is the better.

_To preserve green Plums._

The greatest Wheaten Plum is the best, which will be ripe in the midst of _July_, gather them about that time, or later, as they grow in bigness, but you must not suffer them to turn yellow, for then they never be of good colour; being gathered, lay them in water for the space of twelve hours, and when you gather them, wipe them with a clean linnen cloth, and cut off a little of the stalks of every one, then set two skillets of water on the fire, and when one is scalding hot put in your Plums, and take them from the fire, and cover them, and let them rest for the space of a quarter of an hour; then take them up, and when your other skillet of water doth boil, put them into it; let them but stay in it a very little while, and so let the other skillet of water, wherein they were first boiled, be set to the fire again, and make it to boil, and put in your Plums as before, and then you shall see them rivet over, and yet your Plums very whole; then while they be hot, you must with your knife scrape away the riveting; then take to every pound of Plums a pound and two ounces of Sugar finely beaten, then set a pan with a little fair water on the fire, and when it boils, put in your Plums, and let them settle half a quarter of an hour till you see the colour wax green, then set them off the fire a quarter of an hour, and take a handful of Sugar that is weighed, and strow it in the bottom of the pan wherein you will preserve, and so put in your Plums one by one, drawing the liquor from them, and cast the rest of your Sugar on them; then set the pan on a moderate fire, letting them boil continually but very softly, and in three quarters of an hour they will be ready, as you may perceive by the greenness of your Plums, and thickness of your syrup, which if they be boiled enough, will gelly when it is cold; then take up your Plums, and put them into a Gallipot, but boil your Syrup a little longer, then strain it into some vessel, and being blood-warm, pour it upon your plums, but stop not the pot before they be cold. Note also you must preserve them in such a pan, as they may lye one by another, and turn of themselves; and when they have been five or six days in the syrup, that the syrup grow thin, you may boil it again with a little Sugar, but put it not to your Plums till they be cold. They must have three scaldings, and one boiling.

_To dry Plums._

Take three quarters of a pound of Sugar to a pound of black Pear-plums, or Damsins, slit the Plums in the crest, lay a lay of Sugar with a lay of Plums, and let them stand all night; if you stone the Plums, fill up the place with sugar, then boil them gently till they be very tender, without breaking the skins, take them into an earthen or silver dish, and boil your syrup afterwards for a gelly, then pour it on your Plums scalding hot, and let them stand two or three dayes, then let them be put to the Oven after you draw your bread, so often untill your syrup be dryed up, and when you think they are almost dry, lay them in a sieve, and pour some scalding water on them, which will run through the sieve, and set them in an Oven afterwards to dry.

_To preserve Cherries the best way, bigger than they grow naturally, &c._

Take a pound of the smallest Cherries, and boil them tender in a pint of fair water, then strain the liquor from the substance, then take two pound of good Cherries, and put them into a preserving-pan with a lay of Cherries, and a lay of sugar: then pour the syrup of the other Cherries about them, and so let them boil as fast as you can with a quick fire, that the syrup may boil over them, and when your syrup is thick and of good colour, then take them up, and let them stand a cooling by partitions one from another, and being cold you may pot them up.

_To preserve Damsins, red Plums or black._

Take your Plums newly gathered, and take a little more sugar than they do weigh, then put to it as much water as will cover them; then boil your syrup a little while, and so let it cool, then put in your Damsins or Plums, then boil them leasurely in a pot of seething water till they be tender, then being almost cold pot them up.

_To dry Pippins or Pears._

Take your Pippins, Pears, Apricocks, pare them, and lay them in a broad earthen pan one by one, and so rowl them in searsed Sugar as you flower fried fish; put them in an Oven as hot as for manchet, and so take them out, and turn them as long as the Oven is hot; when the Oven is of a drying heat, lay them upon a Paper, and dry them on the bottom of a Sieve; so you may do the least Plum that is.

_To dry Pippins or Pears another way._

Take Pippins or Pears, and lay them in an earthen Pan one by one, and when they be baked plump and not broken, then take them out, and lay them upon a Paper, then lay them on a Sieves bottom, and dry them as you did before.

_To dry Apricocks tender._

Take the ripest of the Apricoks, pare them, put them into a silver or earthen skillet, and to a pound of Apricocks put three quarters of a pound of Sugar, set your Apricocks over your fire; stirring them till they come to a pulp, and set the Sugar in another skillet by boiling it up to a good height, then take all the Apricocks, and stir them round till they be well mingled, then let it stand till it be something cold and thick, then put it into cards, being cut of the fashion of an Apricock, and laid upon glass plates; fill the Cards half full, then set them in your stove, but when you find they are so dry that they are ready to turn, then provide as much of your pulp as you had before, and so put to every one a stove, when they are turned, (which you must have laid before) & pour the rest of the Pulp upon them, so set them into your stove, turning them till they be dry.

_To dry Plums._

Take a pound of Sugar to a pound of Plums, pare them, scald your Plums, then lay your Plums upon a sieve till the water be drained from them, boil your Sugar to a Candy height, and then put your Plums in whilst your syrup is hot, so warm them every morning for a week, then take them out, and put them into your stove and dry them.

_To dry Apricocks._

Take your Apricocks, pare and stone them, then weigh half a pound of sugar to a pound of Apricocks, then take half that sugar, and make a thin syrup, and when it boileth, put in the Apricocks; then scald them in that syrup; then take them off the fire, and let them stand all night in that syrup, in the morning take them out of that syrup, and make another syrup with the other half of the sugar, then put them in, and preserve them till they look clear; but be sure you do not do them so much as those you keep preserved without drying; then take them out of that syrup, and lay them on a piece of Plate till they be cold; then take a skillet of fair water, and when the water boils take your Apricocks one after another in a spoon, and dip them in the water first on one side, and then on the other; not letting them go out of the spoon: you must do it very quick, then put them on a piece of plate, and dry them in a Stove, turning them every day; you must be sure that your Stove or Cupboard where you dry them, the heat of it be renewed three times a day with a temperate drying heat untill they be something dry, then afterwards turn once as you see cause.

_Conserves of Violets the Italian manner._

Take the leaves of blue Violets separated from their stalks and greens, beat them very well in a stone Mortar, with twice their weight of Sugar, and reserve them for your use in a glass vessel.

_The Vertue._

The heat of Choller it doth mitigate extinguisheth thirst, asswageth the belly, and helpeth the Throat of hot hurts, sharp droppings and driness, and procureth rest: It will keep one year.

_Conserves of red Roses the Italian manner._

Take fresh red Roses not quite ripe, beat them in a stone Mortar, mix them with double their weight of Sugar, and put them in a glass close stopped, being not full, let them remain before you use them three months, stirring of them once a day.

_The Vertues._

The Stomach, Heart, and Bowels it cooleth, and hindreth vapours, the spitting of blood and corruption for the most part (being cold) it helpeth. It will keep many years.

_Conserve of Borage Flowers after the Italian manner._

Take fresh Borage flowers cleansed well from their heads four ounces, fine sugar twelve ounces, beat them well together in a stone Mortar, and keep them in a vessel well placed.

The vertues are the same with Bugloss flowers.

_Conserve of Rosemary flowers after the Italian manner._

Take new Rosemary Flowers one pound, of white sugar one pound; so beat them together in a Marble Mortar with a wooden Pestle, keep it in a gallipot, or vessel of earth well glassed, or in one of hard stone. It may be preserved for one year or two.

_The Vertues._

It comforteth the heart, the stomach, the brain, and all the nervous part of the Body.

_Conserve of Betony after the Italian way._

Betony new and tender one pound, the best sugar three pound, beat them very small in a stone Mortar, let the sugar be boiled with two pound of Betony-water to the consistance of a syrup, at length mix them together by little and little over a small fire, and make a Conserve, which keep in a glass.

_The Vertues._

It helpeth the cold pains of the head, purgeth the stomach and womb: it helpeth stoniness of the Reins, and furthereth Conception.

_Conserve of Sage._

Take new flowers of Sage one pound, sugar one pound; so beat them together very small in a Marble Mortar, put them in a vessel well glassed and steeped, set them in the Sun, stir them daily; it will last one year.

_The Vertues._

It is good in all cold hurts of the brain, it refresheth the Stomach, it openeth obstructions and takes away superfluous and hurtfull humours from the stomach.

_Conserve of flowers of Lavender._

Take the flowers being new, so many as you please, and beat them with three times their weight of white Sugar, after the same manner as Rosemary flowers; they will keep one year.

_The Vertues._

The Brain, the Stomach, Liver, Spleen, and Womb it maketh warm, and is good in the Suffocation of the Womb, hardness of the spleen and for the Apoplexy.

_Conserve of Marjoram._

The Conserve is prepared as Betony, it keepeth a year.

_The Vertues._

It is good against the coldness, moistness of the Brain, and Stomach, and it strengthneth the Vital spirits.

_Conserve of Peony after the Italian way._

In the Spring take of the Flowers fresh half a pound, Sugar one pound, beat them together in a good stone Mortar, then put them in a glass, and set them in the sun for three months, stirring them daily with a wooden Spathula.

_The Vertues._

It is good against the Falling-sickness, and giddiness in the head, it cleanseth the Reins and Bladder.

Touching Candies, as followeth.

_To Candy Rosemary-flowers in the Sun._

Take Gum-Dragon, and steep it in Rose-water, then take the Rosemary flowers, good coloured, and well pickt, and wet them in the water that your Gum dragon is steeped in, then take them out, and lay them upon a paper, and strew fine Sugar over them; this do in the hot sun, turning them, and strewing Sugar on them, till they are candied, and so keep them for your use.

_To Make Sugar of Roses._

Take the deepest coloured red Roses, pick them, cut off the white bottoms, and dry your red leaves in an Oven, till they be as dry as possible, then beat them to powder and searse them, then take half a pound of Sugar beaten fine, put it into your pan with as much fair water as will wet it; then set it in a chaffing-dish of coals, and let it boil till it be sugar again, then put as much powder of Roses as will make it look very red stir them well together, and when it is almost cold, put it into pailes, and when it is throughly cold, take them off, and put them in boxes.

_To Candy Pippins, Pears, Apricocks or Plums._

Take of these fruits being pared, and strew sugar upon them, as you do flower upon frying fish; then lay them on a board in a Pewter dish, so put them into an Oven as hot as for Manchet; as the liquor comes from them, pour forth, turn them, and strew more Sugar on them, and sprinkle Rose-water on them, thus turning and sugaring of them three or four times, till they be almost dry, then lay them on a Lettice Wire, or on the bottom of a sieve in a warm Oven, after the bread is drawn out, till they be full dry: so you may keep them all the year.

_To Candy or clear Rockcandy flowers._

Take spices, and boil them in a syrup of Sugar, then put in the flowers, boil them till they be stiff, when you spread them on a Paper, lay them on round Wires in an earthen pan, then take as much hard Sugar as will fill your pan, and as much water as will melt the sugar, that is half a pint to every pound; then beat a dozen spoonfuls of fair water, and the white of an Egg in a bason, with a birchen rod till it come to a Froth, when your sugar is melted and boiled, put the froth of the Egg in the hot syrup, and as it riseth, drop in a little cold water; so let it boil a little while, then scum it, then boil it to a Candy height, that is, when you may draw it in small threads between your finger and your thumb: then pour forth all your syrup that will run from it in your pan, then set it a drying one hour or two, which done pick up the wiers, and take off the flowers, and lay them on papers, and so dry them.

_To Candy Spanish Flowers._

Take the Blossoms of divers sorts of flowers, and make a syrup of water and sugar, and boil it very thick, then put in your Blossoms, and stir them in their boiling, till it turn to sugar again, then stir them with the back of a spoon, till the Sugar fall from it; so may you keep them for Sallets all the year.

_To Candy Grapes, Cherries or Barberries._

Take of these fruits, and strew fine sifted sugar on them, as you do flower on frying fish, lay them on a lattice of wier in a deep earthen pan, and put them into an Oven as hot as for Manchet; then take them out, and turn them and sugar them again, and sprinkle a little Rose-water on them, pour the syrup forth as it comes from them, thus turning and sugaring them till they be almost dry, then take them out of the earthen pan, and lay them on a lattice of wire, upon two billets of wood in a warm Oven, after the bread is drawn, till they be dry and well candied.

_To Candy Suckets of Oranges, Lemons, Citrons, and Angelica._

Take, and boil them in fair water tender, and shift them in three boilings, six or seven times, to take away their bitterness, then put them into as much Sugar as will cover them, and so let them boil a walm or two, then take them out, and dry them in a warm Oven as hot as Manchet, and being dry boil the Sugar to a Candy height, and so cast your Oranges into the hot Sugar, and take them out again suddenly, and then lay them upon a lattice of Wyer or the bottom of a Sieve in a warm Oven after the bread is drawn, still warming the Oven till it be dry, and they will be well candied.

_To Candy the Orange Roots._

Take the Orange Roots being well and tenderly boiled, petch them and peel them, and wash them out of two or three waters; then dry them well with a fair cloth; then pot them together two or three in a knot, then put them into as much clarified Sugar as will cover them, and so let them boil leisurely, turning them well until you see the Sugar drunk up into the Root; then shake them in the Bason to sunder the knits; and when they wax dry, take them up suddenly, and lay them on sheets of white Paper, and so dry them before the fire an hour or two, and they will be candied.

_Candy Orange Peels after the Italian way._

Take Orange Peels so often steeped in cold water, as you think convenient for their bitterness, then dry them gently, and candy them with some convenient syrup made with Sugar, some that are more grown, take away that spongious white under the yellow peels, others do both together.

_The Vertues._

They corroborate the Stomach and Heart.

_To Candy Citrons after the Spanish way._

Take Citron Peels so large as you please the inner part being taken away, let them be steeped in a clear lye of water and ashes for nine dayes, and shift them the fifth day, afterward wash them in fair water, till the bitterness be taken away, and that they grow sweet, then let them be boiled in fair water till they grow soft, the watry part being taken away, let them be steeped in a vessel of stone twenty four hours, with a Julip, made of white Sugar and three parts water; after let them be boiled upon a gentle fire, to candiness of Penidies or Paste; being taken out of that, let them be put into a glass vessel, one by one, with the julip of Roses made somewhat hard or with sugar; some do add Amber and Musk to them.

_The Vertues._

It comforteth the Stomach and Heart, it helpeth concoction.

_Candied Cherries, the Italian way._

Take Cherries before they are full ripe, the stones taken out, put clarified sugar boiled to a height, then pour it on them.

_Chicory Roots candied the Italian way._

Take Chicory new and green, the outward Bark being taken away, then before they be candied, let them be cut in several parts, and gently boiled, that no bitterness may remain, then set them in the air placed severally, and put sugar to them boiled to a height.

Touching Marmalets, and Quiddony, as followeth.

_To make Marmalet of Damsins._

Take two quarts of Damsins that be through ripe, and pare off the skin of three pints of them, then put them into an earthen Pipkin, those with the skins undermost then set the Pipkin into a pot of seething water, and let the water seethe apace untill the Damsins be tender. Cover the Pipkin close, that no water gets into them, and when they are tender, put them out into an earthen pan, and take out all the stones and skins, and weigh them, and take the weight with hard sugar, then break the sugar fine, and put it into the Damsins, then set it on the fire, and make it boil apace till it will come from the bottome of the skillet, then take it up, and put it into a glass but scum it clear in the boiling.

_To make white Marmalet of Quinces._