A
QUEENS
Delight;

Take the Plums, and cut the stalk off, and wipe them then take the just weight of them in Sugar, then put them in a skillet of water, and let them stand in and scald, being close covered till they be tender, they must not seeth, when they be soft lay them in a Dish, and cover them with a cloth, and stew some of the the Sugar in the glass bottom, and put in the Plums, strewing the sugar over till all be in, then let them stand all night, the next day put them in a pan, and let them boil a pace, keeping them clean scummed, & when your Plums look clear, your syrup will gelly, and they are enough. If your Plums be ripe, peel off the skins before you put them in the glass; they will be the better and clearer a great deal to dry, if you will take the Plums white; if green, do them with the rinds on.

To preserve Grapes

Take Grapes when they be almost through ripe, and cut the stalks off, and stone them in the side, and as fast as you can stone them strew Sugar on them; you must take to every pound of Grapes three quarters of a pound of Sugar, then take some of the sower Grapes; and wring the juyce of them, and put to every pound of Grapes two spoonfuls of juyce, then set them on the fire, and still lift up the pan and shake it round, for fear of burning to, then set them on again, & when the Sugar is melted, boil them as fast as you can possible, and when they look very clear, and the syrup is somewhat thick, they are enough.

To preserve Quinces white.

Take a pair and coar them, and to every pound of your equal weights in Sugar and Quince, take a wine pint of water; put them together, and boil them as fast as you can uncovered; and this way you may also preserve Pippins white as you do Quinces.

To preserve Respass.

Take a pound of Respass, a pound of fine Sugar, a quarter of a pint of the juyce of Respass, strew the Sugar under and above the Respass, sprinkle the juyce all on them, set them on a clear fire, let them boil as soft as is possible, till the syrup will gelly, then take them off, let them stand till they be cold, then put them in a glass. After this manner is the best way.

To preserve Pippins.

Take fair Pippins, and boil them in fair water till they be somewhat tender, then take them out, and peel off the skins and put them into a fair earthen pot, and cover them till they be cold, then make the syrup with fair water and Sugar, seeth it, and scum it very clean, then being almost cold, put in your Pippins, so boil them softly together, put in as much rind of Oranges as you think will tast them, if you have no Oranges take whole Cinamon and Cloves, so boil them high enough to keep them all the year.

To preserve fruits green.

Take Pippins, Apricocks, Pear-Plums, or Peaches when they be green, scald them in hot water, and peel them or scrape them, put them into another water not so hot as the first, then boil them very tender, take the weight of them in Sugar, put to it as much water as will make a syrup to cover them; then boil them something leisurely, and take them up, then boil the syrup till it be somewhat thick, that it will batten on a dish side, and when they are cold, put them together.

To preserve Oranges and Lemons the best way.

Take and boil them as for paste, then take as much sugar as they weigh, and put to it as much water as will cover them by making a syrrup, then boil them very leisurely till they be clear, then take them up and boil the syrup till it batten on the dish side, and when they are cold put them up, &c.

An approved Conserve for a Cough or Consumption of the Lungs.

Take a pound of Elecampane Roots, draw out the pith, and boil them in two waters till they be soft, when it is cold put to it the like quantity of the pap of roasted Pippins, and three times their weight of brown sugar-candy beaten to powder, stamp these in a Mortar to a Conserve, whereof take every morning fasting as much as a Walnut for a week or fortnight together, and afterwards but three times a week. Approved.

To make conserve of Any of these Fruits.

When you have boiled your paste as followeth ready to fashion on the Pie-plate, put it up into Gallipots, and never dry it, and this is all the difference between Conserves. And so you may make Conserves of any Fruits, this is for all hard Fruits, as Quinces, Pippins, Oranges and Lemons.

To dry any Fruits after they are preserved, to or Candy them.

Take Pippins, Pears or Plums, and wash them out in warm water from the syrup they are preserved in, strew them over with searsed Sugar, as you would do flower upon fish to fry them; set them in a broad earthen Pan, that they may lie one by one; then set them in a warm Oven or Stove to dry. If you will candy them withall, you must strew on Sugar three or four times in the drying.

To preserve Artichokes young, green Walnuts and Lemons, and the Elecampane-Roots, or any bitter thing.

Take any of these, and boil them tender, and shift them in their boyling six or seven times to take away their bitterness out of one hot water into another, then put a quart of Salt unto them, then take them up and dry them with a fair cloth, then put them into as much clarified Sugar as will cover them, then let them boil a walm or two, and so let them stand soaking in the Sugar till the next morning, then take them up and boil the Sugar a little higher by it self, and when they are cold put them up.

Let your green Walnuts be prickt full of holes with a great pin, and let them not be long in one water, for that will make them look black; being boiled tender, stick two or three Cloves in each of them.

Set your Elecampane-Roots, being clean scraped, and shifted in their boilings a dozen times, then dry them in a fair cloth, and so boil them as is above written, take half so much more than it doth weigh, because it is bitter, &c.

To preserve Quinces white or red.

Take the Quinces, and coar them, and pare them, those that you will have white, put them into a pail of water two or three hours, then take as much Sugar as they weigh, put to it as much water as will make a Syrup to cover them, then boil your Syrup a little while, then put your Quinces in, and boil them as fast as you can, till they be tender and clear, then take them up, and boil the Syrup a little higher by it self, and being cold put them up. And if you will have them red, put them raw into Sugar, and boil them leisurely close covered till they be red and put them not into cold water.

To preserve Grapes.

Take the Clusters, and stone them as you do Barberries, then take a little more Sugar than they weigh, put to it as much Apple water as will make a Syrup to cover them, then boil them as you do Cherries as fast as you can, till the Syrup be thick and being cold pot it, thus may you preserve Barberries or English Currans, or any kind of Berries.

To preserve Pippins, Apricoks, Pear-Plums and Peaches when they are ripe.

Take Pippins and pare them, bore a hole through them, & put them into a Pail of water, then take as much Sugar as they do weigh, and put to it as much water as will make a Syrup to cover them, and boil them as fast as you can, so that you keep them from breaking, until they be tender, that you may prick a Rush through them: let them be a soaking till they be almost cold, then put them up.

Your Apricoks and Peaches must be stoned & pared, but the Pear-Plums must not be stoned nor pared. Then take a little more Sugar than they weigh, then take as much Apple water and Sugar as will make a Syrup for them, then boil them as you do your Pippins, and Pot them as you do the Pippins likewise, &c.

To preserve Pippins, Apricocks, Pear-Plums, or Peaches green.

Take your Pippins green and quoddle them in fair water, but let the water boil first before you put them in, & you must shift them in two hot waters before they will be tender, then pull off the skin from them, and so case them in so much clarified Sugar as will cover them, and so boil them as fast as you can, keeping them from breaking, then take them up, and boil the syrup until it be as thick as for Quiddony; then pot them, and pour the syrup into them before they be cold.

Take your Apricocks and Pear-Plums and boil them tender, then take as much Sugar as they do weigh, and take as much water as will make the syrup, take your green Peaches before they be stoned and thrust a pin through them, and then make a strong water of ashes, and cast them into the hot standing lye to take off the fur from them, then wash them in three or four waters warm, so then put them into so much clarified Sugar as will candy them; so boil them, and put them up, &c.

To dry Pippins, or Pears without Sugar.

Take Pippins or Pears and prick them full of holes with a bodkin, & lay them in sweet wort three or four dayes, then lay them on a sieves bottom, till they be dry in an Oven, but a drying heat. This you may do to any tender Plum.

To make Syrup of Clove-gilly flowers.

Take a quart of water, half a bushel of Flowers, cut off the whites, and with a sieve sift away the seeds, bruise them a little; let your water be boiled, and a little cold again, then put in your Flowers, and let them stand close covered twenty four hours; you may put in but half the flowers at a time, the strength will come out the better; to that liquor put in four pound of Sugar, let it lye in all night, next day boil it in a Gallipot, set it in a pot of water, and there let it boil till all the Sugar be melted and the syrup be pretty thick, then take it out, and let it stand in that till it be through cold, then glass it.

To make Syrup of Hysop for Colds.

Take a handful of Hysop, of Figs, Raisins, Dates, of each an ounce, of Collipint half an handful, French Barley one ounce, boil therein three pints of fair water to a quart, strain it and clarifie it with two whites of Eggs, then put in two pound of fine sugar, and boil it to a syrup.

To make Orange Water.

Take a pottle of the best Maligo Sack, and put in as many of the peels of Oranges as will go in, cut the white clean off, let them steep twenty four hours; still them in a glass still, and let the water run into the Receiver upon fine Sugar-candy; you may still it in an ordinary Still.

To dry Cherries.

Take a pound of sugar, dissolve it in thin fair water, when it is boiled a little while, put in your Cherries after they are stoned, four pound to one pound of Sugar, let them lye in the Sugar three dayes, then take them out of the syrup and lay them on sieves one by one, and set them before the Sun upon stools, turn them every day, else they will mould; when they look of a dark red colour, and are dry then put them up. And so you may do any manner of Fruit. In the Sun is the best drying of them, put into the syrup some juyce of Rasps.

To make juyce of Liquorish.

Take English Liquorish, and stamp it very clean, bruise it with a hammer, and cut it in peices; to a pound of Liquorish thus bruised, put a quart of Hysop water, let them soak together in an earthen pot a day and a night, then pull the Liquorish into small pieces, and lay it in soak again two dayes more; then strain out the Liquorish, and boil the liquor a good while. Stir it often; then put in half a pound of Sugar-candy, or Loaf-sugar finely beaten, four grains of Musk, as much Ambergreece, bruise them small with a little Sugar; then boil them together till it be good & thick, still have care you burn it not; then put it out in glass plates, and make it into round rolls, and set it in a drying place till it be stiff, that you may work it into rolls to be cut as big as Barley corns, and so lay them on a place again: If it be needful strew on the place again a little Sugar to prevent thickning; so dry them still if there be need and if they should be too dry, the heat of the fire will soften them again.

A Perfume for Cloths, Gloves.

Take of Linet two grains, of Musk three, of Ambergreece four, and the oyl of Bems a pretty quantity; grinde them all upon a Marble stone fit for that purpose; then with a brush or sponge rake them over, and it will sweeten them very well; your Gloves or Jerkins must first be washed in red Rose-water, and when they are almost dry, stretch them forth smooth, and lay on the Perfumes.

To make Almond Bisket.

Take the whites of four new laid Eggs, and two yolks, then beat it well for an hour together, then have in readiness a quarter of a pound of the best Almonds blanched in cold water, & beat them very small with Bose-wart, for fear of Oyling; then, have a pound of the best Loaf-sugar finely beaten, beat that in the Eggs a while, then put in your Almonds, and five or six spoonfuls of the finest flower, and so bake them together upon Paper plates, you may have a little fine Sugar in a piece of tiffany to dust them over as they be in the Oven, so bake them as you do Bisket.

To dry Apricocks.

First stone them, then weigh them, take the weight of them in double refined Sugar, make the syrup with so much water as will wet them, and boil it up so high, that a drop being droped on a Plate it will slip clean off, when it is cold, put in your Apricocks being pared, whilst your Syrup is hot, but it must not be taken off the fire before you put them in, then turn them in the syrup often, then let them stand 3 quarters of an hour, then take them out of the syrup, and tie them up in Tiffanies, one in a tiffany or more, as they be in bigness, and whilst you are tying them up, set the syrup on the fire to heat, but not to boil, then put your Apricocks into the syrup, and set them on a quick fire, and let them boil, as fast as you can, skim them clean, and when they look clear take them from the fire, and let them lie in the syrup till the next day, then set them on the fire to heat, but not to boil; then set them by till the next day, and lay them upon a clean Sieve to drain, and when they are well drained, take them out of the Tiffanies, and so dry them in a Stove, or better in the Sun with Glasses over them, to keep them from the dust.

To make Quinces for Pies.

Wipe the Quinces, and put them into a little vessel of swall Beer when it hath done working; stop them close that no air can get in, and this will keep them fair all the year and good.

The best way to break sweet Powder.

Take of Orrice one pound, Calamus a quarter of a pound, Benjamin one half pound, Storax half a pound, Civet a quarter of an ounce, Cloves a quarter of a pound, Musk one half ounce, Oyl of Orange flowers one ounce, Lignum Aloes one ounce, Rosewood a quarter of a pound, Ambergreece a quarter of an ounces. To every pound of Roses put a pound of powder; the bag must be of Taffity, or else the powder will run through.

To make excellent Perfumes.

Take a quarter of a pound of Damask Rose-buds cut clean from the Whites, stamp them very small, put to them a good spoonful of Damask Rose-water, so let them stand close stoopped all night, then take one ounce and a quarter of Benjamin finely beaten, and also searsed, (if you will) twenty grains of Civit, and ten grains of Musk; mingle them well together, then make it up in little Cakes between Rose leaves, and dry them between sheets of Paper.

To make Conserve of Roses boiled.

Take a quart of red Rose-water, a quart of fair water, boil in the Water a pound of red Rose-leaves, the whites cut off, the leaves must be boiled very tender; then take three pound of Sugar, and put to it a pound at a time, and let it boil a little between every pound, so put it up in your pots.

To make Conserves of Roses unboiled.

Take a pound of red Rose leaves, the whites cut off, stamp them very fine, take a pound of Sugar, and beat in with the Roses, and put it in a pot, and cover it with leather, and set it in a cool place.

To make a very good Pomatum.

Take the Fat of a young Dog one pound, it must be killed well that the blood settle not into the fat, then let the outer skin be taken off before it be opened, lest any of the hair come to the fat, then take all the fat from the inside, and as soon as you take it off fling it into Conduit water, and if you see the second skin be clear, peel it and water it with the other: be sure it cools not out of the water: you must not let any of the flesh remain on it, for then the Pomatum will not keep. To one pound of this fat take two pound of Lambs caule, and put it to the other in the water and when you see it is cold, drain it from the water in a Napkin, and break it in little peices with your fingers, and take out all the little veins; then take eight ounces of Oyl of Tartar, and put in that first, stiring it well together, then put it into a Gallon of Conduit water, and let it stand till night; shift this with so much Oyl and Water, morning and evening seven dayes together, and be sure you shift it constantly; and the day before you mean to melt it wring it hard by a little at a time, and be sure the Oyl and water be all out of it, wring the water well out of it with a Napkin every time you shift it; then put in three pints of Rose-water; let it stand close covered twelve hours, then wring out that, and put it in a pint of fresh Rose-water into a high Gallipot with the Fæces; then tie it close up, and set it in a pot of water, and let it boil two hours then take it out, and strain it into an earthen Pan, let it stand till it be cold; then cut a hole in it, and let out the water, then scrape away the bottom, and dry it with a cloth, and dry the pan, melt it in a Chafing-dish of Coales, or in the Gallipots; beat it so long till it look very white and shining; then with your hand fling it in fine Cakes upon white paper, and let it lye till it be cold, then put it into Gallipots. This will be very good for two or three years.

To make Raisin Wine.

Take two pound of Raisins of the Sun shred, a pound of good powdered Sugar, the juice of two Lemons, one pill, put these into an earthen Pot with a top, then take two gallons of water, let it boil half an hour, then take it hot from the fire, and put it into the pot, and cover it close for three or four dayes, stirring it twice a day, being strained put it into bottles, and stop it more close, in a fortnight or three weeks it may be drunk; you may put in Clove Gilly flowers, or Cowslips, as the time of the year is when you make it; and when you have drawn this from the Raisins, and bottled it up, heat two quarts of water more, put it to the ingredients, and let it stand as aforesaid. This will be good, but smaller than the other, the water must be boiled as the other.

To make Rasberry Wine.

Take a Gallon of good Rhenish Wine, put into it as much Rasberries very ripe as will make it strong, put it in an earthen pot, and let it stand two dayes, then pour your Wine from your Rasberries, and put into every bottle two ounces of Sugar, stop it up and keep it by you.

The best way to preserve Cherries.

Take the best Cherries you can get, and cut the stalks something short, then for every pound of these Cherries take two pound of other Cherries, and put them of their stalks and stones, put to them ten spoonfuls of fair water, and then set them on the fire to boil very fast till you see that the colour of the syrup be like pale Claret wine, then take it off the fire, and drain them from the Cherries into a Pan to preserve in. Take to every pound of Cherries a quarter of Sugar, of which take half, and dissolve it with the Cherry water drained from the Cherries, and keep them boiling very fast till they will gelly in a spoon, and as you see the syrup thin, take off the Sugar that you kept finely beaten, and put it to the Cherries in the boiling, the faster they boil, the better they will be preserved, and let them stand in a Pan till they be almost cold.

A Tincture of Ambergreece.

Take Ambergreece one ounce, Musk two drams, spirit of Wine half a pint, or as much as will cover the ingredients two or three fingers breadth, put all into a glass, stop it close with a Cork and Bladder; set it in Horse dung ten or twelve days, then pour off gently the Spirit of Wine, and keep it in a Glass close stopt, then put more spirit of Wine on the Ambergreece, and do as before, then pour it off, after all this the Ambergreece will serve for ordinary uses. A drop of this will perfume any thing, and in Cordials it is very good.

To make Usquebath the best way.

Take two quarts of the best Aqua vitæ, four ounces of scraped liquorish, and half a pound of sliced Raisins of the Sun, Anniseeds four ounces, Dates and Figs, of each half a pound, sliced Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Ginger, of each half an ounce, put these to the Aqua vitæ, stop it very close, and set it in a cold place ten dayes, stirring it twice a day with a stick, then strain and sweeten it with Sugar-candy; after it is strained, let it stand till it be clear, then put into the glass Musk and Ambergreece; two grains is sufficient for this quantity.

To preserve Cherries with a quarter of their weights in Sugar.

Take four pound of Cherries, one pound of Sugar, beat your Sugar and strew a little in the bottom of your skillet, then pull off the stalk and stones of your Cherries, and cut them cross the bottom with a knife; let the juyce of the Cherries run upon the Sugar; for there must be no other liquor but the juyce of the Cherries; cover your Cherries over with one half of your Sugar, boil them very quick, when they are half boiled, put in the remainder of your sugar, when they are almost enough, put in the rest of the sugar; you must let them boil till they part in sunder like Marmalade, stirring them continually; so put them up hot into your Marmalade glasses.

To make Gelly of Pippins.

Take Pippins, and pare them, and quarter them, and put as much water to them as will cover them, and let them boil till all the vertue of the Pippins are out; then strain them, and take to a pint of that liquor a pound of Sugar, and cut long threads of Orange peels, and boil in it, then take a Lemon, and pare and slice it very thin, and boil it in your liquor a little thin, take them out, and lay them in the bottom of your glass, and when it is boiled to a gelly, pour it on the Lemons in the glass. You must boil the Oranges in two or three waters before you boil it in the gelly.

A queens delight

AQUEENSDelight;

OR,

The Art of Preserving, Conserving and Candying.

As also

A right Knowledge of making Perfumes, and Distilling the most Excellent Waters.

Never before Published.

Table of Contents

A QUEENS DELIGHT OF Conserves, and Preserves, Candying and Distilling Waters.

To preserve white Pear Plums, or green.