The Country Housewife and Lady's Director in the Management of a House, and the Delights and Profits of a Farm
by Richard Bradley · English · Gutenberg #7262 · 504,531 chars · public domain (US)
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Title: The Country Housewife and Lady's Director in the Management of a House, and the Delights and Profits of a Farm
Author: Richard Bradley
Release date: January 1, 2005 [eBook #7262]
Most recently updated: December 30, 2020
Language: English
Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/7262
Credits: Transcribed by David Starner, Kevin Handy, and the Online Distributed Proofreader Team
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE COUNTRY HOUSEWIFE AND LADY'S DIRECTOR IN THE MANAGEMENT OF A HOUSE, AND THE DELIGHTS AND PROFITS OF A FARM ***
Transcribed by David Starner, Kevin Handy,
and the Online Distributed Proofreader Team
THE
Country Housewife
AND
LADY'S DIRECTOR
IN THE
Management of a House, and the
Delights and Profits of a Farm.
CONTAINING
_Instructions for managing the Brew-House, and Malt-Liquors in the Cellar;
the making of Wines of all sorts_
_Directions for the Dairy, in the Improvement of Butter and Cheese upon the
worst of Soils; the feeding and making of Brawn; the ordering of Fish,
Fowl, Herbs, Roots, and all other useful Branches belonging to a Country
Seat, in the most elegant manner for the Table._
_Practical Observations concerning Distilling; with the best Method of
making Ketchup, and many other curious and durable Sauces._
_The whole distributed in their proper Months, from the Beginning to the
End of the Year._
_With particular Remarks relating to the Drying or Kilning of Saffron._
By R. BRADLEY,
Professor of Botany in the University of _Cambridge;_ and F.R.S.
_The Sixth Edition_
_With Additions._
* * * * *
To The
LADY _WAGER_,
Consort to the Right Honourable
Sir _CHARLES WAGER_,
One of the Lords Commissioners
of the Admiralty,
AND
One of His Majesty's Most Honourable
PRIVY-COUNCIL;
_This Book is most humbly Dedicated, by_
_Her Ladyship's most Obedient,_
_and most Humble Servant,_
R. BRADLEY.
* * * * *
AN INDEX TO THE FIRST PART.
A.
Asparagus, preserv'd.
Ditto Drest the _Dutch_ way.
Ditto with Cream.
Artichoakes, to dry.
Ditto preserv'd.
Ditto pickled.
Ditto fryed.
Ditto in Suckers, to eat raw.
Apricot Wine.
Alamode Beef.
B.
Brandy, Laurel.
Birch-Wine.
Brewing.
Beef Cake-Soup.
Ditto to Pot like Venison.
Beef, to Collar.
Brocoli, to boil.
Butter, good in _Suffolk._
_Buckingham_-Cheese, to make.
Butter, why good or bad.
Ditto in general.
Butter, what Milk is good.
Ditto made over the Fire.
Ditto wash'd.
Ditto churn'd in Summer.
Ditto churn'd in Winter.
Beans, preserv'd, the Winter.
Berberries, to pickle.
Beet-Roots, red, to pickle.
Ditto fryed.
Boar's-Head imitated.
Brawn, to Collar.
Boar, when to be put up for Brawn.
C.
Capon, to dress.
Carps, to stew.
Cellars, which are best.
Cowslip-Wine.
Cheese, spoiled.
Ditto what concerns its Goodness.
Ditto why bad in _Suffolk._
Ditto Good from one sort of Cattle.
Ditto preserv'd in Oil.
Ditto Marygold.
Ditto Sage.
Ditto Sage in figures.
Ditto _Cheshire._
Ditto _Cheshire_ with Sack.
Ditto _Gloucestershire._
Cheese, Cream.
Ditto Why the Aversion to it.
Churns, the Sorts.
Clove-Gilly-Flower Syrup.
Cucumbers, to pickle.
Codlings, to pickle, green.
Ditto to pickle Mango.
Cherry-Brandy.
Cherry-Beer.
Cherry-Cordial.
Cherries distill'd.
Cherry, Cornelian, in Brandy.
Calf's Feet Jelly.
Cockles, pickled.
Capons, to set upon Eggs.
D.
Dairy, how to build.
Different Sorts of Goosberries.
Different Sorts of Currans.
Ducks, wild, to roast.
Ducks, wild, hash'd.
E.
Eels, their time of Breeding.
Ditto in plenty.
Eggs, to prepare six ways.
Eels, to clear from Mud.
Ditto to roast.
Ditto to Pitchcot.
Ditto to Collar.
Elder-Flowers, to dry.
Elder Vinegar.
Elder-Wine, red.
Ditto white.
_English_-Wine.
F.
Fowls and Birds, the Difference.
Fowl, to dress.
Ditto to farce.
Fricassee of Chickens, brown.
Ditto white.
Fish Gravey for Soups.
Flounders, pickled.
_Frontiniac_-Wine imitated.
Fruits preserv'd for Tarts.
_Florence_-Wine imitated.
_Frontiniac_-Wine to make.
Fowls, the Sorts.
Fish, to boil firm.
Fish boiled, the Sauce.
G.
Geese, when to buy.
Ditto to fat.
Ditto to roast.
Ditto how to kill.
Grapes, ripe early.
Grape-Wine.
H.
Herb-Soup, the Foundation.
Hops.
Hare, to pot.
Herbs, to dry.
Hare coursed, how to keep.
Ditto hunted, to dress.
Ditto the Pudding for it.
Ditto to roast.
Hare, to stew.
Hung-Beef.
Herbs infused in Spirits.
L.
Larks, to dress.
M.
Malt, which is good.
Ditto Liquor, to bottle.
Mountain-Wine, to imitate.
Milk, to be examin'd.
Mace in Rennet.
Mead, small, to make.
Metheglin or strong Mead.
Mushrooms.
Mushroom-Gravey.
Ditto Ketchup.
Mushrooms, stew'd.
Ditto broiled.
Ditto fry'd.
Mushrooms, a Foundation for Sauce.
Mushrooms, to powder.
Ditto to pickle.
Melons, green, to pickle, like Mango.
Mussels, scallop'd.
Ditto fryed.
Ditto pickled.
Morillas, to dress.
Morillas, to dry.
Ditto in Ragoust.
Ditto to fry.
O.
Orange-Flower Cordial.
Onions, pickled.
Oysters, from _Colchester._
Oysters, to stew.
Orange-Wine.
Oysters, in Scallop Shells.
Oysters, roasted.
Oysters, pickled.
Onion-Soup.
P.
Pidgeon, wild.
Ditto tame, the Sorts.
Ditto Carrier, its use.
Ditto broiled.
Ditto in Paste or Dumplings.
Ditto stew'd.
Portmanteau Pottage.
Pike, to roast.
Ditto to bake.
Pease, preserved all the Year.
Pickled Walnuts.
Ditto Cucumbers.
Ditto for Mangoes.
Ditto Kidney-Beans.
Ditto _Nasturtium_-Seeds.
Partridges stew'd with Sallery.
Ditto roasted.
Pheasants, their Sauces.
Ditto to dress.
Potatoes.
Perch, with Mushrooms.
Q.
Quince-Wine.
R.
Rennet, how made in _Essex._
Ditto another way.
Rennet-Bags, which are good.
Rennet-Bags, how to make them good.
Rennet with Spice.
Red Surfeit-Water.
_Rosa Solis,_ to distil.
Raspberry-Wine.
Red Goosberry-Wine.
Rabbit, roasted with a Pudding.
S.
Sausages of Fish.
Sausages, of Pork.
Soup of Herbs.
Shrub, to make.
Sauce Royal, or Travelling-Sauce.
Spinach, stew'd.
Sallads, to dress.
Sage-Wine.
Skerrets, to dress.
Salsify, to dress.
_Scorzonera,_ to dress.
Saffron, to cure.
Snipes, to roast.
Soup, _a L'Hyvrogne._
T.
Tokay-Wine, to imitate.
Travelling-Sauce.
Tench, which is best.
Trout in Season.
Trouts, to pot.
Tragopogon, to dress.
Truffles, to broil.
Truffles, to stew.
Truffles, ragou'd.
Turkey, to dress.
U.
Veal-Glue.
Visney.
Venison, and its Sauces.
W.
Water-Soochy.
Wines, boiled.
Wines, fermented.
Wines, to help, by Sugar.
Wines, of _St. Helena,_ reform'd.
Woodcocks, to roast.
* * * * *
TO THE
LADIES
OF
_GREAT BRITAIN, &c._
_The Reason which induces me to address the following Piece to the Fair
Sex, is, because the principal Matters contained in it are within the
Liberty of their Province. The Art of Oeconomy is divided, as Xenophon
tells us, between the Men and the Women; the Men have the most dangerous
and laborious Share of it in the Fields, and without doors, and the Women
have the Care and Management of every Business within doors, and to see
after the good ordering of whatever is belonging to the House. And this, I
conceive, is no less the Practice of these Days, than it was in the time of
that great Philosopher; therefore it may seem necessary that I make some
Apology for the Work I now publish, which, for the most part, falls within
the Ladies Jurisdiction: but I hope I am the more excusable, as my Design
is rather to assist, than to direct. I may call myself rather their
Amanuensis, than their Instructor; for the Receipts which I imagine will
give the greatest Lustre or Ornament to the following Treatise, are such as
are practised by some of the most ingenious Ladies, who had Good-nature
enough to admit of a Transcription of them for publick Benefit; and to do
them justice, I must acknowledge that every one who has try'd them, allow
them to excel in their way. The other Receipts are such as I have collected
in my Travels, as well through_ England, _as in foreign Countries, and are
such as I was prompted to enter into my List, as well for their Curiosity
as for their extraordinary Goodness._
_I could have launched much further in this Attempt, but that I confined
myself to publish only such as were necessary for the Use of a Farm; or, in
other terms, for the good ordering of every thing which is the Produce of a
Farm and Garden: And especially I am induced to publish a Tract of this
nature for two Reasons, which I think carry some sway with them._
_The first is, that I find many useful things about Farms, and in Gardens,
whose Goodness is so little known, or understood, that they are seldom
reckon'd of any account, and in most places are looked upon as
Incumbrances; such as Mushrooms, Lupines, Brocoly, Morilles, Truffles
Skirrets, Scorzonera, Salsifie, Colerape, Charddones, Boorencole, and many
other such like things, which are excellent in their kind, when they are
well dress'd, and admired by the greatest Epicures._
_The other Reason which has induced me to publish this Piece, is, the
Difficulties I have undergone in my Travels, when I have met with good
Provisions, in many Places in England, which have been murder'd in the
dressing._
_I could mention many Instances as bad as the common Story of Bacon and
Eggs strewed with brown Sugar: But as this was done through Ignorance, as
the Story relates, I hope I need make no further Apology, or have occasion
to give any other Reason for making this Treatise publick, but that it may
improve the Ignorant, and remind the Learned how and when to make the best
of every thing: which may be a means of providing every one with a
tolerable Entertainment founded upon Practice and Fashion; which can never
fail of Followers, and of making us fare much better upon the Roads in the
Country than we were used to do._
* * * * *
THE
Country Lady's
DIRECTOR
* * * * *
JANUARY
I Shall in this Month take particular notice of the Pigeon, whose
Characteristicks are chiefly to have short Legs, and their Feet of a
reddish Colour, to have long Wings, and to be quick of Flight; in which the
spreading of their Tail-Feathers greatly contribute, as well as to guide
them in the Air. They by for the most part two Eggs for one sitting, and so
more; but breed often in the Year. When Pigeons are once paired, it is
observed they are very constant to one another, and assist each other in
the Incubation or Sitting on the Eggs, as well as in bringing up and
feeding the young ones; and moreover it is remarkable, that a Pigeon has no
Gall-Bladder.
The sorts are, first, the blue wild Pigeon, which is the most frequent in
Dove-Cotes, but is not very large, nor disposed to breed so early in the
Spring as some others: they are, however, a hardy kind, and will thrive any
where, if there is plenty of Water; for tho' they are not of a watery Race,
yet it is observable, that they covet to be where it is, and that they feed
frequently upon the Banks of Rivers and Ponds. I have known that where
there were two Dove-Cotes, that stood within a Mile of one another, and one
of them was near a River, and the other remote from it, the Pigeons of the
House distant from the Water, left their Habitation to reside in that next
the River, even tho' they had an Allowance of good Feed at home.
Among the tame Pigeons, those which the _Italians_ call'd _Tronfo_, and we
Runts, are the largest; but these may be again distinguish'd under the
Characters of greater and smaller: those which are commonly call'd the
_Spanish_ Runts, are very much esteem'd, being the largest sort of Pigeon,
and are sluggish, and more slow of flight, than the smaller sort of Runts;
but the smaller Runts are better Breeders, and quick of flight, which is to
be esteem'd; because if they were to seek their Food far, they can range
much more Ground, or return home much quicker on occasion of stormy or wet
Weather. As for the Colours of their Feathers, they are uncertain, so that
one cannot judge of the sort by them.
The next, which makes the largest Figure, but is not in reality the largest
Bird, is the Cropper; it is so named, because they usually do, by
attracting the Air, blow up their Crops to an extraordinary bigness, even
so sometimes as to be as large as their Bodies. This sort is esteemed the
better, as it can swell its Crop to the largest Size. The Bodies of this
sort are about the bigness of the smaller Runt, but somewhat more slender.
This sort, like the former, is of various Colours in the Feathers.
The next are those Pigeons call'd Shakers, and are said to be of two sorts,
_viz._ the broad-tail'd Shaker, and the narrow-tail'd Shaker: The reason
which is assign'd for calling them Shakers, is, because they are almost
constant in wagging their Heads and Necks up and down; and the Distinction
made between the broad and narrow-tail'd Shaker, is, because the broad
tail'd sort abounds with Tail-Feathers, about twenty-six in number, as Mr.
_Ray_ observes, and the narrow-tail'd Shakers have fewer in number. These,
when they walk, carry their Tail-Feathers erect, and spread abroad like a
Turkey-Cock. They likewise have diversity of Feathers.
The next I shall take notice of, are the Jacobines, or Cappers: These are
called Cappers from certain Feathers which turn up about the back part of
the Head. There are of these that are rough-footed: these are short-bill'd,
the Iris of their Eye of a Pearl Colour, and the Head is commonly white.
The next is the _Turbit_, commonly so call'd, but what is the occasion of
the Name, is not known, unless _Turbit_, or _Turbeck_, is a Corruption of
the Word _Cortbeck_, or _Cortbeke_, which is the Name the _Hollanders_ give
them, and seems to be derived from the _French_, where _Court-bec_ would
signify a short Bill, which this Pigeon is remarkable for; the Head is
flat, and the Feathers on the Breast spread both ways. These are about the
bigness of the Jacobines.
The Carrier Pigeon is the next I shall take notice of; it is so call'd from
the Use which is sometimes made of them in carrying of Letters to and fro:
It is very sure that they are nimble Messengers, for by experience it is
found, that one of these Pigeons will fly three Miles in a Minute, or from
_St. Albans_ to _London_ in seven Minutes, which has been try'd; and I am
inform'd, that they have been sent of a much longer Message: however, they
might certainly be made very useful in Dispatches, which required speed, if
we were to train them regularly between one House and another. We have an
account of them passing and repassing with Advices between _Hirtius_ and
_Brutus_, at the Siege of _Modena_, who had, by laying Meat for them in
some high Places, instructed their Pigeons to fly from place to place for
their Meat, having before kept them hungry, and shut up in a dark Place.
These are about the size of common Pigeons, and of a dark blue or blackish
Colour, which is one way of distinguishing them from other sorts: they are
also remarkable for having their Eyes compass'd about with a broad Circle
of naked spungy Skin, and for having the upper Chap of their Beak cover'd
more than half from the Head with a double Crust of the like naked fungous
Body. The Bill, or Beak, is moderately long, and black. These Birds are of
that Nature, that tho' they are carried many Miles from the place where
they were bred, or brought up, or have themselves hatch'd, or bred up any
young ones, they will immediately return home as soon as we let them fly.
Perhaps this may, in some measure, depend upon the Affection the Male or
Female bear to one another. When they are to be used as Carriers, two
Friends must agree to keep them, one in _London_, and the other at
_Guilford_, or elsewhere; the Person that lives at _Guilford_ must take two
or three Cocks or Hens that were bred at his Friend's at _London_, and the
other two or three that were bred at _Guilford_; when the Person at
_London_ has occasion to send an Express, he must roll up a little piece of
Paper, and tie it gently with a small String pass'd thro'it about the
Pigeon's Neck. But it must be observ'd before, that the Pigeons you design
to send with a Message, be kept pretty much in the dark, and without Meat,
for eight or ten Hours before you turn them out, and they will then rise
and turn round till they have found their way, and continue their Flight
till they have got home. With two or three of these Pigeon's on each side,
a Correspondence might be carried on in a very expeditious manner,
especially in Matters of Curiosity, or those things which tend to publick
Good. I know a Gentleman that has set out on a Journey early in the
Morning, where it was judged to be dangerous travelling, that has taken one
of this sort of Pigeons in his Pocket, and at his Journey's End, which he
tells me was near thirty Miles distant from his House, has turn'd off the
Pigeon, and it has been at its feeding Place in nine or ten Minutes, with
an Account of his safety. In _Turkey_ it is very customary for these
Pigeons to be taken on board a Ship that sails, by the Captain, and if any
thing extraordinary happens within the distance of six or eight Leagues,
the Pigeon is sent back with Advice, which sometimes may be a means of
saving a Ship from being taken by the Pyrates, or other Enemies, and
expedite Trade.
The _Barbary_ Pigeon, or _Barb_, is another sort, whose Bill is like that
of the _Turbit_, i.e. short and thick, and a broad and naked Circle of a
spungy white Substance round about the Eye, like that in the Carrier
Pigeon. The Iris of the Eye is white, if the Feathers of the Pigeon are
inclining to a darkish Colour; but is red, if the Feathers are white, as we
find in other white Birds.
Smiters are another sort of Pigeon, suppos'd to be the same that the
_Hollanders_ call _Draijers._ This sort shake their Wings as they fly, and
rise commonly in a circular manner in their flight; the Males for the most
part rising higher than the Females, and frequently falling and flapping
them with their Wings, which produces a noise that one may hear a great
way; from whence it happens that their Quill-Feathers are commonly broken
or shatter'd. These are almost like the Pigeon call'd the Tumbler; the
difference chiefly is, that the Tumbler is something smaller, and in its
flight will turn itself backward over its Head. The diversity of colours in
the Feathers makes no difference.
The Helmet is another kind of Pigeon distinguish'd from the others, because
it has the Head, the Quill-Feathers, and the Tail-Feathers always of one
colour: Sometimes black, sometimes white, or red, or blue, or yellow; but
the other Feathers of the Body are of a different colour.
The next Pigeon I shall take notice of, is that which is call'd the light
Horseman; this is supposed to be a cross strain between a Cock Cropper and
a Hen of the Carrier Breed, because they seem to partake of both, as
appears from the exerescent Flesh on their Bills, and the swelling of their
Crops; but I am not determin'd concerning that point, nor can give any good
Judgment about it, till I have seen whether the Cropper be the Male or
Female, upon which depends a Debate in Natural Philosophy, which has not
been yet decided; this sort however is reckon'd the best Breeder, and are
not inclin'd to leave the place of their Birth, or the House where they
have been accustom'd.
The _Bastard-bill Pigeon_ is another sort, which is somewhat bigger than
the _Barbary_ Pigeon; they have short Bills, and are generally said to have
red Eyes, but I suppose those colour'd Eyes are belonging only to those
which have white Feathers.
There is also a Pigeon call'd the _Turner_, which is said to have a Tuft of
Feathers hanging backward on the Head, which parts, as Mr. _Ray_ says, like
a Horse's Main.
There is a smaller sort than the former call'd the _Finikin_, but in other
respects like the former. There is a sort of Pigeon call'd the _Spot_,
suppos'd, and with good Judgment, to take its Name from the Spot on its
Forehead just above its Bill, and the Feathers of its Tail always of the
same colour with the Spots, and all the other Feathers are white.
Lastly, I shall take notice of the Pigeon call'd the _Mawmet_, or
_Mahomet_, supposed to be brought from _Turkey_; however, it is singular
for its large black Eyes; the other parts are like those of the _Barbary_
Pigeon.
These are the sorts of Pigeons generally known, for the large _Italian_
Pigeons are only the larger Runts; and I am of opinion, that the diversity
of colours in Pigeons only proceeds from the diversity of kinds of Pigeons,
that couple with one another; for I have known Swine that have been
whole-footed, that have coupled with those that were clovenfooted, and the
Pigs that were produced, were partaking of whole and cloven Hoofs, some
one, some two cloven Hoofs, and the rest whole Hoofs.
Concerning the Life of a Pigeon, _Aristotle_ says, that a Pigeon will live
forty Years, but _Albertus_ finishes the Life of a Pigeon at twenty Years;
however, _Aldrovandus_ tells us of a Pigeon, which continued alive two and
twenty Years, and bred all that time except the last six Months, during
which space it had lost its Mate, and lived in Widowhood. There is a
remarkable Particular mention'd by _Aldrovandus_ relating to the Pigeon,
which is, that the young Pigeons always bill the Hens as often as they
tread them, but the elder Pigeons only bill the Hens the first time before
coupling. _Pliny_ and _Athenaeus_, from _Aristotle_, tell us, that it is
peculiar to Pigeons not to hold up their Heads when they drink as other
Birds and Fowls do, but to drink like Cattle by sucking without
intermission; it is easily observed, and worth Observation.
To distinguish which are the Males and Females among Pigeons, it is chiefly
known by the Voice and Cooing; the Female has a small weak Voice, and the
Male a loud and deep Voice.
The Flesh of Pigeons is hard of Digestion, and therefore is not judged a
proper Supper-meat; it is said to yield a melancholy Juice, but if boil'd
are very tender, or roasted while they are called Squabs, _viz._ Pigeons
about four days old, they are much better for the stomach, and then
commonly yield, among the Curious in eating, about eighteen Pence, or two
Shillings a piece. The Food which is generally given to Pigeons is Tares;
but if we were to mix Spurry-Seeds with it, or Buckwheat, those Grains
would forward their breeding, as has been try'd: however, if Pigeons are
fed only with Tares, and are of a good kind, we may expect them to breed
nine or ten times in a Year; but sometimes, perhaps, not hatch above one at
a time, tho' if they were in full Vigour, they would breed up a Pair at one
sitting.
In the feeding of Pigeons, it is adviseable not to let them have more Meat
at one time than they can eat, for they are apt to toss it about, and lose
a great deal of it; so that the contrivance of filling a stone Bottle with
their Meat, and putting the Mouth downwards, so that it may come within an
Inch of a Plain or Table, and will give a supply as they feed, is much the
best way. And their drinking-water should be dispensed to them in the same
way out of a Bottle revers'd with the Mouth into a narrow shallow Cistern;
but at the same time they should not want the conveniency of a Pan of
Water, if there can be no better had, to wash themselves in, for they are
of themselves a Bird subject to contract Dirt and Fleas. This is what I
shall say of the breeding of tame Pigeons at present.
As to the preparing of Pigeons for the Table, they are commonly either
roasted, boiled, baked, or broiled; these are so generally understood, that
I need not mention them, nor that Parsley is almost become necessary with
them either to be roasted or boiled in the Body of the Pigeon, or put in
the Sauces for them: this every one knows, but that the Liver of the Pigeon
should be always left in the Body of it, is not known every where,
otherwise it would not be so generally taken out and lost, as it is in many
places remote from _London_; but this may be, perhaps, because every one
does not know that a Pigeon has no Gall. As to particular ways of Dressing
of Pigeons, there are two or three which I think are excellent. The first I
had from a Lady in _Essex_, whom I have had occasion to mention in this and
other Works, and that is in respect to broiling of Pigeons whole. When the
Pigeon is prepared for the Kitchen, tye the Skin of the Neck very tight
with Packthread, and put into the Body a little Pepper, Salt, Butter, and a
little Water at the Vent, and tie it up close at the Neck, broil this upon
a gentle Fire, flowring it very well, and basting it with Butter. When this
is brought to Table, it brings its Sauce in itself. To those who are not
lovers of Spice or Salt, the Butter and Water will be sufficient to draw
the Gravy in the Pigeon: but a Pigeon that is split and broiled is of a
very different Taste from this, and not worthy, in my opinion, to be
reckon'd with it.
Another way of ordering Pigeons, which I met with by accident, and pleased
me as well as several Gentlemen in my Company, was the boiling of Pigeons
in Paste: The Receipt the People gave me for it, was, to fill the Belly of
the Pigeon with Butter, a little Water, some Pepper and Salt, and cover it
with a thin light Paste, and then to put it in a fine Linen Cloth, and boil
it for a time in proportion to its bigness, and serve it up. When this is
cut open, it will yield Sauce enough of a very agreeable Relish.
Stewing of Pigeons, from Mons. _La Fountaine,_ an excellent Cook in
_Paris._
Pick and wash half a dozen Pigeons, and lay them into a Stew-Pan, with a
Pint or more of good Gravy, an Onion cut small, or three or four large
Shalots, a little Bunch of sweet Herbs, some Pepper and Salt, a Pint of
Mushrooms that have been well clean'd, and cut into small Pieces, and a
little Mace; let these stew gently till they are tender, and add to them
about half a Pint of White-Wine just before you take them off the Fire;
then lay your Pigeons in your Dish, and brown your Sauce after 'tis
discharged of the Bunch of sweet Herbs and the Spice, which should be tied
in a little Linen Cloth; pour then your Sauce with the Mushrooms over the
Pigeons, and strew the whole over with grated Bread, giving it a browning
with a red-hot Iron; or the grated Bread may be omitted.
Another Way of dressing Pigeons, from the same.
Take young Pigeons and par-boil them, then chop some raw Bacon very small,
with a little Parsley, a little sweet Marjoram, or sweet Basil, and a small
Onion; season this with Salt, and Pepper, and fill the Bodys of the Pigeons
with it. When this is done, stew the Pigeons in Gravy, or strong Broth,
with an Onion stuck with Cloves, a little Verjuice and Salt; when they are
enough, take them out of the Liquor, and dip them in Eggs that have been
well beaten, and after that roll them in grated Bread, that they may be
cover'd with it. Then make some Lard very hot, and fry them in it till they
are brown, and serve them up with some of the Liquor they were stew'd in,
and fry'd Parsley.
In the beginning of this Month, as well as in _December_, the Eel is
commonly laid up in the Mud, and we find them there in Clusters folded one
over another, which I suppose is the manner of coupling; for in the
beginning of _March_, or end of _February_, we see young ones as small as
Threads on the edges of the Waters. I think it is no longer to be doubted,
but that the Eel is viviparous; that is, it brings its young ones perfectly
framed, and does not lay Spawn like other Fish: and the Resemblance the Eel
bears to that Fish, which is call'd by the Fishermen the Coney-Fish, and is
found at this time about the _Buoy in the Nore_ full of young ones, makes
me the rather conclude the Eel brings forth its Young perfectly form'd.
This Fish is not accounted wholesome at this time of the Year, nor fit for
eating till they begin to run in _March_, therefore what I have to say
relating to preparing Eels for the Table, will be set down in the Month of
_March_.
* * * * *
FEBRUARY.
As our Poultry will begin to lay plentifully in this Month, it may not be
improper to say something of them before we proceed to give the Receipts
for dressing and preparing their Eggs for the Table. It is necessary to be
known first, the Difference between Fowls and Birds; a Fowl always leads
its young Ones to the Meat, and a Bird carries the Meat to the Young: for
this reason, we find that Fowls always make their Nests upon the Ground,
while Birds, for the most part, build their Nests aloft; so then our common
Poultry are Fowls, the Pheasant, Partridge, Peacock, Turkey, Bustard,
Quail, Lapwing, Duck, and such like are all Fowls: But a Pigeon is a Bird,
and a Stork, or Crane, and a Heron, are Birds, they build their Nests
aloft, and carry Meat to their young Ones.
The Characteristick Marks of the Poultry Kind are, besides what I have said
above, to have short, strong, and somewhat crooked Bills, which are best
adapted to pick up Grains of Corn, Pulse, and other Seeds, which is chiefly
what these Fowls feed upon; and we may observe, that as neither Birds nor
Fowls have Teeth to macerate their Food with, so Nature has provided them
not only with a Crop to soften their Meat, but a Stomach furnish'd with
thick strong Mucles, whose use is to grind the Grains of Corn, or any hard
Meat swallow'd whole, which they perform by the help of little Stones,
which Birds and Fowls swallow now and then, and which supply the defect of
Teeth. It is observable, that Fowls, for the most part, lay a greater
number of Eggs than Birds, even many more than they can sit upon at one
time. I have known about thirty Eggs lay'd by one common Poultry-Hen, but
it is seldom that any Bird lays more than five or six, except the Wren, and
the Tom-tit, and the Pigeon not more than two. Again, the Poultry, contrary
to others of the winged Race, are armed with Spurs; and it is observable,
that the Cocks of the common Poultry distinguish themselves from diurnal
Fowls, by crowing or singing in the Night, as the Nightingale distinguishes
itself from the rest of the Bird-kind. As for the length of Life in common
Poultry, _Aldrovandus_ makes it to be about ten Years, but that the Cock
becomes unfit for the Hens when he is four Years old; and we find by
experience the same, as well as that a Cock should not have more than six
or seven Hens, if we expect healthful and strong Broods of Chickens. About
the Laying-time of these Fowls, Spurry-Seed and Buckwheat is an excellent
strengthening Food for them.
There is another thing relating to Fowls of this kind well worthy
observation; and that is, of Capons being made to bring up a Brood of
Chickens like a Hen, clucking of'em, brooding them, and leading them to
their Meat, with as much Care and Tenderness as their Dams would do. To
bring this about, _Jo. Baptista Porta_, in _lib. 4. Mag. Nat._ prescribes
to make a Capon very tame and familiar, so as to take Meat out of one's
Hand; then about Evening-time pluck the Feathers off his Breast, and rub
the bare Skin with Nettles, and then put the Chickens to him, which will
presently run under his Breast and Belly; the Chickens then rubbing his
Breast gently with their Heads, perhaps allay the slinging and itching
occasioned by the Nettles, or perhaps they may contribute to warm that part
where the Feathers are away: however, the bare part must be rubb'd with
Nettles three or four Nights successively, till he begins to love and
delight in the Chickens.
When a Capon is once accustomed to this Service, he will not casuly leave
it off; but as soon as he has brought up one Brood of Chickens, we may put
another to him, and when they are fit to shift for themselves, we may give
him the Care of a third.
The sorts of the House Pullen, or common Poultry, are many; but as the use
of them for the Table is the same, I shall only take notice of such as are
of the large Dunghill kind, or of the _Hamburgh_ sort, of the Game kind,
and of the small _Dutch_ kind; which last is admired by some for the
fineness of their Flesh, and for being great Layers, especially in the
Winter: But it is certain that the larger sort sell the best at Market, and
lay the largest Eggs, and therefore should be the most cultivated about a
Farm. As for the Game Breed, some fancy that their Flesh is more white and
tender than the other sorts; but they are always quarrelling, which
contributes to make themselves and their Brood weak.
Where we propose to raise a large Stock of Poultry, we should be careful to
secure our Hen-House from Vermin of all sorts, and keep it dry and clean,
allowing also as much Air as possible; for if it is not often clean'd, the
scent of the Dung will give your Fowls the Roop: So likewise there must be
easy Convenience for perching of the Fowls, disposed in such a manner, that
the Perches be not placed over any of the Hen's Nests, which must always
lie dry and clean, bedded with Straw, for Hay is apt to make the sitting
Hens faint and weak. When we design to set a Hen, we should save her Eggs
in dry Bran, and when she clucks, put no more in her Nest than she can well
cover; for as to certain numbers to be more lucky in hatching, there is
nothing in that: And if we fat Fowls, then use the Method prescribed in my
_Country Gentleman and Farmer's Monthly Director_, in the Month of
_January_, which is much the best way of any that has yet been discovered.
In the choice of Fowls for eating, those which are white feather'd and
white legg'd, are much tenderer and finer in their Flesh than those of
other Colours, and are much weaker; for which reason, those who understand
Cocking, do not approve of such as happen to be white feather'd: and those
which are black feather'd, are accounted the hottest and most fiery, and
their Flesh is coarser than in other Fowls. But let us now come to the use
of the Flesh of these Fowls, which is either eaten roasted, boiled,
fricasseed, baked, or broiled either slit or whole. It is to be noted, that
the Flesh of these Fowls or Chickens boiled is more easily digested than
the Flesh of those that are roasted, and the Flesh of the Legs is more easy
of Digestion than that of the Breast. Mr. _Ray_ takes notice, that those
parts of Fowls, which are continually in Action, are esteem'd the best, for
which reason he prefers the Legs of tame Fowls, and what we call the Wings
in wild Fowl, that is, the fleshy part on the Breast. _Gefner_ and
_Aldrovandus_ have both largely treated of the use of the Flesh and Eggs of
these Fowls, but I believe some of the following Receipts for dressing
them, will not be unacceptable, they being more adapted to the Taste of our
Times.
I shall begin with some curious ways of dressing of Eggs, which I had from
a Gentleman of _Brussels_, who had collected them from most parts of
_Europe_.
First Way of dressing of Eggs.
Boil your Eggs till they are hard, and cut the Whites only into Rings or
large pieces; then cut some Parsley and Onions small, and stew them with a
little Salt, Pepper, and Nutmeg in half a Pint of Water, till the Onion and
Parsley is tender; when this is done, put in your Eggs well flower'd, and
as soon as they are hot, put half a Pint of Cream to them, and thicken them
for serving at the Table. The Yolks may be fry'd to garnish the Dish.
Second Way of preparing of Eggs.
Boil your Eggs hard as before, and cut the Whites likewise as directed in
the above Receipt, and then prepare some Gravy, a bunch of sweet Herbs, a
little Salt, some Lemon Peel, some _Jamaica_ Pepper beaten small, an Onion
shred small, and let these stew together till it is sufficiently season'd;
after which, strain it off, and put in the Eggs to heat them thoroughly,
and then thicken the whole with burnt Butter.
Third Way of preparing of Eggs.
Break some Eggs, beat them well, and season them with Salt and some
_Jamaica_ Pepper finely powder'd, then make some Butter very hot in a Pan,
and pour in the Mixture to fry, till it is hard enough to hold together;
then it must be taken out, and cut into several Pieces, and served with the
same Sauce directed in the foregoing Receipt.
Fourth Way of dressing of Eggs.
Take the Hearts of two or three Cabbage-Lettuces, a little Sorrel, Parsley,
Cherville, and a large Mushroom, put them in Water over the Fire till they
are tender, then chop them together very small with some Yolks of hard
Eggs, and season the whole with Salt, Pepper, or Nutmeg; and when the Mass
is well mixt together, put them in paste, making them into small flat
Puffs, and fry them. This may be diversify'd, by adding some sweet Herbs
chop'd small to the Mixture, before it is put into Paste.
Fifth Way of dressing of Eggs.
Beat as many Eggs as you think convenient, and at the same time squeeze the
Juice of an Orange among them; being well beaten, season them with a little
Salt, then take a Stew-Pan, and if it is a Fast-day, put some Butter into
it and pour in your Eggs, keeping them stirring continually over the Fire
till they are enough, then pour them into a Plate upon Sippets. But on
Flesh-days, instead of Butter use strong Gravy, or on Fish-days some
Mushroom-Gravy may be used instead of Butter, or with it.
Sixth Way of ordering of Eggs.
Boil Eggs till they are hard, peel them, and cut them lengthways, then
quarter each half, and dip the several quarters in Batter, made of Flower,
Eggs and Milk; fry them then in Butter very hot, over a quick Fire, and lay
them a while before the Fire to drain. In the mean while prepare for them
the following Sauce of burnt or brown Butter, seasoned with Sweet-herbs,
Salt, Pepper, Nutmeg, and a little Elder-Vinegar, with some Mushrooms
stew'd and hash'd; and garnish your Dish, or Plate, with fry'd Bread,
Parsley, and fry'd Mushrooms.
These are a few out of many Receipts, which the above Gentleman gave me,
and may serve as Directions for many others; for by what I can find, all
the others depend upon the same Principles. The variation of these depends
upon the variety of Tastes: Some like Amletts, or Frazes of Eggs, with
Bacon, or with Clary, or other high-tasted Herbs, which every good
Housewife knows how to direct. The same Gentleman observes, that Amletts
with boiled Artichoke Bottoms sliced, Amletts with the Tops of boil'd
Asparagus, green Pease boiled, Mushrooms stew'd and sliced, or Truffles,
these he tells me are extraordinary.
As to the particulars relating to the dressing of farced Fowls, the methods
which most agree with my Palate, and have been admired by the best Judges
of my Acquaintance, are the following, which I had from _France_.
To dress a Capon, or other Fowl.
When your Fowl is truss'd for Roasting, cover the Breast with a thin slice
of fat Bacon, and put an Onion stuck with Cloves into the Belly, with some
Salt and Pepper; when it is roasted enough, take off the Bacon, and strew
it with grated Bread, till it is brown. This is eaten, either with
Orange-Juice and Salt, or if Oysters are at hand, as they are about many
Farms in _England_, they may be stew'd gently with a little White Wine,
Spice, and a little Butter, which will make an agreeable Sauce for it. Or
else it may be eaten with a very good Sauce, which I have often met with,
and have lik'd as well; which is made with small Beer and Water, equal
quantities, an Onion slic'd, some Pepper and Salt, and about an Ounce of
Flesh, either of Mutton or Beef, to boil till it comes to about half,
supposing at first 'tis not above half a Pint; and at some places, instead
of Mutton, _&c._ this Sauce has been only made of the Neck of a Fowl. This
Sauce, in my Opinion, has a very rich Taste, and has been well approv'd of
by some curious Travellers: Where we could have this, we rather chose it
than Wine-Sauce. Capons, Pullets, or others of this sort of Fowl, may be
also larded with Bacon, if they are roasted; but the Gentleman aforesaid,
who gave me this Receipt, told me that no Water-Fowl must be larded with
Bacon.
To farce or stuff a Fowl. From Mr. _Agneau._
When your Fowl is made ready for Roasting, take the Liver boil'd, a
Shallot, a little Fat of Bacon, some grated Bread, the Bottom of a boil'd
Artichoke, and some Mushrooms, chop these very small, and make a forc'd
Meat of them, season'd with Salt and Spices at pleasure; fill the Belly of
the Fowl with this, and then truss it, covering the Breast with a thin
slice of fat Bacon, and over that put a piece of writing Paper. Roast this,
and serve it up with the following Sauce: Make a hash of Mushrooms, an
Anchovy, a few Capers and some Gravy, boiled together with such Seasoning
as you approve; the Sauce should be thicken'd or brown'd, and it is fit for
the Table.
To farce Fowls another way. From the same.
Take Pullets and roast them, then take the Flesh of the Breast, and mince
it small, with some Fat of Bacon boil'd, a few Mushrooms, a little Onion
and Parsley, and some Crumb of Bread soak'd in Cream over a gentle Fire;
when all these are well minc'd, add the Yolks of two or three Eggs, and mix
all together; then with this forced Meat fill the Breast of the Fowls in
their proper shape, and beat some Whites of Eggs to go over them, and then
cover them thick with Crumbs of Bread, having first laid your Fowls
commodiously in a Dish, and then put them in the Oven till they have taken
a fine brown Colour. If you have more of this farced Meat than you use in
making good the Fowls, either make it into Balls and fry them, or else make
a Batter of Eggs, Milk, and Wheat-Flower, and dip small parcels of the
Farce into it to fry for garnishing. You may make a Sauce to these farced
Fowls with stew'd Mushrooms toss'd up with Cream; the same may be done with
Turkeys, Pheasants, _&c_.
To make a brown or white Fricassee of Chickens. From the same.
Strip the Chickens of their Skins as soon as they are kill'd, and when they
are drawn, cut their Wings, Legs, and most fleshy parts in Pieces, then fry
them a little in Hog's-Lard; after which, put them to stew with a little
Butter and Gravy, for a brown Fricassee, or Butter and Water for a white
Fricassee; to either of these add a Glass of White Wine, with a Seasoning
of Salt, Pepper, Nutmeg, Cherville cut small, and three or four young
Onions whole, that they may be withdrawn when the Fricassee is enough: Then
brown the Sauce with some of the same Lard the Chickens were fry'd in, and
thicken it with burnt Flower; to this you may add fry'd or stew'd
Mushrooms. But for a white Fricassee, instead of the browning with the Lard
and burnt Flower, thicken the Sauces with three or four Yolks of Eggs, and
a little Verjuice; or else when the Fricassee is stew'd enough, take off
the Fat as much as possible, and toss it up with Cream; this will serve to
fricassee Rabbits.
In Lent, and on Fast-days, I have eaten very good Soups abroad, that were
made without any Flesh. And as that is not very common in _England_, I
thought it convenient to bring over the Receipts with me, that we may know
how to make the best of every thing about a Farm.
To make Fish-Gravy for Soups.
To make this Fish-Gravy, which may serve for a Foundation of all Fish
Soups, take Tench or Eels, or both, well scour'd from Mud, and their
Outsides scour'd well with Salt; then pull out their Gills, and put them in
a Kettle with Water, Salt, a bunch of sweet Herbs, and an Onion stuck with
Cloves; boil these an hour and a half, and then strain off the Liquor thro'
a Cloth: add to this the Peelings of Mushrooms well wash'd, or Mushrooms
themselves cut small; boil these together, and strain the Liquor thro' a
Sieve into a Stew-Pan, upon some burnt or fry'd Flower, and a little Lemon,
which will soon render it of a good Colour, and delicate Flavour, fit for
Soups, which may be varied according to the Palate, by putting in Pot-Herbs
and Spices to every one's liking; this will keep good some time. When you
make any of this into Soup, remember to put a Glass of white Wine into your
Soup a little before you serve it.
A Foundation for Herb Soups.
Take a quantity of good Herbs, such as Cherville, Spinage, Sallery, Leeks,
Beet-Cards, and such like, with two or three large Crusts of Bread, some
Butter, a bunch of sweet Herbs, and a little Salt; put these, with a
moderate quantity of Water, into a Kettle, and boil them an hour and half,
and strain off the Liquor thro' a Sieve, and it will be a good Foundation
for Soups, either of Asparagus Buds, Lettuce, or any other kind, fit for
Lent or Fast-days. These Herb Soups are sometimes strengthened with two or
three Yolks of Eggs, a little before they are serv'd to the Table.
As in this Month there is plenty of Oranges, so it is a proper Season to
make Orange-Wine, which is a most pleasant and refreshing Liquor in the
Summer Season. The following Receipt is an approved one for it.
To make Orange Wine. From Mrs. _E. B._
Take twenty Gallons of Water, and forty Pounds of fine Sugar, mix these
together, boil and clarify it with the Whites of Eggs: against this is
done, have two hundred middling Oranges, pared so thin that no White appear
upon the Rinds; and as soon as the Syrup is taken off the Fire, put the
Peels of five and twenty Oranges into it; and when the Liquor is quite
cold, put in the Juice of the Oranges, with some fresh Ale-Yeast spread
upon a warm Toast of white Bread; let this work two days, and then put it
into the Vessel or Cask, adding at the same time, two Gallons of white
_Port_ Wine; and then to every Gallon of Liquor, add an Ounce of Syrup of
Citron, or Syrup of Lemon, and in two Months time it be fit to bottle.
In this Month it may not be unneccessary to observe that Oranges are
declining, and waste apaces; but they are commonly very cheap, and
therefore such as have a great Call for Orange-peel, as Confectioners,
_&c._ now buy them in quantities; but a little Carriage by Land will
contribute to their quicker decay. The Orange, tho' it is not found in
every Garden, yet I esteem it as a necessary Fruit in many Cases, and what
a Family can hardly be without; and truly considering how good Oranges we
might have in our Gardens, and how easily they may be cultivated against
Garden-walls, I much wonder that they are not more generally planted with
us. There is a very good Instance of their prospering well against a Wall,
and thriving in the natural Ground, at Mr. _Heather_'s, a curious Gentleman
at _Tiwittenham_, which Trees bear very well, and bring very large Fruit.
But as I have observ'd above, that this is the Season when foreign Oranges
are generally in the greatest plenty about _London_, it is a good time to
preserve their Juice; especially it may prove useful to such as have
opportunities of vending _Punch_ in large Quantitles, or for such who find
that Liquor agreeable to them: For tho' I have known several who have
express'd the Juice of Oranges and Lemons, and bottled it up against a dear
Time, yet such Juice has turn'd to be of a very disageeable Sourness in a
short season. The Method which I have taken to preserve this Juice to be
used in Punch, was to express the Juice, and pass it thro' a Jelly-bag,
with about two Ounces of double-refined Loaf-Sugar to each Pint of Juice,
and a Pint of Brandy, or Arrack; bottle this up, and cork it well with
sound Corks, and you may keep it a Year. Before you pass this Liquor thro'
the Bag, you may put about the Rind of two Oranges to steep for two Hours,
into each Quart of Liquor, which will give it a rich Flavour. When you have
occasion to use it for Punch, it is at the discretion of the Maker to add
what quantity of Brandy, or Arrack, he thinks proper, only remembring that
there is already a Pint in each Bottle. This may be of good advantage to
Inn-keepers, _&c._ who live remote from _London_; and by this way they need
not run the hazard of losing this sort of Fruit, by bruising or rotting,
which they will be subject to, if they are not well pack'd, and have bad
Roads. And besides, considering the vast difference that there is in the
Price of Oranges, so much, that at some Seasons you must pay as much for
one, as will at another time purchase near a Dozen, it is the best to
consider of this when they are at the cheapest Price. We may likewise use
the same Method with Lemons; but it is not convenient to steep any of the
Peels in the Liquor, for they will give it a disagreeable Flavour. But it
is to be understood also, that Lemons are to be met with in perfection all
the Year; only this Season they are at the cheapest Price. The Peel of an
Orange or two may be put to each Quart of Juice, to steep as above
directed, bruising every piece of Peel as you put it into the Juice. Note,
that the Lemon and Orange Juice must not be mix'd together in the same
Bottles.
* * * * *
MARCH.
This Month all sorts of Pond-fish are in Season; _viz._ the Jack, the Carp,
the Tench, the Perch, and the Eel; but it must be noted, that both the
Males and Females of every kind of Fish are in their greatest Perfection
before the Spawning-time, and they are sick and unwholesome for three Weeks
after Spawning. The Eel, indeed, has not yet been known to lay any Spawn,
but is likely to be Viviparous, as I have mention'd in the Month of
_January_. The Jack, or Pike, this Month runs, as the Sportsmen call it;
that is, they retire into the Ditches, if there are any in their way, and
feed upon Frogs; or else, in warm Days, lie upon the top of the Waters, and
are easily taken by Snares: However, they are this Month full row'd, and
are then in their greatest Strength, and in the best condition for the
Table. We judge those are the best which are broad-back'd, and deep Fish;
for those that are long and slender, have not their Flesh firm, which is
reckon'd the Perfection of a Fish. The way of preparing this Fish in the
best manner, in my Opinion, if it is large, is to roast it according to the
following Receipt, which I had from Mr. _John Hughs_, an excellent Cook in
_London_.
When a Jack or Pike is discharged of its Scales and Entrails, and well
clean'd, prepare a Mixture in the following Manner, to be sew'd up in the
Belly of the Fish: Take of grated Bread about one third part, the Rivet, or
Liver of the Fish cut small, with Oysters chopped, or the Flesh of Eels cut
small; mix these with three or four Eggs butter'd in a Sauce-pan, to which
add Pepper and Salt with some dry'd Sweet Marjoram well pouder'd, or such
other Sweet-herbs as are most grateful to the Palate, an Anchovy shred
small, and fill the Belly of the Fish with the Preparation, and sew it up.
When this is done, cut two small Laths of Willow, or any other Wood, except
Deal, or such as has a Turpentine Juice in it, of the length of the Fish,
and lay the Fish upon the Spit, with the two Laths upon the Fish, and bind
them together with a Fillet of Linnen, about an Inch wide, which must be
wrapp'd round them in a Screw-like manner, and then laid down to the Fire,
and basted very well with Butter, and drudged with Crumbs of Bread, and the
same sort of Sweet-herbs that were used in the Mixture abovemention'd.
Where you have not the conveniency of Oysters, or Eels, to compose the
aforemention'd Mixture, you may add a larger quantity of butter'd Eggs.
Where there is the conveniency of an Oven, we may bake such a Fish with
less trouble than roasting it; and in that case rub the outside with the
Yolk of an Egg, and roll it in some of the Mixture abovemention'd, the
Anchovy and butter'd Eggs excepted, putting some Vinegar and Butter in the
Pan. The Sauce to this Fish is Butter melted, a little White-wine, and
mix'd with a third part of season'd Beef Gravy, with a Spoonful or two of
Mushroom Ketchup, and an Anchovy or two dissolved.
The smaller Sort of these Fish, _i.e._ such as are about a Foot long, are
most commonly boiled, but they will do well baked, as above directed. The
same Sauce may be used with the boil'd Fish; or instead of Beef Gravy, may
be used the Mushroom Gravy, as directed in this Work, which will have a
much finer Relish than the Beef Gravy.
In this Month likewise, the Carp is fit for the Table, and is commonly much
admir'd, if it be well stew'd; otherwise I think it makes but an
indifferent Dish, being a Fish full of Cross-bones. The Head is accounted
much the best part of the Fish, and is therefore presented as a Compliment
to the greatest Stranger at the Table. The Carp, as it is a Fish which
thrives best in black, deep, standing Waters, is therefore commonly given
to taste of the Mud; but to cure this, those Carps you intend for the Table
should be put into a clear Water for a Week before you use them, that they
may purge themselves. You may keep two Brace of large Carps well enough in
a two-dozen Hamper, plung'd into any part of a River where there is a clear
Stream, or Trench that is fed by a Spring, and they will become of an
extraordinary sweet Taste. And so we may do with Tench and Eels, when we
catch them in foul feeding Waters. When your Fish are thus purify'd, dress
your Carps after the following manner:
To Stew Carps or Tench.
Take a Brace of live Carp, scale them, gut and wash them, and bleed them in
the Tails, so that the Blood be not lost; for according to all the Receipts
for stewing this kind of Fish, the Blood, however small the Quantity is of
it, must make part of the Sauce: Lay these in a Stew-Pan with the Blood, a
Pint of Beef-Gravy, a Pint of Claret, a large Onion stuck with Cloves,
three large Anchovies, a Stick of Horse-radish sliced, the Peel of half a
large Lemon, Pepper and Salt at pleasure, a Bunch of Sweet-herbs, two or
three Spoonfuls of Vinegar. This Liquor should nearly cover the Carps; so
that if the Gravy and Claret, mention'd above, be not sufficient, add equal
quantities of each till you have enough; cover this close, and set the
Stew-pan over a gentle Fire, till the lower-side of the Fish are stew'd
enough; then turn them, and keep them stewing as before, close cover'd,
till they are enough; after which, lay them in a Dish upon Sippets of fry'd
Bread, and strain off the Sauce to be thicken'd and brown'd with burnt
Butter. This must be poured over the Fish, and the Dish garnish'd with the
Row or Milt, Barberries, and Lemons sliced.
The same Method is also used for stewing of large Roach, Dace, and Chubb;
but a Tench stew'd this way, is much better than a Carp, The Back of this
Fish, and the Head, are the Pieces which are most in esteem.
It is worth our remark, that when we find our Tench cover'd with black
Scales, they Will always taste muddy, which is the fault of the River-Tench
about _Cambridge_; but where we find Tench of a golden Colour, we are sure
of good Fish, that will eat sweet without the trouble of putting 'em into
clear Water to purify.
As there is some trouble in the dressing of this Fish, they may be stew'd
the Night before they are to be eaten, and will keep very well; and half an
hour before they are to be serv'd up, set them over the Fire to be
thoroughly hot, and then brown their Sauce as before directed.
It is to be observ'd, that to bake these Fish with the above Ingredients is
as good a Way as the stewing them. It is likewise necessary to observe,
that all Fish which will keep a long time alive out of Water, will sicken,
and their Flesh become unfirm by lying in the Air; therefore, if Fish are
to be sent a Day's Journey, or kept a Day before they are used, kill them
as soon as they are taken out of the Water, and the Flesh will be firm.
I shall add one thing more concerning the boiling of Fish, which was
communicated to me by a very ingenious Gentleman, who has made Fishing his
Study for many Years: He says, that the Goodness of boil'd Fish consists
chiefly in the Firmness of the Flesh; and in the next place, that the Flesh
parts easily from the Bone; to do which, he directs to kill the Fish
immediately after they are taken out of the Water; and when you design to
boil 'em, put a large handful of Salt into about two or three quarts of
Water, and so in proportion: Put in the Fish while the Water is cold; then
set them over the Fire, and make them boil as quick as possible, without
any Cover over the Pan. This is approved to do very well. This Receipt is
particularly good for boiling of Flounders. His Receipt for Sauce for
boil'd Fish, is the following.
Sauce for boil'd Fish.
Take Beef-Gravy, an Onion, a little White-wine, some Horse-radish sliced,
Lemon-peel, an Anchovy, a Bunch of Sweet-herbs, boil them well together,
and strain off the Liquor, then put a Spoonful of Mushroom Ketchup to it,
and thicken it with Butter mix'd with Flower: or for Fast-days the Gravy
may be omitted, and in the place of it put Mushroom-Gravy, or a larger
quantity of Mushroom-Ketchup, or some of the Fish-Gravy mention'd in
_February_, which is good to put in Sauce for any sort of Fish.
As this is the Month when Eels begin to be good, I shall give two or three
Receipts for the Dressing of them in the best manner: The first for
Roasting of Eels, or Pitchcotting them, I had from the Crown at
_Basingstoke_ some Years ago; and that for Collaring of Eels, from Mr.
_John Hughs_, a celebrated Cook in _London_. But I shall first observe,
that the Silver Eel is counted the best; and that all such as lie and feed
in clear Streams, may be used without purging them, as I have directed
above; but all Pond Eels must be put into clear Waters for a Week, at
least, before they are used, if you would have them in perfection. And now
to the Receipts.
To Roast or Broil an Eel, from the _Crown_ at _Basingstoke, An. 1718._
Take a large Eel, rub the Skin well with Salt, then gut it and wash it
well; cut off the Head and skin it, laying by the Skin in Water and Salt;
then lay your Eel in a clean Dish, and pour out about a Pint of Vinegar
upon it, letting it remain in the Vinegar near an hour; then withdraw your
Eel from the Vinegar, and make several Incisions at proper distances in the
Flesh of the Back and Sides, which Spaces must be fill'd with the following
Mixture:
Take grated Bread, the Yolks of two or three hard Eggs, one Anchovy minced
small, some Sweet-Marjoram dry'd and pouder'd; or for want of that, some
Green Marjoram shred small: to this add Pepper, Salt, a little Pouder of
Cloves, or _Jamaica_ Pepper, and a little fresh Butter, to be beat all
together in a Stone Mortar, till it becomes like a Paste; with which
Mixture fill all the Incisions that you cut in the Eel, and draw the Skin
over it: then tie the end of the Skin next the Head, and prick it with a
Fork in several Places; then tie it to a Spit to roast, or lay it upon a
Grid-iron to broil, without basting. The Sauce for this is Butter, Anchovy,
a little Pepper, and Lemon-juice.
To Pitchcot Eels.
Take a large Eel, clean well with Salt and Water both the Skin and the
Inside, then pull off the Skin, and prepare the following Mixture of Bread
grated, Sweet-herbs pouder'd, or minced small, such as Sweet-marjoram,
Sage, and some Pepper and Salt; then rub your Eel with Yolks of Eggs, and
after that, roll it in the Mixture, then draw the Skin over it, and cut
your Eel in several pieces about three Inches in length, dipping them again
in Yolks of Eggs, and after that, in the above Mixture: then lay them on
the Gridiron, and when they are enough, serve them to the Table, with the
Sauce prescribed for the roasted Eels, abovemention'd.
To Collar Eels, from Mr. _John Hughs,_ a famous Cook in _London._
Take a large Eel, and scour the Skin and the Inside very well with Salt,
cut off the Head, and split it down the Back, then lay it abroad upon your
Dresser, and season it well with Spice, Salt, and a good quantity of Red
Sage minced small: mix these well, and sprinkle the Mixture thick upon your
Eel, then roll it up, and tye it close in a thin Cloth at each end, and in
the middle; boil it then in a strong Pickle of Vinegar, Water, Salt, some
Spice, and a Bay-leaf or two; and when it is boiled enough, take out the
Eel, and let it stand till it is quite cold, and when the Pickle is cold
likewise, pour the Pickle into a glazed Earthen-Pan, and put your Eel into
it to keep for Use; this will remain good several Weeks, if it is kept
close cover'd. When the Eel is quite cold, take off the Cloth.
The Eel is also good in Pyes, fry'd and boil'd, which every one knows how
to prepare.
About the end of this Month, the Trout begins to come in Season; for before
this time, its Body is cover'd with little Insects, which is a
Demonstration of its being sick and unwholesome. The best way of eating
this Fish is to boil it, and serve it with Butter and an Anchovy for Sauce;
as is commonly practis'd about _Hungerford, Spenham-Land_, and other noted
Places for Trout.
If the Season is now mild, about the end of the Month the Sap in the
Birch-Tree will begin to be very fluent. And so in the Choice of Fish to be
seasonable, we must have regard to the Temper of the Air; for if the Air be
mild and gentle, sooner or later all parts of the Creation are govern'd by
it: but when I direct for this Month or another any thing to be done, I
suppose the Temper of the Air to be what it is for the generality; but the
Birch-Tree Sap we will suppose begins now to flow, and then we are to take
the opportunity of making Wine of it. The best Receipt I have met with for
making this Wine, is the following.
To make Birch-Wine. From Lady _W._
When the Sap of the Birch-Tree will run, cut a large Notch in the Bark of
the Trunk of the Tree, in such a place as one may conveniently place a
Vessel to receive the Sap; which Will flow at the Incision very
plentifully, without doing any harm to the Tree. If the Trees are pretty
large, you may expect about a Gallon of Liquor from each of them, which
must be order'd in the following manner. Take five Gallons of the Liquor,
to which put five Pounds of Powder-Sugar, and two Pounds of Raisins of the
Sun stoned; to this, put the Peel of one large Lemon, and about forty large
fresh Cloves: boil all these together, taking off the Scum carefully as it
rises; then pour it off into some Vessel to cool, and as soon as it is cool
enough to put Yeast to it, work it as you would do Ale for two days, and
then tunn it, taking care not to stop the Vessel till it has done Working,
and in a Month's time it will be ready to bottle. This is not only a very
Pleasant, but a very Wholesome Wine.
This Month is esteemed one of the principal Seasons for brewing of Malt
Liquors for long keeping; the Reason is, because the Air at this time of
the Year is temperate, and contributes to the good Working or Fermenting
the Drink, which chiefly promotes its Preservation and good Keeping: for
very cold Weather prevents the free Fermentation or Working of Liquors, as
well as very hot Weather; so that if we brew in very cold Weather, unless
we use some Means to warm the Cellar while new Drink is Working, it will
never clear itself as it ought to do; and the same Misfortune will it lie
under, if in very hot Weather the Cellar is not put in a temperate state,
the Consequence of which will be, that such Drink will be Muddy and Sour,
and, perhaps, never recover; or if it does, perhaps not under two or three
Years. Again, such Misfortunes are often owing to the badness of the
Cellars; for where they are dug in springy Ground, or are subject to Wet in
the Winter, then the Drink will chill, and grow flat and dead. But where
Cellars are of this sort, it is adviseable to make your great Brewings in
this Month rather than in _October_; for you may keep such Cellars
temperate in Summer, but cannot warm them in Winter, and so your Drink
brew'd in _March_ will have due time to settle and adjust itself before the
Cold can do it any great harm. It is adviseable likewise to build your
Cellars for keeping of Drink, after such a manner, that none of the
external Air may come into them; for the variation of the Air abroad, was
there free admission of it into the Cellars, would cause as many
Alterations in the Liquors, and so would keep them perpetually disturb'd
and unfit for drinking. I know some curious Gentlemen in these things, that
keep double Doors to their Cellars, on purpose that none of the outward Air
may get into them, and they have good reason to boast of their
Malt-Liquors. The meaning of the double Doors, is to keep one shut while
the other is open, that the outward Air may be excluded; such Cellars, if
they lie dry, as they ought to do, are said to be cool in Summer, and warm
in Winter, tho' in reality, they are constantly the same in point of
Temper: they seem indeed cool in hot Weather, but that is because we come
into them from an hotter abroad; and so they seem to us warm in Winter,
because we come out of a colder Air to them; so that they are only cold or
warm comparatively, as the Air we come out of is hotter or colder. This is
the Cafe, and a Cellar should be thus dispos'd if we expect to have good
Drink. As for the Brewing Part itself, I shall leave that to the Brewers in
the several Counties in _England_, who have most of them different Manners
even of Brewing honestly. What I shall chiefly touch upon, besides what I
shall speak of Cellaring, will relate to Water, Malt, Hops, and the keeping
Liquors.
The best Water, to speak in general, is River Water, such as is soft, and
has partook of the Air and Sun; for this easily insinuates itself into the
Malt, and extracts its Virtue; whereas the hard Waters astringe and bind
the Parts of the Malt, so that its Virtue is not freely communicated to the
Liquor. It is a Rule with a Friend of mine, that all Water which will mix
with Soap is fit for Brewing, and he will by no means allow of any other;
and I have more than once experienc'd, that where the same Quantity of Malt
has been used to a Barrel of River Water, and the same to a Barrel of
Spring Water, the River Water Brewing has excell'd the other in Strength
above five degrees in twelve Months, as I prov'd by a small Glass-Tube with
a Seal, and was much preferable to the Taste, I must observe too, that the
Malt was not only in Quantity the same for one Barrel as for another, but
was the same in Quality, having been all measur'd from the same Heap; so
also the Hops were the same both in Quality and Quantity, and the Time of
boiling, and both work'd in the same manner, and tunn'd and kept in the
same Cellar. Here it was plain that there was no difference but the Water,
and yet one Barrel was worth two of the other.
There is one thing which has long puzzled the best Brewers, which I shall
here endeavour to explain; and that is, where several Gentlemen in the same
Town have employ'd the same Brewer, have had the same Malt, the same Hops,
and the same Water too, and brew'd all in the same Month, and broach'd
their Drink at the same time; and yet one has had Beer which has been
extremely fine, strong, and well tasted, while the others have hardly had
any worth drinking. I conjecture there may be three Reasons for this
difference: One may be the different Weather which might happen at the
different Brewings in this Month, which might make an Alteration in the
Working of the Liquors: Or, secondly, that the Yeast or Barm might be of
different sorts, or in different states, wherewith these Liquors were
Work'd: And, thirdly, that the Cellars were not equally good: for I am very
sensible, the goodness of such Drink, as is brew'd for keeping, depends
upon the goodness of the Cellars where it is kept; for at a Gentleman's of
my Acquaintance, who for many Years has used the same Brewer, and the same
Method, his Beer is always of the same Taste, his Cellars, or Vaults, are
very dry, and have two or three Doors to them.
The _Dorchester_ Beer, which is esteem'd preferable to most of the
Malt-Liquor in _England,_ is for the most part brew'd of chalky Water,
which is almost every where in that County; and as the Soil is generally
Chalk there, I am of opinion, that the Cellars being dug in that dry Soil
contributes to the good keeping of their Drink, it being of a close
texture, and of a drying quality, so as to dissipate Damps; for damp
Cellars, we find by experience, are injurious to keeping Liquors, as well
as destructive to the Casks. The Malt of this Country is of a pale Colour;
and the best Drink of this County that I have met with to be sold, is at a
small House against the Church at _Blackwater,_ four Miles beyond
_Dorchester_, in the Road to _Bridport_, in _Dorsetshire_; they broach no
Beer till it is a Year old, and has had time to mellow. But there must be
such Cellars as I speak of, which inclose a temperate Air, to ripen Drink
in; the constant temperate Air digests and softens these Malt Liquors, so
that they drink smooth as Oil; but in the Cellars which are unequal, by
letting in Heats and Colds, the Drink is subject to grow stale and sharp:
For this reason it is, that Drink, which is brew'd for a long Voyage at
Sea, should be perfectly ripe and fine before it is exported, for when it
has had sufficient time to digest in the Cask, and is rack'd from the
Bottom or Lee, it will bear carriage without injury. It is farther to be
noted, that in proportion to the quantity of Liquor, which is enclosed in
one Cask, so will it be a longer or a shorter time in ripening. A Vessel
which will contain two Hogsheads of Beer, will require twice as much time
to perfect itself as one of a Hogshead; and from my experience I find there
should be no Vessel used for strong Beer, which we design to keep, less
than a Hogshead: for one of that quantity, if it be fit to draw in a Year,
has Body enough to support it two, or three, or four Years, if it has
strength of Malt and Hops in it, as the _Dorseshire_ Beer has; and this
will bear the Sea very well, as we find every day.
There is one thing more to be consider'd in the preservation of Beer; and
that is, when once the Vessel is broach'd, we ought to have regard to the
time in which it will be expended: for if there happens to be a quick
Draught for it, then it will last good to the very bottom; but if there is
likely to be a slow draught, then do not draw off quite half, before you
bottle it, or else your Beer will grow flat, dead, or sour. This is
observed very much among the Curious.
One great piece of Oeconomy is the good management of Small Beer; for if
that is not good, the Drinkers of it will be feeble in Summer-time, and
incapable of strong Work, and will be very subject to Distempers; and
besides, when Drink is not good, a great deal will be thrown away. The use
of Drink, as well as Meat, is to nourish the Body; and the more Labour
there is upon any one, the more substantial should be the Dyet. In the time
of Harvest I have often seen the bad Effects of bad Small Beer among the
Workmen; and in great Families, where that Article has not been taken care
of, the Apothecaries Bills have amounted to twice as much more as the Malt
would have come to, that would have kept the Servants in strength and good
health; besides one thing more, which I observed above, good wholesome
Drink is seldom flung away by Servants, so that the sparing of a little
Malt ends in loss to the Master. Where there is good Cellaring, therefore,
it is adviseable to brew a flock of Small Beer, either in this Month or
_October_, or in both Months, and to be kept in Hogsheads, if possible: The
Beer brew'd in _March_ to begin drawing in _October_, and that brew'd in
_October_ to begin in _March_, for Summer drinking; having this regard to
the quantity, that a Family of the same number of working Persons, will
drink a third more in Summer than in Winter,
If Water happens to be of a hard nature, it may be softened by setting it
exposed to the Air and Sun, and putting into it some Pieces of soft Chalk
to infuse; or else when the Water is set on to boil, for pouring upon the
Malt, put into it a quantity of Bran, which will help a little to soften
it.
I shall now mention two or three Particulars relating to Malt, which may
help those who are unacquainted with brewing: In the first place, the
general Distinctions, between one Malt and another, is only that one is
high dried, the other low dried; that which we call high dried, will, by
brewing, produce a Liquor of a brown, deep Colour; and the other, which is
the low dried, will give us a Liquor of a pale Colour. The first is dried
in such a manner, as may be said rather to be scorch'd than dried, and will
promote the Gravel and Stone, and is much less nourishing than the low
dried, or pale Malt, as they call it; for all Corn in the most simple way
is the most feeding to the Body. I have experienc'd too, that the brown
Malt, even tho' it be well brewed, will sooner turn sharp than the pale
Malt, if that be fairly brewed. I am told, that a Gentleman in
_Northamptonshire_ has dried Malt upon the Leads of a House, and has made
very good Drink of it: And the Method of drying Malt by hot Air, which was
once proposed to the Publick, will do very well for a small quantity, but
'tis much too tedious to be ever rendered profitable; however, any means
that can be used to dry Malt without parching of it, will certainly
contribute to the goodness of the Malt. At the _Greyhound_ at _Marlborough_
I have drank of the palest-colour'd Ale I ever saw, and the best tasted,
and the strongest that I have met with. In that place they dry their Malt
very tenderly, and brew with chalky Water, and their Cellars are dug in
Chalk: So at the _Crown_ at _Hockrell_ near _Bishop-Starford_ in
_Hertfordshire_, is excellent Beer of a pale Colour, strong, and well
tasted; there the Malt is tenderly dried and the Soil chalky: likewise at
_Nottingham_ and _Derby_ they brew with pale Malt, chalky Water, and their
Cellars are dug in Chalk.
These Places are noted for the Goodness of their Ale all over _England_,
insomuch that it has been computed, that there has been above two Hundred
Thousand Pounds worth of Ale sold in and about _London,_ under the
Denomination of _Nottingham, Derby, Dorchester,_ _&c._ in one Year's time:
but it is not in _London_ that we must expect to taste these Liquors in
perfection; for it is rare to find any of them there without being
adulterated, or else such Liquors are sold for them as are unskilful
Imitations of them; and I may add, are unwholesome into the bargain. While
I am writing this, a Gentleman of good Judgment in this Affair informs me,
that the Brown Malt he finds makes the best Drink, when it is brew'd with a
coarse River Water, such as that of the River _Thames_ about _London_; and
that likewise being brew'd with such Water, it makes very good Ale: but
that it will not keep above six Months, without turning stale, and a little
sharp, even tho' he allows fourteen Bushels to the Hogshead. He adds, that
he has try'd the high-dry'd Malt to brew Beer with for keeping, and hopp'd
it accordingly; and yet he could never brew it so as to drink soft and
mellow, like that brew'd with Pale Malt. There is an acid Quality in the
high-dry'd Malt, which occasions that Distemper commonly called the
Heart-burn, in those that drink of the Ale or Beer made of it. When I
mention Malt, in what I have already said above, I mean only Malt made of
Barley; for Wheat-malt, Pea-malt, or these mix'd with Barley-malt, tho'
they produce a high-colour'd Liquor, will keep many Years, and drink soft
and smooth; but then they have the Mum-Flavour. I have known some People,
who used brewing with high dry'd Barley-malt, to put a Bag, containing
about three Pints of Wheat, into every Hogshead of Drink, and that has
fined it, and made it to drink mellow: others I have seen put about three
Pints of Wheat-malt into a Hogshead, which has produced the same Effect.
But all Malt-Liquors, however they may be well-brew'd, may be spoiled by
bad Cellaring, and be now and then subject to ferment in the Cask, and
consequently turn thick and sour. The best way to help this, and bring the
Drink to it self is to open the Bung of the Cask for two or three Days, and
if that does not stop the Fermentation, then put about two or three Pounds
of Oyster-shells wash'd and dry'd well in an Oven, and then beaten to fine
Pouder, and stirring it a little, it will presently settle the Drink, make
it fine, and take off the sharp Taste of it; and as soon as that is done,
draw it off into another Vessel, and put a small Bag of Wheat or Wheat-malt
into it, as above directed, or in proportion, as the Vessel is larger or
smaller.
Sometimes such Fermentations will happen in Drink, by change of Weather, if
it is in a bad Cellar, and it will in a few Months fall fine of it self,
and grow mellow.
It is remarkable, that high-dry'd Malt should not be used in Brewing till
it has been ground ten Days, or a Fortnight, it yields much stronger Drink
than the same quantity of Malt fresh ground; but if you design to keep Malt
some time ground before you use it, you must take care to keep it very dry,
and the Air at that time should likewise be dry. And as for Pale Malt,
which has not partaken so much of the Fire, it must not remain ground above
a Week before you use it.
As for Hops, the newest are much the best, tho' they will remain very good
two Years; but after that, they begin to decay, and lose their good Flavour
unless great Quantities have been kept together; for in that case they Will
keep much longer good than in small Quantities. These, for their better
preservation, should be kept in a very dry Place, tho' the Dealers in them
rather chuse such Places as are moderately between moist and dry, that they
may not lose of their Weight. I cannot help taking notice here of a Method
which was used to some stale and decay'd Hops the last Year 1725, to make
them recover their Bitterness; which was to unbag them, and sprinkle them
with Aloes and Water, which, together with the badness of the Malt of the
same Year's growth, spoil'd great quantities of Drink about _London_; for
even where the Water, the Malt, and the Brewer, and Cellars are good, a bad
Hop will spoil all: So that every one of these Particulars should be
well-chosen before the Brewing is set about, or else we must expect but a
bad Account of our Labour. And so likewise the Yeast or Barm that you work
your Drink with, must be well consider'd, or a good Brewing may be spoil'd
by that alone; and be sure that be always provided before you begin
Brewing, for your Wort will not stay for it.
In some remote Places from Towns it is practised to dip Whisks into Yeast,
and beat it well, and so hang up the Whisks with the Yeast in them to dry;
and if there is no Brewing till two Months afterwards, the beating and
stirring one of these Whisks in New Wort, will raise a Working or
Fermentation in it. It is a Rule that all Drink should be work'd well in
the Tun, or Keel, before it be put in the Vessel, for else it will not
easily grow fine. Some follow the Rule of beating down the Yeast pretty
often while it is in the Tun, and keep it there working for two or three
Days, observing to put it in the Vessel just when the Yeast begins to fall.
This Drink is commonly very fine; whereas that, which is put into the
Vessel quickly after 'tis brew'd, will not be fine in many Months.
We may yet observe, that with relation to the Season for brewing of Drink
for keeping, if the Cellars are subject to the Heat of the Sun, or warm
Summer Air, it is best to brew in _October_, that the Drink may have time
to digest before the warm Season comes on: And if Cellars are inclinable to
Damps, and to receive Water, the best time is to brew in _March_, and I
know some experienced Brewers, who always chuse the brewing of Pale Malt in
_March_, and the Brown in _October_; for they guess that the Pale Malt,
being made with a lesser degree of Fire than the other, wants the Summer
Season to ripen in; and so on the contrary, the Brown having had a larger
share of the Fire to dry it, is more capable of defending itself against
the Cold of the Winter-Season. But how far these Reasons may be just, I
shall not pretend to determine; but in such a Work as this, nothing should
be omitted that may contribute to give the least Hint towards meliorating
so valuable a Manufacture; the Artists in the Brewing Way are at liberty to
judge as they please.
But when we have been careful in all the above Particulars, if the Casks
are not in good order, still the Brewing may be spoil'd. New Casks are apt
to give Drink an ill Taste, if they are not well scalded and season'd
several days successively, before they are put in use; and for old Casks,
if they stand any time out of use, they are apt to grow musty: unslack'd
Lime, about a Gallon to a Hogshead, with about six Gallons of Water put in
with it, and the Hogshead presently stopp'd up, will clear it of its Taint,
if the same be repeated four or five times; or burning of Linnen dipp'd in
Brimstone, to be close stopped in a Cask, three or four times repeated,
will do the same: or else put Water in your Vessels, and throw in some
burning Coals, and stop them close, will do the like, if it be often
repeated.
I have now but little more to say about the Management of Drink, and that
is concerning the Bottling of it. The Bottles first must be well clean'd
and dry'd; for wet Bottles will make the Drink turn mouldy, or motherry, as
they call it; and by wet Bottles, many Vessels of good Drink are spoiled:
but if the Bottles are clean and dry, yet if the Corks are not new and
found, the Drink is still liable to be damaged; for if the Air can get into
the Bottles, the Drink will grow flat, and will never rise. I have known
many who have flatter'd themselves that they knew how to be saving, and
have used old Corks on this occasion, that have spoiled as much Liquor as
has stood them in four or five Pounds, only for want of laying out three or
four Shillings. If Bottles are cork'd as they should be, it is hard to pull
out the Corks without a Screw, and to be sure to draw the Cork without
breaking, the Screw ought to go through the Cork, and then the Air must
necessarily find a Passage where the Screw has pass'd, and therefore the
Cork is good for nothing; or if a Cork has once been in a Bottle, and has
been drawn without a Screw, yet that Cork will turn musty as soon as it is
exposed to the Air, and will communicate its ill Flavour to the Bottle
where it is next put, and spoil the Drink that way.
In the choice of Corks, chuse those that are soft, and clear from Specks,
and lay them in Water a day or two before you use them; but let them dry
again before you put them in the Bottles, lest they should happen to turn
mouldy: with this care you may make good Drink, and preserve it to answer
your expectation.
In the bottling of Drink, you may also observe, that the top and middle of
the Hogshead is the strongest, and will sooner rise in the Bottles than the
bottom: And when once you begin to bottle a Vessel of any Liquor, be sure
not to leave it till all is complcated, for else you will have some of one
Taste, and some of another.
If you find that a Vessel of Drink begins to grow flat, whilst it is in
common draught, bottle it, and into every Bottle put a piece of Loaf-Sugar,
about the quantity of a Walnut, which will make the Drink rise and come to
itself: and to forward its ripening, you may set some Bottles in Hay in a
warm Place; but Straw will not assist its ripening.
Where there are not good Cellars, I have known Holes sunk in the Ground,
and large Oil Jars put into them, and the Earth filled close about the
sides: One of these Jars may hold about a dozen quart Bottles, and will
keep the Drink very well; but the tops of the Jars must be kept close
cover'd up. And in Winter time, when the Weather is frosty, shut up all the
Lights or Windows into such Cellars, and cover them close with fresh
Horse-Dung, or Horse-Litter; but 'tis much better to have no Lights or
Windows at all to any Cellar, for the reasons I have given above.
If there has been opportunity of brewing a good stock of Small Beer in
_March_ and _October_, some of it may be bottled at six Months end, putting
into every Bottle a lump of Loaf-Sugar as big as a Walnut; this especially
will be very refreshing Drink in the Summer: Or if you happen to brew in
Summer, and are desirous of brisk Small Beer, bottle it, as above, as soon
as it has done working.
* * * * *
APRIL.
From the beginning of this Month the Perch is in great Perfection, and
holds good till Winter. One of the ways of dressing this Fish, according to
the _Hollanders_, and which is much admired by Travellers, is after the
following manner, and is called _Water-Soochy_.
To make a Water-Soochy.
Take Perch about five Inches long, scale and clean them well; then lay them
in a Dish, and pour Vinegar upon them, and let them lie an Hour in it;
after which put them into a Skillet with Water and Salt, some Parsley
Leaves and Parsley-Roots well wash'd and scraped: let these boil over a
quick Fire till they are enough, and then pour the Fish, Roots, and Water
into a Soop-Dish, and serve them up hot with a Garnish about the Dish of
Lemon, sliced. These Fish and Roots are commonly eaten with Bread and
Butter in _Holland_, or there may be melted Butter in a little Bason for
those who chuse it. It is to be noted, that the Parsley-Roots must be taken
before they run to Seed; and if they happen to be very large, they should
be boiled by themselves, for they will require more boiling than the Fish,
This I had from Mr. _Rozelli_ at the _Hague_.
The following Receipt for dressing of Perch, I had likewise from the same
Person, and is an excellent Dish.
To prepare Perch with Mushrooms.
Pick, and clean, and cut your Mushrooms into small pieces, and put them in
a Saucepan to stew tender without any Liquor, but what will come from them;
then pour off their Liquor, and put a little Cream to them; having ready at
the same time a Brace of large Perch well scaled, wash'd, and cut in
Fillets or thick Slices, and parboil'd: Put your Perch thus prepared to
your Mushrooms, and with them the Yolks of three Eggs beaten, some Parsley
boil'd and cut small, some Nutmeg grated, a little Salt, and a little
Lemon-Juice: keep all these stirring gently over a slow Fire, taking care
not to break your Fish; and when they are enough, garnish them with Slices
of Lemon and pickled Barberries.
The following general Sauce I had from the same Person; it is always ready
to be used with every kind of Flesh, Fowl, or Fish that require rich
Sauces, and will keep good twelve Months.
A Travelling Sauce.
Take two Quarts of Claret, a quarter of a Pint of Vinegar, and as much
Verjuice; put these together in a new Stone-Jar that will admit of being
stopp'd close: Put to this a quarter of a Pound of Salt that has been well
dry'd over the Fire, an Ounce of Black-Pepper, a Drachm of Nutmeg beaten
fine, and as much Cloves, a Scruple of Ginger, two or three little Bits of
dry'd Orange-Peel, half an Ounce of Mustard-Seed bruised, half a dozen
Shallots bruised a little, five or six Bay-Leaves, a little Sprig of Sweet
Basil, or Sweet Marjoram, a Sprig of Thyme, and a little Cinnamon; then
stop your Jar close, and let the Mixture infuse for twenty-four Hours upon
hot Embers: when this is done, strain your Composition through a Linnen
Cloth, till you have express'd as much Liquor as possible, and put it in a
dry Stone Bottle or Jar, and stop it close as soon as 'tis cold. You must
keep this in a dry Place, and it will remain good twelve Months. This is a
good Companion for Travellers, who more frequently find good Meat than good
Cooks. My Author adds, that those who are Admirers of the Taste of Garlick,
may add it to this Sauce, or diminish, or leave cut any particular
Ingredient that they do not approve of. It may also be made of Water only,
or of Verjuice, or of Wine, or of Orange or Lemon-Juice; but if it is made
of Water, it will keep but a Month good: if it be made of Verjuice, it will
last good three Months; if we make it of Vinegar, it will last a Year; or
of Wine, it will last as long. Use a little of this at a time, stirring it
well when you use it.
In this Month I likewise judge it will be a good Season to make the
following curious Preparation for the use of Gentlemen that travel; the use
of which I esteem to be of extraordinary Service to such as travel in wild
and open Countries, where few or no Provisions are to be met with; and it
will be of no less Benefit to such Families as have not immediate Recourse
to Markets, for the Readiness of it for making of Soups, or its Use where
Gravey is required: and particularly to those that travel, the lightness of
its Carriage, the small room it takes up, and the easy way of putting it in
use, renders it extremely serviceable. This is what one may call Veal-Glue.
To make Veal-Glue, or Cake-Soup, to be carried in the Pocket.
Take a Leg of Veal, strip it of the Skin and the Fat, then take all the
Muscular or Fleshy Parts from the Bones; boil this Flesh gently in such a
quantity of Water, and so long a time, till the Liquor will make a strong
Jelly when 'tis cold: this you may try by taking out a small Spoonful now
and then, and letting it cool. Here it is to be supposed, that tho' it will
jelly presently in small quantities, yet all the juice of the Meat may not
be extracted, however, when you find it very strong, strain the Liquor
thro' a Sieve, and let it settle; then provide a large Stew-pan with Water,
and some China-Cups, or glazed Earthen-Ware; fill these Cups with the Jelly
taken clear from the Settling, and set them in the Stew-pan of Water, and
let the Water boil gently till the Jelly becomes thick as Glue: after
which, let them stand to cool, and then turn out the Glue upon a piece of
new Flannel, which will draw out the Moisture; turn them in six or eight
Hours, and put them upon a fresh Flannel, and so continue to do till they
are quite dry, and keep it in a dry warm Place: this will harden so much,
that it will be stiff and hard as Glue in a little time, and may be carry'd
in the Pocket without Inconvenience. We are to use this by boiling about a
Pint of Water, and pouring it upon a piece of the Glue or Cake, of the
bigness of a small Walnut, and stirring it with a Spoon till the Cake
dissolves, which will make very strong good Broth. As for the Seasoning
Part, every one may add Pepper and Salt as they please, for there must be
nothing of that kind put among the Veal when we make the Glue, for any
thing of that sort would make it mouldy. Some of this sort of Cake-Gravey
has lately been sold, as I am inform'd, at some of the Taverns near
_Temple-Bar_, where, I suppose, it may now be had. As I have observ'd
above, that there is nothing of Seasoning in this Soup, so there may be
always added what we desire, either of Spices or Herbs, to make it savoury
to the Palate; but it must be noted, that all the Herbs that are used on
this occasion, must be boiled tender in plain Water, and that Water must be
used to pour upon the Cake Gravey instead of simple Water: so may a Dish of
good Soup be made without trouble, only allowing the Proportion of
Cake-Gravey answering to the abovesaid Direction. Or if Gravey be wanted
for Sauce, double the Quantity may be used that is prescribed for Broth or
Soup. I am inform'd by a Person of Honour, that upon this Foundation, there
has been made a Cake-Gravey of Beef, which for high Sauces and strong
Stomachs, is still of good use; and therefore I shall here give the Method
of it.
To make Cake-Soup of Beef, &c.
Take a Leg, or what they call in some Places a Shin of Beef, prepare it as
prescribed above for the Leg of Veal, and use the muscular Parts only, as
directed in the foregoing Receipt; do every thing as abovemention'd, and
you will have a Beef-Glue, which, for Sauces, may be more desirable in a
Country-House, as Beef is of the strongest nature of any Flesh. Some
prescribe to add to the Flesh of the Leg of Beef, the Flesh of two old
Hares, and of old Cocks to strengthen it the more; this may be done at
pleasure, but the Foundation of all these Cake Graveys or Glues is the
first. These indeed are good for Soups and Sauces, and may be enrich'd by
Cellary, Cherville, beat Chards, Leeks, or other Soup-Herbs. A little of
this is also good to put into Sauces, either of Flesh, Fish, or Fowl, and
will make a fine mixture with the Travelling Sauce. So that whenever there
is mentioned the Use of Gravey in any of the Receipts contained in this
Treatise, this may be used on Feast-days, and the Mushroom Gravey, or
Travelling Sauce on Fast-days.
This is also a time of the Year when potted Meats begin to come in fashion;
to do which, the following Receipt may be an Example.
To pot a Leg of Beef to imitate potted Venison, from Col. _Bradbury_ of
_Wicken-Hall._
Provide a Leg of Beef, and take off the Skin as whole as you can, then cut
off all the Flesh, and season it with Pepper, Salt, and Allspice; then
break the Bones and take out what Marrow you can to mix among your slices
of Beef, which must be put in a deep Earthen Pot; cover then the whole with
the Skin, and lay the Bones over that, covering all with Paper, and tying
it down close; after which, bake it with great Bread, and let it stand in
the Oven all Night. When this is done, take off the Bones and the Skin, and
clear it from the Liquor as well as you can, then put the Meat into a
Wooden Bowl, and beat it as small as possible with a Wooden Pestle, often
putting in some Butter, and some of the Fat of the Marrow, which will swim
upon the Gravey, but suffer none of the Gravey to go in with it: when this
is beat enough, while it is warm, butter the Bottom and Sides of the Pan
which you design to keep it in, and press down your Meat in it as hard as
possible; when that is done, cover it with melted Butter. If you would have
your Meat look red, rub it with a little Salt-peter before you season it.
By the same Method you may pot Venison, Mutton, or what Flesh else you
please, observing that 'tis only the fleshy or muscular Parts that are used
in that way; and that they must be season'd and baked till they are tender,
and then beat into a sort of Paste, with a little Butter added now and then
while the Meat is beating. Keep these Meats in a cool dry Place, and you
may preserve them good several Weeks. If you desire to pot a Hare, take the
following Receipt.
To Pot a Hare, from the same.
Take a Hare and bone it, then mince the Flesh very small, with a Pound of
the Fat of Bacon; after which, beat these in a Mortar, and then season your
Meat with Pepper, Salt, Cloves and Mace, adding to it an Ounce of Salt
peter: mix all these well, and let the Meat lie twenty-four Hours, then put
it in an earthen glazed Pot, and bake it three Hours; after which, take it
out, and dry it from the Gravey, then return it to the Pot again, and then
cover it with clarified Butter. This Receipt might have been put in some of
the former Months, as the Hare is then in season; but as it depends upon
the foregoing Receipt, I thought convenient to insert it in this Place:
however, a Jack-Hare may now be dress'd in this fashion, but the Doe-Hares
are now either with Young or have Young ones, so that they are out of
Season. These Potted Meats are useful in Housekeeping, being always ready
for the Table: So likewise the following Receipt for Collar'd Beef is of
the same service.
To Collar Beef.
Get the Rand or Flank of Beef cut about a foot in length; bone it, and then
mix two Ounces of Salt peter, with a good handful of common Salt: after
which, carbonade the outward Skin of the Beef, and rub the whole well with
the Salts, letting it lie for twenty-four hours in Salt before you collar
it; but observing to turn it twice a day, at least, whilst it is in Salt.
When it has lain thus to season, get some Sweet-Marjoram, a little
Winter-Savoury, some Red Sage-leaves, and a little Thyme, and shred them
small; among which put an Ounce of Pepper ground small, half an Ounce of
Cloves and Mace beat, and a Handful of Salt; mix these together, and stew
the mixture thick over the inside of your Meat, that when it is roll'd up,
it may be equally bound in with the Turnings of the Beef: then provide some
thin Slices of the same Beef to lay before the first Turn, that the Collar
may not be hollow in the middle. This must be roll'd as hard as possible,
so that every Part is equally press'd to each other; then get some Tape
about an Inch wide, and bind it hard about your Collar of Beef, in a
Screw-like manner, till you have closed your Collar from top to bottom as
tight as can be; observing to bind the top and bottom in an extraordinary
manner with strong Packthread. Put this in a glazed earthen Pan, with as
much Claret as will cover it, putting over the whole some coarse Paste, and
send it to the Oven to stand five or six Hours. When it is baked enough,
take out your Collar, and set it upright till it be cold, and then take off
the Fillets, or the Tape that braced it together, and keep it for use. This
is cut in thin Slices, and eaten with Vinegar, as are most of the Collar'd
meats and Potted meats. This Example is enough for any one either to Collar
other Meats by, only observing that such Flesh as is tender, as Pig and a
Breast of Veal, must not be salted before they are collar'd, and the Spice
or Herbs to be roll'd up with them, may be at discretion; but for the
boiling or baking, the Time must be in proportion to their Size, or natural
Tenderness. It must nevertheless be observed, that they must be baked or
boiled till all the Gravey is out of them; for the Gravey being in them,
will contribute to their spoiling by growing musty, or otherways foetid.
We have now Flounders in good Perfection, and besides the common Way of
Dressing them, either by boiling them, as mention'd in the former Months,
they are also sometimes fried, and sometimes broil'd; but the following is
after such a manner, as is extremely agreeable, and will preserve them good
a long time. These, or other Fish fry'd, are kept after the same manner:
the Receipt I had from a worthy Gentleman, where I eat some in great
Perfection.
Pickled Fish. From _Aaron Harrington,_ Esq.
Let the Fish be fry'd after the common manner, and when they are cold lay
them in a Dish, and pour on the following Pickle: Water and Vinegar equal
quantities, _Jamaica_ Pepper, Pepper and Salt, a little Mace, a few
Bay-leaves, and some White-wine: when these have boiled together, pour the
Pickle on the Fish while it is not too hot; these eat extremely well.
Trouts are now in good perfection in the South parts of our Country; that
is, where the Weather has been favourable in the former Month; and then
besides the common way of boiling them we may have them potted, which will
make them as valuable as potted Charrs, which are a sort of Trout.
To pott Trouts. From Mrs. _R. S._ of _Preston_ in _Lancashire._
Scale and clean your Trouts very well, wash them in Vinegar, and slit them
down the Back, after which put Pepper and Salt into the Incision, and on
their Outsides, and let them lie upon a Dish three Hours; then lay them in
an earthen glaz'd Pan, with pieces of Butter upon them, and put them in an
Oven two Hours, if they are Trouts fourteen Inches long, or less in
proportion, taking care to tie some Paper close over the Pan. When this is
done, take away from them all the Liquor, and put them in a Pot, and as
soon as they are quite cold, pour some clarified Butter upon them to cover
them: These will eat as well as potted Charrs. Some will take out the Bone
upon slitting the Back, and these have been often taken for Charrs; tho' I
don't know above two Places where the Charrs are, one is a Pool where a
River or Brook runs thro' in _Lancashire,_ and the other is in a Pool at
_Naant,_ within four Miles of _Caernarvon._ But the Charr is of the Trout
kind, and it must be a good judge in Fish to distinguish one from another;
however, there is some small difference, which the Criticks in fishing take
notice of.
Fish may also be kept in Pickle several Weeks, as the Jack and Trout
especially are agreeable Varieties.
This time is a proper Season for making a pleasant and strong Wine of
_Malaga_ Raisins, which will keep good many Years, and among the best
Judges of Wine is much admired; it is not unlike a strong Mountain Wine: at
this time also the Raisins are very cheap.
To make Raisin Wine.
Take half a hundred weight of _Malaga_ Raisins, pick them clean from the
Stalks, and chop the Raisins small, then put them into a large Tub, and
boil ten Gallons of River Water, or such Water as is soft, and pour it hot
upon them; let this be stirr'd twice or thrice every Day for twelve Days
successively, and then pour the Liquor into a Cask and make a Toast of
Bread, and while it is hot, spread it on both sides with Yeast or Barm, and
put it into the Vessel to the Wine, and it will make it ferment gently,
which you may know by its making a hissing Noise; during the time of
working, the Bung of the Vessel must be left open, and as soon as that is
over, stop it up close. This will be fine and fit for Drinking in about
four Months time; but if you make twice the quantity, it should stand five
or six Months before you broach it: Observe that you set it in a good
Cellar, such as I have mentioned in the Month of _March_, under the Article
of Brewing.
To make Fronteniac Wine.
The foregoing Receipt must be followed in every particular, only when you
put it into the Vessel, add to it some of the Syrup of the white Fronteniac
Grape, which we may make in _England_, tho' the Season is not favourable
enough to ripen that sort of Grape; for in a bad Year, when the white
Fronteniac, or the Muscadella Grapes are hard and unripe, and without
Flavour, yet if you bake them they will take the rich Flavour, which a good
share of Sun would have given them. You may either bake the Fronteniac
Grapes with Sugar, or boil them to make a Syrup of their Juice, about a
Quart of which Syrup will be enough to put to five Quarts of the Raisin
Wine. When these have work'd together, and stood a time, as directed in the
foregoing Receipt, you will have a Fronteniac Wine of as rich a Flavour as
the _French_ sort, besides the Pleasure of knowing that all the Ingredients
are wholesome.
This Month is the principal time for Asparagus, which every one knows how
to prepare in the common way; but there are some particulars relating to
the fitting them for the Table, which I had from a curious Gentleman at
_Antwerp,_ which I shall here set down.
To preserve Asparagus.
Cut away all the hard part of your Asparagus, and just boil them up with
Butter and Salt, then fling them into cold Water, and presently take them
out again and let them drain; when they are cold, put them in a Gallipot,
large enough for them to lie without bending, putting to them some whole
Cloves; some Salt, and as much Vinegar and Water, in equal quantities, as
will cover them half an Inch; then take a single Linnen Cloth, and let it
into the Pot upon the Water, and pour melted Butter over it, and keep them
in a temperate Place: When you use them, lay them to steep in warm Water,
and dress them as you would do fresh Asparagus. It is to be noted, that in
_Holland,_ and most places abroad, the Asparagus is always white, which is
done according to a method that I have inserted in my other Works; the
method of bringing them to Table the foreign way, is to serve them with
melted Butter, Salt, Vinegar, and Nutmeg grated.
The Tops or Heads of Asparagus being broken in small pieces and boil'd, are
used in Soups like green Pease.
Asparagus in Cream. From the same.
Break the Tops of your Asparagus in small Pieces, then blanch them a little
in boiling Water, or parboil them, after which put them in a Stew-Pan or
Frying-Pan with Butter or Hog's-Lard, and let them remain a little while
over a brisk Fire, taking care that they are not too greasy, but well
drain'd; then put them in a clean Stew-Pan with some Milk and Cream, a
gentle Seasoning of Salt and Spice, with a small Bunch of sweet Herbs; and
just when they are enough, add to them the Yolks of two or three Eggs
beaten, with a little Cream to bind your Sauce.
The Greens, which are now fit for boiling, are Sprouts of Cabbages, and
young Cabbage-Plants, which every one knows how to prepare. There is also
Spinage, which is best stew'd without any Water, its own Juice being
sufficient; and we have still plenty of Lupines, that is, the flowring
Stalks of Turnips, which eat very agreeably; they should be gather'd about
the length of Asparagus, when the Tops are knotted for flowering, and the
strings in the outside of the Stalks stripp'd from them; then tie them in
Bunches, as you do Asparagus, and put them in boiling Water with some Salt,
and let them boil three or four Minutes, then lay them to drain, without
pressing, and serve them to Table as you would do Asparagus. The same way
is used in the management of Brocoli.
The middle of this Month the Cowslip is in Flower, or as some call it the
Peigle; and now is the Season to make a most pleasant Wine of the Flowers.
This Receipt is the best I have met with.
To make Peigle, or Cowslip Wine, From Mrs. _E. B._
To three Gallons of Wine, put six Pounds of fine Sugar, boil these together
half an hour, and as the Scum rises, take it off; then set the Liquor to
cool, and when it is quite cold, take a Spoonful of the best Ale-Yeast, and
beat it well with three Ounces of Syrup of Citron, or Syrup of Lemon; mix
these very well together with the Liquor; and then put into it a Pound and
three quarters of the yellow part of the Cowflip, or Peigle Flowers, which
must be cut from the Stalks a little beforehand, but no other part must be
used: let these infuse and work three days in an Earthen Vessel, cover'd
with a Cloth; then strain them, and put your Liquor into a clean dry Cask,
and let it stand to settle three Weeks or a Month before you bottle it.
* * * * *
MAY.
As this is the busy Month in the Dairy, I shall here insert the Remarks I
have by me concerning the making of Cheeses; and in this Work it is first
necessary to know how to manage the Rennet. The Rennet is made of the
Calves Bag, which is taken as soon as the Calf is kill'd, and scour'd
inside and outside with Salt, after having first discharg'd it of the Curd,
which is always found in it; this Curd must likewise be well wash'd in a
Cullender with Water, and the Hairs pick'd out of it till it becomes very
white, then return the Curd again into the Bag, and add to it two good
Handfuls of Salt, and shut the Mouth of the Bag close with a Skewer, then
lay the Bag in an Earthen-Pan, and cover it close, and keep it in a dry
place; this will remain fit for use twelve Months. When you would use it,
boil a Quart of Water, after you have salted it, so as to bear an Egg, and
letting it stand to be quite cold, pour it into the Bag, and prick the Bag
full of very small Holes, and lay it in a clean Pan for use. While this
Rennet is fresh, a Spoonful of the Liquor will turn or set about sixteen or
twenty Gallons of Milk; but as it is longer kept, it grows weaker, and must
be used in greater quantity: this Rennet will last good about a Month. This
is the _Essex_ and _Hertfordshire_ way.
Another way of preparing of Rennet Bags, is to take the Calves Bag, and
wash and scour it with Salt, and the Curd likewise, as directed above; and
then salting it very well, hang it up in the Corner of a Kitchen Chimney,
and dry it; and as soon as you want to use it, boil Water and Salt, as
before, and fill the Bag with it, making small Holes in the Bag, as before
directed, and keeping it in a clean Pan.
It is to be noted, that the Bag of the Calf, which is the part that
receives the Milk, is so disposed, as to change the Milk into Curd, as soon
as it is received into it; and the Curd, which is found in it, partaking of
that quality of the Bag, which disposes it to harden the Milk; these are
therefore to be preserv'd for the same use, when we employ common Milk to
be made into Curd: but as the Calves Bag is warm, when it naturally
receives the Milk from the Cow, and it then curdles in it; so, when we want
to set or turn Milk, for Cheese or other use, we must have the Milk warm as
one may guess the Body of the Calf was, and the Milk was likewise, when the
Calf receiv'd it from the Cow. There is great danger if the Milk be too hot
when the Rennet is put to it, for then it sets or turns to Curd very quick,
and the Cheese will be hard; but it is good to let the Milk be of such a
warmth as not to come too soon, as it is called in the Dairies, but to have
it of such a warmth, as to let the Curd set easily, and come moderately,
for the quicker the Curd comes, the harder it is, and the harder the Curd
is, the harder is the Cheese. Again, we must have some regard to the
Pasture where our Cows feed; those that feed in rank Grass have more watery
parts in their Milk than those Cows which feed on short Grass: and
sometimes, as I have observed before, in my other Works, the Cows feed upon
Crow Garlick, or the Alliaria, or Sauce alone, or Jack in the Hedge, or
Goose-grass, or Clivers, or Rennet Wort, and their Milk will either be ill
tasted, or else turn or curd of itself, altho' the Cow has had a due time
after Calving; and if the Goose-grass or Clivers happen to be the occasion
of the turning of the Milk, then a less quantity of Rennet should be used:
for the only use of Rennet is to fix the Milk, and turn it to Curd, and if
already there is near an equivalent for Rennet in the Milk, by the Cow's
eating such Herbs, then a little of it will do. But as I have observ'd
above, where Cattle feed upon long rank Grass, the Milk is watery, and does
not contain two thirds of the Cream, or Richness that there is in the same
quantity of Milk from Cows fed upon short fine Grass: So that if one was to
make Cheese, one would chuse the Milk of Cows that fed upon the purest fine
Grass. Here the Milk would be rich, and if the Rennet is good and well
proportion'd, the Cheese will be so too. It is to be observ'd likewise,
that when Cows feed upon such Weeds as I have mention'd, I mean the
Clivers, which turn their Milk, the Curd is always hard and scatter'd, and
never comes into a Body, as the pure Milk will do that is set with Rennet,
and consequently the Cheese will be hard. There is one thing likewise to be
taken notice of, with regard to the Rennet, that as the Bag, of which it is
made, happens to be good, so is the Rennet good in proportion. I mean the
Bag is good when the Milk of the Cow, that suckled the Calf, is good; for
the goodness of the Feed of the Cow does not only dispose the Body of the
Calf to produce a gentleness or softness in the Acid, which promotes the
curdling of the Milk, when it is received into the Body of the Calf, but
makes the Rennet more tender to the setting of the Cheese-Curd, and so the
Cheese will consequently be the better for it: And I judge that one reason
why the _Suffolk_ Cheese is so much noted for its hardness, is on account
of the badness of the Rennet, tho' it is certain, that the worst Cheeses of
that Country are made of Skim-Milk; however, the nature of the Milk is
such, according to my Observation, that it makes very rich Butter, but the
Cream rises on it so quickly, and so substantially, that it leaves no
fatness or richness in the other part, which we call the Skim-Milk, but
that remains little better than Water: so that 'tis no wonder in this case,
and thro' the rank Feed of the Cows, that the Cheeses of those parts are
not good. I think however the Cheese of _Suffolk_ might be help'd in a good
measure, if the Farmers there were to have their Rennet Bags from places
where the Grass was short and fine; for I guess then, from the above
reasoning, that the Curd would be of a more tender nature, or not of so
binding a quality as it now is, and the Cheese consequently would be the
better. But besides the goodness of the Milk and the Rennet, if a Cheese is
over press'd, it will be hard and unpleasant; but it is to be remark'd,
that all Cheeses that are hard press'd will keep longer than those that are
gently press'd, and bear transporting thro' the hottest Climates, which the
more tender-made Cheeses will not without corrupting, unless they are put
into Oil. There is one thing which I may observe particularly, relating to
the Rennet Bag; which is, that the Calf should suck it full about an hour
before it is kill'd, that there may be more and fresher Curd in it; tho' in
the killing of Calves it is a Rule to let the Calf fast some time before
killing, which we are told contributes to the Whiteness of the Flesh.
Again, it would be an advantage in the making of Cheese to have your Cattle
all of one sort, and to feed all upon the same sort of Pasture; for when it
happens to be otherwise, the Cheeses are apt to decay, from the different
Tempers of the Milk; but let our Milk be what it will, be careful of the
former Method prescribed, _i.e._ to break the Curd by gentle degrees, and
as equally as possible every where: the little pains extraordinary will be
paid in the goodness of the Cheese, for then it will not be full of Eyes or
Hollows, and will sell the better.
But besides the way of preparing the Rennet, as I have here set down, it is
practised to make an artificial Rennet, which will do very well for making
of Cheese; and that is, to boil the Cliver, or as some call it Goose-grass,
or others Rennet-Wort, in Water, and you may add some Tops of Sweet Bryar;
about a Spoonful of which Decoction, or boiled Liquor, will turn a
Pail-full of Milk, of about five Gallons, without any other help; but in
the Preparation of this, as well as the other, for the Improvement of the
Cheeses, in giving them rich Flavours, it is adviseable to insert, while we
are boiling the Waters for them, either some of such Sweet Herbs as we
like, or such Spices as we most covet the taste of. As for the famous
_Stilton_ Cheese, which I have already published the Receipt of, we are to
make the Rennet strong of Mace, by boiling the Mace in the Salt and Water,
for without that is done, the Cheese will not have the true Relish that the
first famous _Stilton_ Cheeses had; and without the People of _Stilton_
keep up the antient way of making it, agreeable to the old Receipt, they
must of necessity lose the Reputation they have gain'd by their Cheeses. I
shall not pretend to affirm why the Cheeses now in that Town are not
generally so good as they were formerly; but perhaps it is because some of
the Cheese-Sellers there depend upon the reputation of the first Cheeses,
and now buy Cheeses from other parts, where nothing of the true Receipt is
known but the Figure. However, it would be injustice in me if I did not
take notice, that the Master of the _Blue-Bell Inn_ in _Stilton_ provided
me with one that was excellent in its way, and yearly furnishes as many
Customers with them as give him timely Notice: But as these Cheeses require
time in the Dairy, before they are fit for eating, and the Season of making
them is in the Bloom of the Year, so it is necessary to speak for them
betimes, to have them to one's mind. I shall not give the Receipt of it at
this time, as it has already fallen into a good number of hands with my
former Pieces, and has been thought good enough to have been copied from
me, with many other Articles, and published by Mr. _Lawrence._ I shall
proceed therefore to give the Receipts for making of some other kinds of
Cheeses, which yet have not appear'd in the World, which I have collected
from some of the best Dairies in _England._ The following is the famous
_Buckingham_ Cheese, which I had from Mr. _Foord,_ a very curious Gentleman
of that place.
To make _Buckingham_ Cheese. From Mr. _Foord_ of that Place.
Prepare a Cheese Vat or Cheese Mote of a square Figure, six Inches over,
and nine Inches deep, full of small Holes for the convenience of letting
out the Whey when the Curd is put into it: Then take the Night's Cream, and
mix it with the Morning's Milk, and put the Rennet to it to cool. When the
Curd is come, take it gently from the Whey, and fill the Cheese Vat with
it, and lay a Board up on the Curd, and as that sinks, fill up the Cheese
Vat with fresh Curds; this should be done once every Hour till Night. The
next Day turn your Cheese upside down, and continue turning it every Night
and Morning till it shrinks from the Vat or Cheese Mote, and is stiff
enough to take out without breaking, and then lay it upon the Shelf to be
turn'd, and shift it Night and Morning till 'tis dry for use. This Mr.
_Foord_ tells me is the best sort of Cheese he has met with in _England._
The following I have experienced to be an extraordinary Cheese; in some
places 'tis call'd the Golden Cheese, and in others the Marygold Cheese,
which it is properly. The Juice of the Marygolds adds a very great richness
to the Milk, and contributes almost as much to it as Cream would do. The
following is the Receipt to make it.
To make Marygold Cheese.
Gather your Marygold Flowers in a dry Day, and pick the golden-colour'd
Leaves from them, (these we call the Petals of the Flowers:) As soon as you
have pick'd a sufficient quantity of these Leaves for your use, bruise them
in a Mortar, or grind them, if you have Conveniency, and strain out the
Juice; this Juice, when you put the Rennet to the Milk, must be put into
the Milk, and stirr'd into it. The Milk must then be set, and as soon as
the Curd is come, break it gently, and as equally as possible, and put it
into the Cheese Vat, and press it with a gentle Weight, letting the bottom
part of the Vat have such a number of Holes in it, as will let out the Whey
easily, or else a Spout to carry off the Whey; but the Holes are much
better than the Spout. This Cheese, which is made in a Cloth, must be used
like other Cheeses made after that manner.
As for the making of Sage-Cheese, the following is the best way that I have
met with, and therefore I think the Receipt may be useful to the Publick.
To make a plain Sage-Cheese.
Gather the young Tops of red Sage, and bruise them in a Mortar till you can
press the Juice from them; then take Leaves of Spinach or Spinage, and
bruise them likewise, and press out the Juice to mix with the Sage Juice;
for the Sage Juice of it self is not of a pleasant green Colour, and the
Spinach Juice is added to it to render it more bright to the Sight; it also
serves to take off the bitterness of the Sage. When this Juice is prepared,
put your Rennet to the Milk, and, at the same time, mix as much of your
Sage and Spinach Juice with it, as will give the Milk the green Colour you
desire. If you would have it strong of the Sage, you must have the greater
share of Sage Juice; or weaker of the Sage, the greater share of Spinach
Juice. When the Curd is come, break the Curd gently, and when it is all
equally broken, put it into the Vat or Cheese Mote, and press it gently:
remember that the equal and due breaking of the Curd will keep your Cheese
from having Hollows or Eyes in it, and the gentle pressing of Cheese will
make it eat tender and mellow. This, as well as the Marygold Cheese, must
be salted, when it has been press'd about eight Hours.
To make Sage-Cheese in Figures.
Those that are willing to have figur'd Cheeses, such Cheeses as are partly
green and partly otherwise, must take the following method. Provide two
Cheese Vats of the same bigness, and set your Milk in two different
Vessels; one part with plain Rennet only, and the other with Rennet and
Sage Juice, as directed in the above Receipt; make these as you would do
two distinct Cheeses, and put them into the Presses at the same time. When
each of these Cheeses has been prest half an hour, take them out and cut
some square Pieces, or long Slips, quite out of the plain Cheese, and lay
them by upon a Plate; then cut as many Pieces out of the Sage Cheese, of
the same Size and Figure of those that were cut out of the plain Cheese,
and presently put the pieces of the Sage Cheese into the holes that were
cut in the plain Cheese, and the pieces cutout of the plain Cheese into the
holes of the Sage Cheese, contriving to make them fit exactly: for this use
some have Tin Plate, made into Figures of several Shapes, with which they
cut out the pieces of their Cheeses so exactly, that they fit without
trouble. When this is done, return them to the Presses, and treat them like
common Cheeses, so will you have one Cheese Sage, with white or plain
Figures in it, and the other a white Cheese, with green Figures in it. In
the making of these Cheeses you must particularly observe to break your
Curd very equally, and press both your Cheeses as equally as possible
before you cut out the Figures; for else when they come to be press'd for
the last time, your Figures will press unequally and lose their Shapes.
When these Cheeses are made, they must be frequently turn'd and shifted on
the Shelf, and often rubb'd with a coarse Cloath. These Cheeses may be made
about two Inches thick, for if they are thicker, it will be more difficult
to make the Figures regular; these will be fit to eat in about eight
Months.
To make Cheese in imitation of _Cheshire_ Cheese.
When your Milk is set, and the Curd is come, it must not be broken with a
Dish, as is usual in the making of other Cheeses, but drawn together by the
Hands to one side of the Vessel, gently and regularly broken; for if it is
roughly press'd, a great deal of the richness of the Milk will go into the
Whey. As you thus gather your Curd, put it into the Vat or Cheese Mote till
it is full, then press it and turn it often, salting it at several times.
It is to be noted, that the Cheeses should be six or eight Inches thick,
and will be fit to eat in a Year; they must be frequently turn'd and
shifted upon the Shelf, and rubb'd often with a dry coarse Cloath, and at
the Year's end may have a hole bored in the middle, so as to contain a
quarter Pint of Sack, which must be pour'd into it, and then the hole
stopp'd close with some of the same Cheese, and the Cheese set in a Wine
Cellar for six Months to mellow; at the end of which time, the Sack will be
all lost, and the hole will be in a manner clos'd up.
To make Cheese in imitation of those made in _Gloucestershire._
These Cheeses are to be about two Inches thick, and the Vats or Cheese
Motes must be provided accordingly; set your Milk as directed in the former
Receipts, and breaking it as equally and tenderly as possible, put it in a
Cloth into the Vat, and set it in the press for an Hour; then take it out
of the Press, and cut it in small Pieces, as big as Nutmegs, into a Pan of
scalding Water, taking them again soon out of the Water, and sprinkle them
with Salt at your pleasure, and return them again to the Vat or Cheese
Mote, and keep them in the Press till the next Morning, and after that turn
them and wipe them often, till they come to be very dry; or else when you
have let one of these Cheeses press about two Hours, salt it on the upper
side, and turn it at Night, and salt the side that lies uppermost, to lie
in the Press till Morning; but the first way of cutting and salting it is
much the best. These Cheeses will be fit to cut when they have been made
eight Months; it is to be observ'd, that if we salt them in the manner
first mention'd, that is, by cutting the Cheese, such Cheeses will be
smooth-coated.
To make Slip-Coat Cheese, which is the thin Summer Cheese, call'd in
_London_ Cream Cheese. From the Farm call'd the _Vaises_ in _Essex._
Take six Quarts of new Milk, and a Pint of Cream, put it together with a
Spoonful of Rennet just warm, and let it stand till the Curd is come; then
lay a Cloath in your Cheese Vat, and with a Skimming-Dish cut out the Curd,
and lay it in the Vat till it is full, turning your Cheese-Cloath over it;
and as the Curd settles, lay more on, till you have laid on all. When the
Whey is drain'd out, turn the Cheese into a dry Cloath, and then lay a
weight of a Pound upon it; at Night turn it into another dry Cloath, and
the next Morning salt it a little, then make a Bed of Nettles or Ash-Leaves
to lay it on, and cover it with the same, shifting them twice a day, till
the Cheese is fit to eat, which will be in about ten days. This Cheese is
approved to be the best of the kind in the whole Country, and may be made
all the Summer.
It is to be observ'd, that if in any sort of Cheese, which is here
mentioned, there is not a strength or briskness of taste agreeable to every
Palate, it may be strengthned, by putting either Spice into the Rennet Bag,
as Pepper, or Mace, or Cloves, which will make the Rennet very strong, and
the Cheese of consequence more sharp to the Palate; or else add the Juices
of strong sweet Herbs to the Milk, when the Rennet is put in: the Juice of
Marygolds especially helps the richness of the Milk, or Cheese. The Mace in
good quantity put into the Rennet will give the Cheese a most agreeable
warmth.
As for the Antipathy which some People bear to Cheese, I judge that it must
proceed from the first impression made from the Nurse that suckles
Children, or from the first Cow's Milk that is given them: for as the
Stomach is the first part which the Nourishment is received into; so, as
that Nourishment is at first favourably receiv'd into the Stomach, so the
Tone of the Stomach will ever remain afterwards, unless it could be so
clear'd from the first impression by such a Tryal as Human Nature can
hardly bear. I guess too, that from this Prejudice in the Stomach proceeds
the Aversion which some People have to the Smell of Cheese; and if I may go
a little farther this way, I suppose that the Dislike to Cats, and the
Antipathy some People bear to them, is from Frights which the Mothers have
receiv'd from them during their Pregnancy: concerning which last
Particular, I have offer'd my Sentiments in the Article of the Longing of
Women, in my _Philosophical Account of the Works of Nature_. But as for the
other things, which some People bear an Aversion to, as the Mutton of black
Sheep, or a Breast of Mutton, _&c._ they depend upon the loathing of the
Stomach, from the first Impression. What I have remark'd here, concerning
the preparing and softning of the quality of the Rennet Bag, is in part a
reason for the first good or bad Impression that may be made upon Mankind
with regard to Cheese; and I think the following relation, which I had from
a noble Peer, from whom I have learnt many curious and useful things,
tending to the good of my Country, will be acceptable to the World.
Some Gentlemen that had been hunting, and were led by their Sport to a
retir'd part of the Country, where they found only a Cottage to refresh
themselves in, were forc'd to take up with Bread and Cheese; there was
nothing else to be had, and they had craving Stomachs: but one of the
Company was so unfortunate as to have an aversion to Cheese, and could
never bear either the taste or smell of it; however, at this time feeing
how heartily it was eaten by his Companions, and being very hungry, he
resolved to venture upon it, and eat heartily of it; but about an hour
after was taken so very ill with Purging and Vomiting, that in a short time
his Life was despair'd of. He had the Advice of the best Physicians, but no
Medicine took place, and he was given over, after he had lain in that
condition a Week; however, at length the Distemper went off, and by degrees
he get strength enough to go homeward, and in his way happening to stop at
an Inn, where there stood a Waggon Load of _Cheshire_ Cheeses, he found
that he had a strong Appetite to eat some of that sort, and had one cut on
purpose, and eat heartily of it, without suffering the least inconvenience,
and has ever since been a great lover of Cheese. So that there is an
Example of getting over this Aversion; but considering the difficulty he
went thro', it shews the danger of such an Attempt: Nothing less than the
violent Scouring he underwent could have chang'd the first Impression made
in his Stomach. But thus far of Cheese.
It is necessary, in the next place, to say something of Butter, and how far
that may be mended in many parts of _England_, as well for private as for
more general use.
In the first place it is to be remark'd, that some Grounds will never
produce good Butter, and others will not produce good Cheese, tho' there is
the best management in the Dairy. Again, there is one sort of Cattle, which
tho' we feed them in the finest Grass, and best Pasture, will never yield a
rich Milk; while on the other hand, there are some sorts of Cattle which
will yield a rich Milk for Butter in any Pasture: tho', as I have observ'd
before, the Milk and Butter will be ill tasted if the Cows fed upon
Crow-Garlick, Alliaria, or Saxifrage. What I have said of this, with regard
to the making of Cheese, must here be consider'd; that is, if the Cows feed
upon short fine Grass, there will be more Cream in the Milk than if they
feed upon long rank Grass. Indeed the long rank Grass will give more Milk
than the short, but less Butter, and worse into the bargain. Again, the
Milk of one Cow shall give richer and better Butter than the Milk of
others, tho' they all feed on the same Pasture, even so that the Milk of
one Cow will cover or enrich the Butter made from nine or ten other Cows;
her Milk will make Butter of a rich yellow Colour, full of Fatness, and the
others will only produce a pale, lean Butter, but all together will be
good: I know several Instances of this, and every one who is skilful in a
Dairy may observe it. I have already treated largely concerning this
Particular, in my Works of Husbandry, and I shall therefore proceed to
speak of the Management of Milk in the Dairy for making Butter; for I am
very sensible, that many Farmers might have twice the Benefit from their
Dairies, if the Articles of Butter and Cheese were consider'd in a rational
way, and the old Custom could be broke through; and moreover, if the best
Rules for managing of the Dairy were known, and put in practice, the whole
Country would be the better for it, every one might enjoy the benefit of
good things: whereas for want of knowledge among some Farmers, their Goods
are of small value, and the People are also disatisfied.
In many parts of _England_, it is common to set Milk in Brass Pans, and
that gives an ill Taste to the Milk; and again, there is a custom of
setting the Cream in Brass-Kettles over the Fire, and as it warms to stroak
the Butter as it rises to the edge of the Kettle: this way is very bad for
Butter, for the warm Brass assuredly will spoil the Taste of the Cream, and
it is often smoak'd. The surest way is to set the Milk in glaz'd Earthen
Pans or in Leaden Pans, but the Earthen Pans are preferable. It should be
particularly observ'd, that the Dairy be kept cool, for that in hot Weather
contributes greatly to the Advantage of the Butter: I have known some that
have had Streams of Water running thro' them, and at the same Places,
instead of Glass Windows, there have been no Lights at all to them but
thro' Wyer, and Shutters to them, to open or close as the Sun chang'd its
Course. The thatching of the Dairy is much cooler also than Tyling; and
whatever will contribute to keep off the Sun, should be practis'd. There
are yet in some Places in _England_ some Farmers that do not know the use
of the Churn; however, it is certain, that there is no better way of making
Butter than by that means, or something equivalent to it; that is, by
beating the Cream, so that the Oily, or Fat Parts separate from the Watery
Parts, in the most constant and gentle way that is possible, for to use
this beating of the Cream too violently, will make the Butter like Grease;
whereas a gentle beating of the Cream will render it more firm or stiff:
and besides, when the Cream is beat with too much hurry, the Butter will
ferment, and presently change to be of a bad Taste; but if it be gently
beat or churn'd, it will be firm, and will be fit for keeping. Again, it
must be observ'd, that as the beating or churning of Cream, to bring it to
Butter, is only to separate the oily from the watery Parts of the Cream, so
when once you begin to churn, or beat the Cream, you must continue to churn
or beat it in the most constant manner you can, till the Butter is made:
for if you had perhaps beat the Cream within three or four Minutes of its
becoming Butter, if you leave off the Work but a Minute, the oily and
watery Parts will return to one another, and will require as much Labour as
before to separate them: it is like Oil and Vinegar that have been mix'd by
Labour, and then let alone for a Minute or two, they will divide and
separate from one another, as much as if they had never been mix'd; but the
beating of it too violently, will make the Butter oily, as observ'd before.
As for the Figure of our common Churn, I shall not give a draught of it,
because such as are unacquainted with it may understand it much better by
seeing a Model of it, which may be had at any Toy-Shop in _London_; nay,
the very beating of Cream with a Spoon, in a small Bowl, will bring it to
Butter; but it must be beat regularly.
In the great Dairies in _Holland_, where one Farmer keeps four or five
hundred Cows, the Cream is put into a large Well, lined with Lead, and a
large Beam set with cross Bars is turn'd in the Cream by a Horse; but the
violence of the Motion makes the Butter rather like Oil than Butter; and
the consequence is, that it will not keep long, and as I have heard say,
will not melt well, like the Butter that is made by more gentle means.
Where a gentle way is used in making Butter, it will cut like Wax, and it
should especially be well wrought with the Hands, when it is fresh, taken
from the Churn and salted for common use; for if the Milk be not well
work'd out of it, the Butter will not keep. However, if Butter begins to
decay in goodness, or change to an ill Taste, let it be work'd well, and
wash'd with Water, and it will come to itself, and will bear salting and
potting as well as fresh Butter; but always observe not to put up Butters
of several sorts into the same Pot or Vessel, but chuse that of the same
Dairy, and of the same making, if possible. One of the most curious Women I
have met with in this way, is Mrs. _Cowen,_ a Shopkeeper at _Newport Pond_
in _Essex,_ who pots great quantities every Year; there are undoubtedly
many others who are very good in this way, but as I do not know them,
therefore I may be excus'd if I mention her in particular.
Again, Butter that was good originally, and well potted, may be wash'd and
beaten in the Winter, so as to be made more sweet and palatable than fresh
Butter, made in many Places, at that time of the Year; and this is
frequently practiced about _London,_ where the workers of it get more than
twice the first Price of the Butter, by their Care and Labour.
Before I conclude this Article, it may be necessary to observe, that the
best managers of the Dairy frequently fill up their Churns with cold Water,
before they put in the Cream to churn, in the heat of the Summer, for fear
of over-heating the Butter in the making, and in the Winter heat their
Churns with warm Water before they use them, but the over-heating of the
Churns spoils the Butter; she best way is to set the bottom of the Churn in
warm Water, when you churn in cold Weather, to save Trouble.
I shall now proceed to say something of preparing Cordial Waters; for this
Month gives us a vast variety of Herbs in full perfection, and in the most
proper condition for the use of the Shops, whether for drying, infusing,
distilling, _&c._
In the first place, all Herbs design'd to be dried, must be gather'd in dry
Weather, and laid in some Room, or cover'd Place, to dry in the Shade, to
be afterwards used for infusion or distillation, for which Business the
dried Herbs are as useful as the green Herbs, if they be such as are
Aromatick, _viz._ Thyme, Sweet Marjoram, Savory, Hysop, Sage, Mint,
Rosemary, the Leaves of the Bay-Tree, the Tops of Juniper, Gill, or Ground
Ivy, and such like: The Infusions, or Spirits, drawn from dried Herbs are
more free from the Earthy and Watery Parts, than the Infusions, or Spirits
drawn from green Herbs. I observe, that in making such Infusions as Teas of
dried Herbs, the best way is to pour boiling Water upon them, and in half a
Minute, at most, pour out the Water again from the Herbs, if we have them
in small quantities, as we do Sage Tea, or other Tea; such Tea will then be
of a fine green Colour, and full of Spirit: but if the Herbs stand longer
with Water upon them, the Water will change of a brownish Colour, will lose
the fine Flavour of the Herb, and become ill-tasted; so that in the making
of Sage Tea, for example, pour on your boiling Water, and when it has been
half a Minute upon the Sage-Leaves, pour it off and fling away the Leaves;
for if you pour more Water upon them, you must expect your Tea of a dark
Colour and ill tasted: therefore have fresh Sage to every fresh quantity of
Water. And the same method should be used in the making of all kinds of
Teas, to make them palatable and more wholesome. But when I speak of Teas
having good qualities in them, I must not be understood to mean any of the
Foreign Teas, such as Green, and Bohea Teas, _&c._ for I have had
experience enough in them to know that they are injurious to the Body, of
which I shall say more in a Treatise by it self. What I mention here, is
only with regard to the infusing of Herbs in the Tea manner; but there are
Infusions of Herbs in Spirits: here the Spirit that the Herbs are put into,
must be cold, or used without any Fire at all, and the Herbs in this case
may be used either green or dry; here they may stand several days before
the Spirit that they are infus'd in be drawn off, as the following Cordial,
call'd Surfeit Water, may serve to instance.
To make red Surfeit-Water. From Mrs. _B._
To three Gallons of Brandy, put the Flower Leaves of a Bushel of red
Poppies, one Pound of Raisins of the Sun stoned, a large Stick of Liquorice
sliced, a quarter Pound of Caraway-Seeds bruised, a large Handful of
Angelica, Sweet Marjoram, red Sage, Dragon's Mint, and Baulm, of each a
handful; let all these be cover'd close in a Glass, or glaz'd Earthen
Vessel, and stand to infuse or steep in the Brandy for nine Days, keeping
it, during that time, in a Cellar; then strain it off upon a Pound and half
of Loaf-Sugar, and put it into Bottles. This is a good Cordial, if used
only when occasion requires.
In this Month, Orange-Flowers are in the greatest plenty; about half a
Pound of them put into a Gallon of Brandy, with a quarter Pound of
Orange-Peel, and half a Pound of double refin'd Loaf-Sugar, makes a very
agreeable Cordial: We may let these Ingredients infuse in the Brandy nine
or ten days before we pour the Brandy from them. Some chuse rather to put
the Sugar to the Brandy after it is pour'd from the Orange-Flowers.
As for the distilling part, we have already several Books which treat
largely of that Business, both with respect to the management of what is
call'd the cold Still, and the Alembick, to which I shall refer: but in
this place I shall only take notice, that whereas several kinds of
distill'd Waters are drawn from many Herbs, which do not appear all the
Year about; so if one has not an opportunity of collecting all our Herbs
together, just when we want them, we may yet distil those we can get at one
time, and make another Distillation of those we collect at another time,
and so mix both Spirits or Waters together: For Example, in those Cordial
Waters where the Ros Solis, or Rosa Solis is used, which is an Herb not
always to be found, and will not keep above a day or two after 'tis
gather'd, this I say may be distill'd by itself, and kept to use with other
Waters at pleasure; putting of this such a proportion as would have been
produced from the quantity directed, of the Plant, in the Receipt, if it
had been distill'd with the other Herbs: and so of any other Herb that is
hard to come by.
This Herb, however, I may inform my Reader, grows in Bogs, and when we find
it we may preserve it artificially, by either planting it immediately in
other boggy places, or else in artificial Bogs, made of Earth and Water in
Tubs, or Earthen Pots, made without holes at the bottom.
This Season affords us great variety of Necessaries for Food, in the Farm
and Garden; the Pond Fish, as Pike or Jack, Carp, Tench, and Perch, as well
as Eels are in Season, and may be prepared for the Table, as directed in
_March;_ there are likewise green Geese, young Ducks, Chickens, Pigeons,
and Rabbits in the artificial Warren; and in the Garden, Spinage and
Cabbage-Lettuce to boil, some forward Pease and Beans, Asparagus,
Artichokes, the first Cabbages, and Caulyflowers, Cucumbers for stewing and
in raw Sallads: however, in this Season all raw Sallads should yet partake
of some warm Herbs, as I have directed in my _New Improvement of Planting
and Gardening._ The Method which I most approve of for dressing a Sallad,
is, after we have duly proportion'd the Herbs, to take two thirds Oil
Olive, one third true Vinegar, some hard Eggs cut small, both the Whites
and Yolks, a little Salt and some Mustard, all which must be well mix'd and
pour'd over the Sallad, having first cut the large Herbs, such as Sallery,
Endive, or Cabbage-Lettuce, but none of the small ones: then mix all these
well together, that it may be ready just when you want to use it, for the
Oil will make it presently soften, and lose its briskness. Onions should
always be kept in reserve, because it is not every one that like their
relish, nor is Oil agreeable to every one; but where Oil is not liked, the
Yolks of hard Eggs, bruis'd and mix'd with the Vinegar, may be used as
above. The difficulty of getting good Oil in _England,_ is, I suppose, the
reason why every one does not admire it; for I was once of opinion I could
never like it: but when I was once persuaded to taste such as was of the
best sort, I could never after like a Sallad without it. The best Oil that
I have met with in _England,_ is at _Mr. Crosse's,_ a _Genouese_ Merchant,
at the _Genouese Arms_ in _Katherine-Street,_ in the _Strand, London._
As for the ordering of the above Animals and Vegetables for the Table, we
may find Directions in this Work.
In this Month gather Elder-Flowers when they are dry, and pick them from
the Stalks; let them dry in the Shade, and then put an Ounce to each Quart
of White-Wine Vinegar, to stand in the Vinegar for two Months, then pour
the Vinegar from them for use.
About the end of this Month is a proper time to make Sage-Wine, which is a
very pleasant one, and I think worthy a place among the best Receipts.
To make Sage-Wine. From Mrs. _E. B._
To three Gallons of Water put six Pounds of Sugar, boil these together, and
as the Scum rises take it off, and when it is well boiled put it in a Tub
boiling hot, in which there is already a Gallon of red Sage Leaves clean
pick'd and wash'd; when the Liquor is near cold, put in the Juice of four
large Lemons, beaten well with a little Ale Yeast, mix these all well
together, and cover it very close from the Air, and let it stand forty
eight Hours; then strain all thro' a fine Hair-Sieve, and put it into a
Vessel that will but just hold it, and when it has done working, slop it
down close, and let it stand three Weeks or a Month before you bottle it,
putting a Lump of Loaf-Sugar into every Bottle. This Wine is best when it
is three Months old. After this manner you may make Wine of any other Herb
or Flower.
* * * * *
JUNE.
This Month is a proper Season for making several sorts of Wine, whether it
be that of Goosberries, Currants, Cherries, Apricots, or Rasberries, all
which are very agreeable and worth the trouble; the Expence, where these
Fruits are growing, being very inconsiderable. The following Receipts are
approved to be very excellent.
Preliminaries to the making of Goosberry-Wine.
Goosberry-Wine is one of the richest and strongest Wines made in _England_,
it will keep many Years, and improve by keeping, if it be well made; and is
not, in my opinion, inferior to Mountain _Malaga_.
To make this Wine, we must have regard to the sort of Goosberry we design
to use, for there is a great deal of difference in the time of one sort's
ripening and another: the earliest ripe are the Champaign, the Green, the
Black, and Red hairy Goosberries, every one of which has a Flavour distinct
from the other sorts, and so will yield each of them a Wine of as different
a relish from the rest, as one may expect to find among the several
Varieties of the _French_ growth. The most forward of these kinds about
_London_ ripen early in this Month, if the Season be good; but the later
forts are not generally ripe till the end of the Month, or in _July._ The
later sorts are commonly the white Dutch, the Amber, and the
Walnut-Goosberries, each of which has likewise a different fort of taste:
of the Amber especially I have known an excellent Wine to be made. Again,
we must consider, that as to the time of their ripening, the diversity of
Situations will forward or retard them a Fortnight or three Weeks; and
beside, as we have observed above, every Season is not alike, and we must
have regard also to the difference of Climate, one part of _Britain_ is
three Weeks sooner or later than another: and when I say in any one of my
Kalendars, or Monthly Directories, that any particular Fruit is ripe, or
any particular thing is to be done in such a Month, it must be understood
that it is generally so, but will vary now and then, as the Season is more
or less forward. There is likewise another thing to be consder'd relating
to the ripeness of Fruits, and that is, the different Opinions or Tastes of
Mankind; some call them ripe when they just begin to turn: but what I mean
by ripeness, is, when a Fruit is as tender as it can be, and possessing its
highest Flavour: And by those Fruits which I call half ripe, I mean such as
have their inward Juices sweet, and their outward Parts a little hard and
sour. In this state should the Goosberry be gather'd for making of Wine,
See the following Receipt.
To make Goosberry-Wine.
Gather your Goosberries in dry Weather, when they are half ripe, as I have
explained in the above Preliminaries, pick them and bruise them in a Tub,
with a wooden Mallet, or other such like Instrument, for no Metal is
proper; then take about the quantity of a Peck of the bruised Goosberries,
put them into a Bag made of Horse-Hair, and press them as much as possible,
without breaking the Kernels: repeat this Work till all your Goosberries
are press'd, and adding to this press'd Juice, the other which you will
find in the Tub, add to every Gallon three Pounds of powder Sugar, for
_Lisbon_ Sugar will give the Wine a taste which may be disagreeable to some
People, and besides it will sweeten much more than the dry powder Sugar;
stir this together till the Sugar is dissolved, and then put it in a Vessel
or Cask, which must be quite fill'd with it. If the Vessel holds about ten
or twelve Gallons, it must stand a Fortnight or three Weeks; or if about
twenty Gallons, then about four or five Weeks, to settle, in a cool Place:
then draw off the Wine from the Lee, and after you have discharg'd the
Vessel from the Lees, return the clear Liquor again into the Vessel, and
let it stand three Months, if the Cask is about ten Gallons; or between
four and five Months, if it be twenty Gallons, and then bottle it off. We
must note, that a small Cask of any Liquor is always sooner ripe and fit
for drinking than the Liquor of a larger Cask will be; but a small Body of
Liquor will sooner change sour, than that which is in a larger Cask. The
Wine, if it is truly prepared, according to the above Directions, will
improve every Year, and last several Years.
Preliminaries to the making of Currant Wine.
It is to be noted, that tho' there are two sorts of Currants, which may be
used for making of Wine, that is, the Red and the White; yet the Taste and
Goodness will be the same, whether 'tis made of the White or the Red, for
they have both the same Qualities, except in the Colour. Observe also, that
the Fruit be gather'd in a dry time, and that if you make a large Quantity,
it must stand longer in the Vessel, before bottling, than a small Quantity.
To make Currant Wine.
When your Currants are full ripe, gather them, and pick them from the
Stalks and weigh them, in order to proportion your Water and Sugar to them.
When this is done, bruise them to pieces with your Hands, and add to every
three Pounds of Currants a Quart of Water, stirring all together, and
letting it stand three Hours, at the end of which time, strain it off
gently thro' a Sieve, and put your Sugar into your Liquor, after the rate
of a Pound to every three Pounds of Currants. This Sugar should be powder
Sugar, for _Lisbon_ Sugar would give the Wine an ill Taste. Stir this well
together, and boil it till you have taken off all the Scum, which will rise
plentifully; set it then to cool, at least sixteen Hours, before you put it
into the Vessel. If you make the Quantity of twenty Gallons, it may stand
in the Vessel three Weeks before it will be fit for bottling; and if you
make thirty Gallons, then it must stand a Month before it be bottled off,
observing then to put a small Lump of Sugar into every Bottle; it must be
kept in a cool place, to prevent its Fretting. By this Method it will keep
good many Years, and be a very strong and pleasant Wine, at a very cheap
rate.
It is necessary to observe, that the same sort of Currant is not always of
the same Sweetness when it is ripe, those growing in the Shade will be less
sweet than those that are more exposed to the Sun. And when the Summer
happens to be wet and cold, they will not be so sweet as in a dry warm
Season; therefore tho' the Standard of the above Receipt be one Pound of
Sugar to three Pounds of pick'd Currants, yet the Palate of the Person who
makes the Wine should be the Regulator, when the Sugar is put to the Juice,
considering at the same time, that it is a Wine they are making, and not a
Syrup. The Sugar is only put to soften and preserve the Juice, and too much
will make the Wine ropey.
This Season is proper for making Cherry Wine, the _Kentish_ and _Flemish_
Cherries being now full ripe, which are much the best for this purposes:
This is a very pleasant strong Wine.
To make Cherry Wine.
Gather your Cherries in dry Weather, when they are full ripe, pick them
from the Stalks, and bruise them well with your Hands till they are all
broken; then put them into a Hair Bag, and press them till you have as much
Liquor from them as will run without breaking the Stones. To every Gallon
of this Juice, put one Pound of powder Sugar, and having stirr'd it well
together, boil it and scum it as long as any Scum will rise; then set it in
a cool Place till it is quite cold, and put it into your Vessel, when it
will presently begin to work. When the Working is over, slop the Vessel
close, and let it stand four Months; if it holds the Quantity of twenty
Gallons, or more or less, as the Quantity happens to be, then bottle it
off, putting a Lump of Loaf-Sugar into each Bottle. It will keep two or
three Years, if it be set in a cool Place.
I have now done with the Wines that are to be made in this Month: I shall
in the next place set down the Method of keeping or preserving Fruits for
Tarts all the Year about, as I had it from a very curious Person, in whose
House I have seen it practised with extraordinary Success. The Fruits which
are chiefly to be put up this Month, are Goosberries, Currants and
Cherries.
To preserve Fruits for Tarts all the Year.
The Goosberries must be full grown, but not ripe, they must be gather'd in
dry Weather, and pick'd clean of their Stalks and Tops; then put them into
Quart Bottles, that are made on purpose, with large wide Necks, and cork
them gently with new sound Corks, and put them into an Oven after the Bread
is drawn, letting them stand there till they have shrunk about a fourth
part; observing to change them now and then, because those which you set at
the further part of the Oven, will be soonest done. When you find them
enough, according to the above Direction, take them out, and immediately
beat the Corks in as tight as you can, and cut the Tops off even with the
Bottles, and pitch them over; you must then set your Bottles by, in a dry
Place. I have tasted of Fruits done this way, that have made as good Tarts
at the Year's end, as those that were fresh gather'd: The only difference
between the preserving Goosberries and Currants, is, that the Currants must
be full ripe when we put them into the Bottles, and so likewise the
Cherries.
There is another way of putting up Fruits for this use, which is, by half
preserving them with Sugar, _i.e._ half a Pound of Sugar to every Pound of
Fruit. Apricots especially, when they are near ripe, make excellent Tarts;
being split and pared from the Skin, and boiled in a Syrup, they will keep
the Year round, as an ingenious Lady has told me. It is also to be
remark'd, that ripe Goosberries make very fine Tarts.
The beginning of this Month, when the Goosberries are full grown, but not
ripe, is the right Season for preserving of them in sweet-meat: The white
_Dutch_ Goosberry is the best for this use.
So likewise if you have plenty of _Kentish_ Cherries, pick some of them
from the Stalks, and lay the Cherries upon a fine Wire Sieve, and dry them
in an Oven; when they are dried enough, and quite cold, put them in an
Earthen glazed Jar, and stop them up close: These must be kept in a dry
place.
Upon the foot of the above Receipt, for preserving of Fruits, I have a
Notion that we may preserve green Pease, after the same manner, in Bottles,
that I have mention'd for the preserving of Goosberries, Currants, _&c._ So
that they will eat tender and well tasted at _Christmas:_ it is well worth
the tryal, seeing that a Bottle or two cannot be any great Expence, and
that Pease are acceptable almost to every one. This I have persuaded some
of my Acquaintance to try, but particularly a very curious Person in such
matters, who tells me, that provided this method answers what we aim at, he
supposes they will be the most agreeable, either to be boiled with Cream,
or stew'd in Gravey, after the _French_ manner, for it is a dispute with
him, whether they will hold their green Colour; but, as I observ'd before,
it may be try'd at an easy Expence.
The beginning of this Month is the time to pickle Walnuts, for then the
Walnuts have not began to shell, and moreover are not so bitter nor hollow
as they will be afterwards; they will now be full flesh'd, and you will
have no Loss. The following Method I learnt from Mr. _Foord,_ a curious
Gentleman of _Buckingham,_ and has been experienced to be the best way.
There is one thing indeed which must be regarded in this Pickle, which is,
that every one does not love the Taste of Onion or Garlick; but that may be
omitted as we please, only supplying the place with Ginger.
To pickle Walnuts.
The Walnuts being fit for pickling, wash them, and put them into a Kettle
to scald; then with a piece of Flannel rub off the outer Skin, and let them
lie till they are quite cold, after which put them into a Vessel of Salt
and Water, and let them stand 24 Hours; then take them out, and put them
again into fresh Salt and Water for 24 Hours more; then shift them as
before, and continue this Practice for fourteen Days, at the end of which
time wipe them dry, and lay them in a glazed earthen Pot, _Stratum super
Stratum,_ with Spice, whole Mustard-Seed, Horse-Radish slic'd, and Garlick,
or Eschalots: that is to say, make a Layer of Walnuts, and strew over it
whole Pepper, Ginger slic'd, Horse-Radish slic'd, some whole Mustard-Seed,
and three or four Cloves of Garlick; or if Garlick be too strong, as many
Cloves of Shalots. Then lay upon these another Layer of Walnuts, and upon
them the Roots and Spices as before, and so continue till your Pot is full;
then pour over the whole, as much boiling Vinegar as will cover them, and
immediately cover the Pot close, and let it stand till the next Day, when
we may again pour off the Vinegar from them, without disturbing them; and
making it again boiling hot, pour it upon them, and stop them close, as
before, to be set by for use. But these will not be fit for eating under
three Weeks or a Month, and will be much better by keeping a few Months.
This Month is a proper time to make Syrup of Clove-Julyflowers, and
likewise to make Julyflower Wine, which is a very rich Liquor, and may be
made in the best manner, by the following Receipt from Mrs. B. B.
To make Julyflower Wine.
Take nine Gallons of Water, and twenty four Pounds of Sugar, boil these on
a gentle Fire till one Gallon is lost, or evaporated, taking off the Scum
as it rises. Then having prepared a Bushel of Clove Julyflowers, the red
Flower Leaves only, pour the Liquor scalding hot upon them, and cover them
close till the next Day, then pressing them with a Screw-press. When this
is done, bake a piece of Bread hard, without scorching, before the Fire,
and while it is warm, spread some Ale-Yeast upon it, and put it into the
Liquor, in an open Tub, till it begins to worker ferment; the next Day
after which, add two quarts of Sack, and one of _Rhenish_ Wine, and barrel
it for three Weeks or a Month; let it then be bottled, and kept in a cool
Place.
In this Month such Carp and Tench are good as have not lately spawn'd; the
dressing of them, and of Pikes, or Jacks, see in _March_. Perch are now
very good, the large ones for stewing, as recommended for Carp, or boiled
or fry'd, or else in the _Dutch_ manner, call'd Water Soochy; which is to
boil the Perches with Salt in the Water, and Parsley-Roots and Parsley
Leaves, to be brought to Table in the Water they are boiled in, and eaten
with Bread and Butter. 'Tis an odd way to the _English_, but is much
admir'd by many Genlemen who have travell'd.
The Garden is now very rich in Eatables, as may be seen in my _Gardener's
Kalendar_, printed for Mr. _Mears_.
The Trasopogon, or Goatsbeard, is now, as well as in the former Month, fit
for boiling; it is in much request in some of the Western parts of
_England_, especially about _Bristol_, as I am inform'd, where the Country
People call it Trangompoop, or Crangompoop, a corruption, as I suppose,
from the true Name above written: This is eaten like Asparagus, and dress'd
the same way, the part which is eaten is the blossomy Bud a little before
it would flower, with about six Inches of the Stalk to it.
There are now Chickens, Pigeons, Ducks, and some young wild Ducks, and
Rabbets, which may not only make great Variety at a Table, to be drest
after the common plain way, but may also be made into elgant Dishes, after
the several manners mention'd in this Work, if there is an occasion to
entertain particular People of fine Taste.
The Ronceval and Mooretto Pease, and _Windsor_ Beans, are also good helps
to a Table: I need say nothing of their dressing; but that I am of opinion,
that the _Windsor_ Beans, when they are blanch'd, that is, boiled long
enough till we can take off their Skins, and then put into large-neck'd
Bottles, and order'd as I have prescrib'd for the preserving of Pease; by
this means I suppose they may be preserv'd many Months: but we may defer
this Experiment till the end of _September_, to be try'd upon the latter
Crops.
Near the Sea we have Mackrel in the height of perfection, and Mullet,
Turbut, Herrings, Scate, and Soles, as also Lobsters and Crabs; and in the
Rivers, Salmon and Trout are still good, and some Cray-Fish.
'Tis now a proper Season to put up Rasp-berries, either in Sweetmeat, or to
infuse in Brandy; but they must be gather'd dry. There are certain People
who know how to mix these with _Port_ Wine, and imitate the richest
_Florence_ Wine.
About _Midsummer_ is a proper time to put up a Boar for Brawn against
_Christmas_, or against the beginning of _December_, for then is the Season
it sells best, and is chiefly in request, selling at that time for twelve
Pence _per_ Pound.
For this end we should chuse an old Boar, for the older he is, the more
horny will the Brawn be: We must provide for this use a Frank, as the
Farmers call it, which must be built very strong to keep the Boar in. The
figure of the Frank should be somewhat like a Dog-Kennel, a little longer
than the Boar, which we put up so close on the Sides that the Boar cannot
turn about in it; the Back of this Frank must have a sliding Board, to open
and shut at pleasure, for the conveniency of taking away the Dung, which
should be done every Day. When all this is very secure, and made as
directed, put up your Boar, and take care that he is so placed, as never to
see or even hear any Hogs; for if he does, he will pine away, and lose more
good Flesh in one Day than he gets in a Fortnight: He must then be fed with
as many Pease as he will eat, and as much skim'd Milk, or flet Milk, as is
necessary for him. This method must be used with him till he declines his
Meat, or will eat very little of it, and then the Pease must be left off,
and he must be fed with Paste made of Barley Meal, made into Balls as big
as large Hen-Eggs, and still the Skim-Milk continued, till you find him
decline that likewise, at which time he will be fit to kill for Brawn; the
Directions for making of which, with the Pickle for it, see in the Month of
_December_. During the time he is thus feeding, great care must be taken
that he has always Meat before him, for neglect in this will spoil the
whole Design.
This is the way of feeding a Boar for Brawn, but I cannot help thinking
'tis a little barbarous, and especially as the Creature is by some People
put in so close a Pen, that as I hear, it cannot lie down all the while
'tis feeding; and at last, considering the expence of Food, Brawn is but an
insipid kind of Meat: however, as some are lovers of it, it is necessary to
prescribe the method which should be used in the preparing it.
In this Month we have plenty of Artichokes and it is a good Season to put
them up for Winter use, to be used simply, or to be put in Sauces, or in
compound Dishes; they are easily dried or pickled, to be kept, and if they
are not gather'd as soon as they are in their perfection, they will lose
the goodness of their Hearts, or the Bottoms, as some call them. In a
plentiful Year of them I have had a great number dried for Winter use, in
the following manner.
Concerning the gathering, and ordering Artichokes for drying.
In the gathering of Artichokes, observe, that the Leaves of what is call'd
the Artichoke be pointing inwards, and lie close at the Top, for then the
Bottom will be large and full; but if you find many of the Leaves of the
Artichoke spread from the Top, then the Choke, or bristly part is shot so
much, that it has drawn out much of the Heart of the Artichoke; and as the
Flower comes forward, the more that grows, the thinner will be the Bottom,
which is the best part of it.
When you cut the Artichoke, cut it with a long Stalk, that when you use it
you may clear it well of its Strings, which will else spoil the goodness of
the Bottom, wherein the Strings will remain; to do this, lay the Artichoke
upon a Table, and hold it down hard with one Hand, while with the other
Hand you pull the Stalk hard up and down, till it quits the Artichoke, and
will then pull away the Strings along with it; this being done, lay the
Artichokes in Water for an Hour, and then put them into a Kettle of cold
Water to boil, till they are tender enough to separate the Leaves and the
Chokes from them. When this is done, lay the Hearts, or Bottoms upon a
Cullender, or some other thing, to drain conveniently; then dry them upon a
Wire Sieve, or Gridiron, in a gentle Oven, by degrees, till they are as
hard as Wood. These will keep good twelve Months if they are laid by in a
dry Place.
When we want to use these for boiling, frying, or to accompany other Meats,
we must put them into warm Water, often repeating it to them for eight and
forty Hours, by which means they will come to themselves, and be as good
when they come to be scalded as if they were fresh gather'd. But they may
also be preserv'd after the following manner.
Second Way to preserve Artichokes.
Having chosen your Artichokes according to the above Directions, cut the
Bottoms, with a sharp Knife, clear of their Leaves and their Chokes,
flinging them immediately into cold Water, to prevent their turning black.
When they have lain in the Water for seven or eight Minutes, wash them and
drain them a little, and then fling them into Wheat or Barley Flower, so
that they be all over cover'd with it; after which, lay them upon Wire
Sieves, or Pieces of Wicker-work to dry in an Oven gently, till they are
quite dry and hard: these must be kept in a dry Place, and when they are to
be used, steep them in Water four and twenty Hours, and boil them till they
are tender, they will eat as well as if they were fresh cut.
The Artichoke may likewise be pickled in the following manner.
To preserve Artichokes by Pickling.
Gather and prepare your Artichokes as before, and put them into cold Water
to boil, with a moderate quantity of Salt; then take them off the Fire, and
let the Water stand in the Kettle for a quarter of an hour, till the Salt
is settled to the bottom; then pour off your Water clear into an Earthen
glazed Vesel where you design to put your Artichokes, and clearing them
from the Leaves and Choaks, wash them well in two or three Waters, and put
them in the Brine or Pickle they were boiled in, when both are quite cold;
upon which pour as much Oil as will cover it half an Inch thick, or where
Oil is wanting, melted Butter will serve: be sure you put so much as will
keep the Air from the Artichokes. Some will add some Vinegar to the Water,
but that is at pleasure; when this is done, cover the top of the Earthen
Pot close with Paper, and lay a Board over it to keep it from any Air, or
else cover the Pot with a wet Bladder, and tie it down close. They will
keep good a Year, and when we want to use them, lay them to steep in cold
Water to take out the Salt; you may shift the Water three or four times,
they will be the better for it, and then use them in Pyes, or other
compound Dishes.
In _Holland_ I have often eaten the small Suckers of Artichokes fry'd,
which have made an agreeable Dish. The Receipt for preparing them is the
following.
To fry small Suckers of Artichokes, or small Artichokes.
Gather the young Heads of Artichokes, and boil them with Salt and Water
till they are tender; these Artichokes should be no bigger than middling
Apples; split these in four or six Parts each, flower them well, and fry
them crisp in Hogs-lard, and eat them with Butter, Pepper, and a little
Verjuice or Orange-Juice.
It is a common practice in _France_ to eat the small Heads of Artichokes
raw, with Vinegar, Pepper, and Salt; the Method is to pull off the single
Leaves, and dip the fleshy part of the Leaves into it and eat that. They
are agreeably bitter, and create an Appetite.
This Month Rasberries are ripe; and as they make a most pleasant Wine, I
shall here give the Receipt for making it.
To make Rasberry Wine.
To every Quart of the Juice of Rasberries, put a Pint of Water, and to
every Quart of Liquor a Pound of fine Sugar; then set it on the Fire to
boil half an hour, taking off the Scum as it rises: then set it to cool,
and when it is quite cold, put it in a Vessel and let it stand ten Weeks or
something more if the Weather prove cold; when it is settled, bottle it,
and it will keep two Years. Altho' I have set down in this Month a good
experienced way of making Goosberry Wine, which will keep twenty Years, and
grow better by Age; yet I cannot pass by a Receipt which is highly
commended for making Wine of Red Goosberries, which I had from an
Acquaintance who frequently makes it.
To make Red Goosberry Wine.
When the Red Goosberries are well colour'd and not over-ripe, but grateful
to the Taste, gather them in a dry Day; take a Peck of these, and slit them
a little more than half thro' the middle, putting them into a large glazed
Earthen Pan, with eight Pounds of fine powder'd Sugar strew'd over them;
then boil four Gallons of Cyder, and pour it boiling hot upon the Sugar and
Goosberries: this must stand eight or ten Days, stirring it once each Day,
and at length strain it thro' a Flannel in a Press, and put the Liquor into
the Vessel with a warm Toast of Wheat-bread, spread on both sides with
Ale-Yeast; this must stand two or three Months till it is fine, and then
bottle it. This is a very strong Wine, and of a bright red Colour.
* * * * *
JULY.
This Month is the principal Season for pickling of Cucumbers, for that
Fruit is now in the greatest Perfection, as well for pickling them in
imitation of Mango's, or as Girkins. They are now to be had in great
plenty, and are free from Spots.
The following is an extraordinary Receipt for pickling of Cucumbers to
imitate Mango's.
Gather large Cucumbers of as green a Colour as may be, wash them well in
common Water, and then either cut off their Tops, and scoop out all the
seedy part, or else cut a Slice out of the Side of each of them, and scrape
out the seedy part with a small Spoon, taking care not to mismatch the
Slices or Tops of the Cucumbers, that they may tie up the better when we
come to fill them with Spices, _&c_. When we have thus prepared enough to
fill the Jar or Earthen Vessel which we design for them, peel some Garlick
or Shalots, which you like best, and put either two Cloves of Shalot into
each Cucumber, or one middling Clove of Garlick; and also into every one
put a thin slice or two of Horse-radish, a slice of Ginger, and, according
to custom, a Tea Spoonful of whole Mustard-seed; but, in my opinion, that
may be left out. Then putting on the tops of the Cucumbers, or the Slices
that were cut out of them, tie them close with strong Thread, and place
them in your Jar. Then prepare your Pickle of Vinegar, which we suppose to
be about five Quarts to two dozen of large Cucumbers, to which put about a
Pound of Bay-Salt, half an Ounce of whole Pepper, about an Ounce of Ginger
sliced, and a large Root of Horse-radish sliced; boil these in a brass
Sauce-pan for about fifteen Minutes, taking off the Scum as it rises, and
then pour it upon your Cucumbers, and cover the top of the Vessel with a
coarse Linnen Cloth four or five times double, and set the Vessel near the
Fire to keep warm; the day following you will find them changed to a yellow
Colour, but that will alter in a day or two to be much greener than they
were at first, if you use the following Method: Pour all your Pickle into a
brass Skellet, and add to it a piece of Allum as big as a Walnut, and set
it over the Fire till it boils, then pour it on your Cucumbers as before,
and repeat the same every day till the Cucumbers are of the Greenness you
desire. When you have pour'd on your Pickle for the last time, the Jar must
be cover'd as before, but remain without Corking till it is quite cold,
then stop it close and set it by, in a dry place. The Corks for the
stopping of these Jars should be cover'd with soft glove-leather, for the
naked Corks will make the Pickles musty. See the Mango's made of green
Melons in the Month of _September_.
To preserve Green Cucumbers for slicing in the Winter, by Mr. _Foord_ of
_Buckingham._
Gather Cucumbers half grown, that is, before they incline to be seedy, put
them in Salt and Water for five or six days, shifting it every day; then
wipe them dry, and put them in Vinegar with a little Allum to green over
the fire; then take out the Cucumbers, and boil the pickle to pour hot upon
them, covering the Mouth of the Jar with a coarse Cloath four or five times
doubled, and let the Jar stand near the fire. When this Pickle is quite
cold, stop the Jar close with a leather'd Cork, as mention'd in the
foregoing Receipt for Mango Cucumbers. These Cucumbers may be used in the
Winter to be pared and sliced like those gather'd fresh from the Garden;
you may cut an Onion with them, and eat them with Pepper, Vinegar and Oil.
To Pickle Cucumbers, from Mr. _Foord_ of _Buckingham._
Gather the smallest Cucumbers you can find, for it is the smallest Size,
which is most commonly brought to table among People of the first Rank;
tho' a Cucumber of two Inches long will do very well, or even one of three
Inches. These must be put in Salt and Water, to be shifted every day till
they change to a yellow colour: wipe them dry, and prepare Pickle of
Vinegar, a piece of Allum as big as a Wallnut to a gallon, or in
proportion, Ginger diced, Mace, whole Pepper, a few Bay-leaves, and some
Dill-Seed, which will do better than the Herb it self. Tye the Seeds in a
piece of Muslin, that when the Pickle by boiling is strong enough of the
Dill, you may take it out. This Pickle, when it is of a right flavour, must
be pour'd boiling hot upon the Cucumbers, which must be laid in a Stone Jar
or Gallypot proper for them, and then cover'd with a coarse Linnen Cloth
folded in several Doubles, and let them stand near the fire: Repeat the
boiling of the Pickle every day, pouring it hot upon the Cucumbers, and
covering them as before, till they become of the green colour you desire.
When they are quite cold, stop them up close with a leather'd Cork, as
directed in the former Receipt, if you use a Jar, or else if you make use
of a Gallypot, tye them down with Leather or a wet Bladder. It is to be
understood, that Allum and boiling Vinegar will strike a green colour to
any unripe Fruit; but care must be taken that too much Allum be not used,
left the stomach be offended by it. It is a custom in some places to pickle
the green Pods of _Capsicum Indicum_ with their Cucumbers, which will
contribute to make them much hotter or warmer to the Stomach, and promote
Digestion in cold Constitutions. But the _Capsicums_ should be boiled in
Water gently, and wiped dry, before you put them among the Cucumbers, where
they must be placed before the Pickle is poured upon them.
Kidney-Beans are pickled the same way as the Cucumbers, only leaving out
the Dill; and the Dill also may be left out of the Cucumber-Pickle, if it
is not agreeable to the Palate; and so likewise in other Pickles, Garlick
or Onions, or any particular Spice may be left out which is disagreeable,
for it is not the business here to pin down the Palate of any one to a
certain Relish that I may like my self, but to put it in the power of every
one to preserve or order such things as a Farm or Garden affords, so that
they may be pleased with them. The Receipts which I have here given, are
what I have generally found to be the most approved. We have some who
pickle the green Fruit of the Passion-Tree, the Berougella, and Fig: but
for my part I can find nothing to recommend them, but the relish of the
Pickle, neither are they by any means wholesome.
The Flowers of the _Nasturtium Indicum_ make an excellent Sallad in this
Month, and the Seeds of the Plant, while they are green, may be pickled to
our satisfaction: the Receipt for pickling them is as follows.
To pickle Nasturtium Seeds.
Gather the Seeds when they are full grown and green, in a dry day, and lay
them in Salt and Water for two or three days; then boil Vinegar, with some
Mace, Ginger sliced, and a few Bay-Leaves, for fifteen Minutes, and pour it
boiling hot upon them, covering them with a Cloth, as prescribed in this
Month for the other Pickles, and repeat the boiling of the Pickle, and
scalding them with it for three days successively; and when the last is
poured on, let it be cold before you cork it up. The folded Cloth which
should be put over the Mouth of the Jar, will suffer some of the Steam of
the Pickle to pass thro' it, and by that means the Pickles will not turn
mouldy, so soon as they might otherwise do, and besides will be much
greener than if they were to be close stopped. All these Pickles should be
kept in a dry Place, and look'd into every Month, lest by chance they turn
mouldy; which if you find they incline to, boil the Pickle afresh, and pour
it on them as before.
There is now the Skerret fit to be eaten; it is a very nourishing and
pleasant Root, and is prepared in the following manner for the Table: the
Culture of it is set forth at large in my new _Improvements of Planting and
Gardening_, printed for Mr. _Mears_, near _Temple-Bar_,
The Skerret, tho' it is none of the largest Roots, yet is certainly one of
the best Products of the Garden, if it be rightly dress'd; the way of doing
which, is to wash the Roots very well, and boil them till they are tender,
which need not be very long. Then the Skin of the Roots must be taken off,
and a Sauce of melted Butter and Sack pour'd over them. In this manner are
they serv'd at the Table, and eaten with the Juice of Orange, and some
likewise use Sugar with them, but the Root is very sweet of itself.
Some, after the Root is boil'd, and the Skin is taken off, fry them, and
use the Sauce as above: So likewise the Roots of Salsify and Scorzoncra are
to be prepared for the Table.
The Apple call'd the Codlin is in good perfection for scalding, the manner
of doing which, that they may be brought to Table, of a fine green Colour,
is as follows.
Gather your Codlins half grown, and without Spots, for if they are spotted,
they are commonly Worm-eaten; scald them in Water till the Skin will come
off easily, then put them again into cold Water, and a small piece of Allum
to green in a Brass Pan over the Fire; which they will soon do if they are
kept close cover'd.
The following Receipt is sent me by a curious Person for pickling of
Codlins, in imitation of Mango.
Gather Codlins green and near full grown, blanch them, that is, scald them
in soft Water till the Skin will peel off, then prepare your Pickle of
Vinegar and Bay Salt, about a large Spoonful of Salt to a Quart of Vinegar,
three or four Cloves of Garlick, a quarter of an Ounce of Ginger sliced,
and as much whole Pepper; boil this in a Brass Pan, with a piece of Allum
as big as a Horse-Bean, for half a quarter of an hour, and pour it hot upon
your Codlins, covering the Mouth of the Jar with a Cloth, and let it stand
by the Fire-side; boil the Pickle again the day following, and apply it as
before, and repeat the same till your Codlins are as green as you desire,
and when they are quite cold, cork them close, and set them by in a dry
place. There is one thing must however be observed in all these Picklings,
which is, that if the Pickles do not come to their fine green Colour
presently, by boiling often of the Pickle at first, yet by standing three
or four Weeks, and then boiling the Pickle afresh, they will come to a good
Colour; and then your Pickles will eat the firmer and keep the longer, when
they are not too soon brought to Colour.
In this Month we have the Morello and Black Cherry ripe, which both are
pleasant in Brandy; to those who would have Drams by them, the way of
making Black-Cherry Brandy, is only to pick the Cherries from the Stalks,
and put them whole into the Brandy, about a Pound of Cherries to a Quart;
this may remain for about a Month before it is fit to drink, and then the
Brandy may be pour'd from the Cherries, and the Cherries put then into a
Vessel of Ale will make it extremely strong, only about the proportion of a
Pound of Cherries to a Gallon of Ale; but some will put fresh Brandy to
them, and the Cherries will turn the Brandy of a deep Colour, and give it a
strong taste of Ratafia; others will distill these Cherries in a cold
Still, with as much Water as will cover them, and draw a fine Cordial from
them.
To make Visney.
This Visney is made of pure Brandy, and as many Morello Cherries as will
fill the Bottles or Casks, with one Ounce of Loaf-Sugar to each full Quart;
these Vessels or Bottles must be gently stopp'd, when the Cherries are put
in, and stand in a cool Cellar for two Months before the Liquor is poured
from them, and then the Liquor may be put in small Bottles for use: It is
not very strong, but very pleasant. The Cherries, when they are taken out,
may be distill'd, and will yield a fine Spirit.
In some places, where there are Laurels grow wild, without Cutting or
pruning, I mean, the _Lauro-Cerasus_, as we find in many old Gardens, that
Plant is apt to bear Berries, which in reality are Cherries, from whence it
has its Name; these Berries, or Cherries, are ripe about this time, and
make a fine Cordial, if we infuse them in Brandy for two or three Months
with a little Sugar; this will have a Flavour of Abricot Kernels, and be of
a rich red Colour. While I am speaking of this, I cannot help taking notice
of a particular Dram which I tasted at a curious Gentleman's House at
_Putney_ in _Surrey_, _W. Curtis _Esq; which he made by infusing of the
Cornelian Cherry in Brandy; that Gentleman is the only one who I think has
yet tried it, and to my Palate it seems to be so like _Tockay_ Wine, that
it must be a very good judge who can discover the difference. I have drank
that Wine in perfection, and this preparation has both the Colour, Taste,
and Proportion of strength equal to it; for the great strength of the
Brandy is lost in the Cornelian Cherry, and tho' the Cornelian Cherry is of
a bright red Colour, yet this Liquor is of the Colour of _Tockay_ Wine.
Those who live near _London_, may, about this Season, buy Geese out of the
Flocks, which are now drove up to that City, at about five and twenty, or
thirty Shillings a score; and till the Season we are to turn them into the
Stubble, we may feed them chiefly with the Offals of the Garden, Lettuce
especially, which will fatten them, if you have enough: but as for their
particular Feed for fatting, I shall speak of that in another place.
About this Season Abricots are ripe, and where there are plenty of them, we
may make a pleasant Wine with them. The following Receipt is a very good
one.
To make Apricot Wine. From Mrs. _J. L._
To every Quart of Water put a Pound and half of Apricots, that are not
over-ripe, let them be wiped clean, and cut in pieces; boil these till the
Liquor is strong of the Apricot Flavour; then strain the Liquor thro' a
Sieve, and put to every Quart four or five Ounces of white Sugar, boil it
again, and scum it as it rises, and when the Scum rises no more, pour it
into an Earthen Pot; the Day following bottle it, putting into every Bottle
a lump of Loaf-Sugar, as big as a Nutmeg. This will presently be fit for
drinking, is a very pleasant Liquor; but will not keep long.
* * * * *
AUGUST.
In this Month there are many Delicacies about a Country Seat; all kinds of
Pond-Fish are good, there is plenty of Poultry of all kinds, wild and tame,
except the Water-Fowl, which should yet remain untouch'd. Turkey Poults,
Pheasant Poults, Partridges, and some sort of Pigeons, are good; but for
the most part the Dove-cote Pigeons are distemper'd, and are now full of
Knots in their Skins, and unwholesome. The Eggs of Fowls likewise at this
Season, as well as in the former Month, are unhealthful. Towards the end,
Pork comes again in Season, and young Pigs also are pretty plentiful; 'tis
a good time likewise to save young Pigs to grow up for now you may turn
them with their Dams into the Stubbles, and soon after into the Woods.
About the end of this Month, you have Rabbets full grown in common Warrens,
and young wild Ducks; and those who live near the Sea, have plenty of
Oysters, and in great perfection, much better, in my opinion, than in the
Winter. Hares are also now good, and Buck Venison is still good. Turnips,
Carrots, Cabbages, Caulyflowers, Artichokes, Melons, Cucumbers, and such
like, are in prime; Sallary and Endive, _Nasturtium Indicum_ Flowers,
Cabbage Lettice, and blanch'd sweet Fennel is now good for Sallads. Peas
and Beans, and Kidney-beans, are likewise to be met with, so that a Country
Gentleman and Farmer may have every thing at home, and let out a Table fit
for a Prince, without being beholden to the Markets; and the great variety
of Fruits which this Season produces, renders it still more delightful and
profitable.
Now Elder-berries are ripe and fit for making of Wine, as well the white as
the red sort: these are both very good, if they are rightly managed. The
following drinks very much like the _French_ Wine call'd _Hermitage_, and
is full as strong.
To make red Elder Wine.
Take twenty Pounds of _Malaga_ Raisins pick'd and rubb'd clean, but not
wash'd; shred them small, and steep them in five Gallons of Spring Water,
putting the Water cold to them, and stirring them every day; then pass the
Liquor thro' a Hair Sieve, pressing the Raisins with your Hands, and have
in readiness six Pints of the Juice of Elder-Berries that have been first
pick'd from the Stalks, and then drawn by boiling the Berries in a glaz'd
Earthen Pot, set in a Pan of Water over the Fire. Put this Juice cold into
the Liquor, stirring it well together, and then tunning it in a Vessel that
will just hold it, and let it stand six Weeks or two Months in a warm
place; then bottle it, and it will keep a Year if the Bottles are well
stopp'd. Note, that the Elder-Berries must be full ripe, and gather'd in a
dry day; and when you have tunn'd your Wine, let the place where you set it
be warm and dry, where no external Air is admitted, that it may ferment or
work duly, for that is a material point. If it be otherwise disposed, so
that it stands in a place which is subject to Heats and Cold, the Ferment
will stop upon Cold, or be too violent upon Heats; but in cold Weather put
some Straw about it. See more of the working of Liquors in _March_, in the
Article of Brewing, and likewise take care that your Bottles are dry when
you bottle your Wine, and that you have good Corks; take care likewise that
your Wine be clear before you bottle it, or it will be good for nothing. If
this Wine be rightly managed according to the above Directions, it will be
fit for drinking after it has been bottled a Month.
In the making of white Elder-Wine, there is no difference if you make it
with Raisins; but it is much the best, in my Opinion, if you make it with
Sugar after the following manner: only it is to be consider'd, that white
Elder-Berries are yet very scarce, and there must be more of them used in
the Sugar Wine than in the Raisin Wine.
To make white Elder-Wine, or red Elder-Wine, with Sugar.
Gather the Elder-Berries ripe and dry, pick them, bruise them with your
Hands, and strain them; then set the Liquor by in glaz'd earthen Vessels
for twelve hours to settle, then put to every pint of Juice a pint and half
of Water, and to every Gallon of this Liquor put three Pounds of _Lisbon_
Sugar: set this in a Kettle over the Fire, and when it is ready to boil,
clarify it with the Whites of four or five Eggs; let it boil an hour, and
when it is almost cold, work it with some strong Ale-Yeast, and then tun
it, filling up the Vessel from time to time with the same Liquor saved on
purpose, as it sinks by working. In a Month's time, if the Vessel holds
about eight Gallons, it will be fine and fit to bottle, and after bottling,
will be fit to drink in two Months: but remember, that all Liquors must be
fine before they are bottled, or else they will grow sharp and ferment in
the Bottles, and never be good for any thing.
_N.B._ Add to every Gallon of this Liquor a Pint of strong Mountain Wine,
but not such as has the Borachio or Hogskin flavour. This Wine will be very
strong and pleasant, and will keep several Years.
We must prepare our Red Elder-Wine in the same manner that we make with
Sugar, and if our Vessel hold about eight or ten Gallons, it will be fit
for Bottling in about a Month; but if the Vessel be larger, it must stand
longer in proportion, three or four Months at least for a Hogshead.
This Month Barberries are ripe and fit for pickling; they make a pretty
Garnish, and are prepared as follows.
To pickle Barberries, or Pipperages, as call'd in some places.
Gather your Barberries in dry Weather, and lay them in their Bunches into
an earthen glazed Pot, then boil a quantity of Water made strong with Salt,
scumming it as it rises, and let it stand to be quite cold; then pour it
upon the Barberries, so as to cover them an Inch, and cover it close. Some
use half Vinegar and half Water for this Pickle, but it is at every one's
pleasure, I think one is as good as the other.
Partridges are now in Season, and are prepared after several manners; some
of the principal are the following.
Boil'd Partridges with stew'd Sallary, from Lady W------.
The Partridges being clean'd and trussed, boil them tender, and make the
following Sauce for them. Take half a score large Sallary Plants that are
well whiten'd or blanched, boil them first in Water and Salt, and then stew
them tender with Gravey, Salt, some Pepper, and a Spoonful or two of White
wine; and when they are enough, thicken and brown the Sauce they are stew'd
in with burnt Butter, lay your Sallary at the bottom of the Dish, and your
Partridges upon that, then pour your Sauce over all, and garnish with
Lemmon or Orange slic'd. This is the method of stewing Sallary, which is an
agreeable Plate of itself.
From the same Lady I had the following Directions for roasted Partridges:
Partridges which are designed for roasting may be larded with fine Bacon
Fat on the Breast, or roasted without larding; but in a Dish of these
Fowls, there should be some of one and some of the other. The Sauce for
them should be of two sorts, one of Gravey in the Dish with them, and the
other of Bread in Saucers on the sides of the Dish. The Gravey is made of
Beef, an Onion, a Bunch of sweet Herbs, some Salt and Pepper, stew'd half
an hour together, in a little more Water than will cover them, then strain
off the Liquor into the Dish.
The Pap-Sauce, or Bread-Sauce, is made of grated Crumb of Bread, boiled
with as much Water as will cover it, a little Butter, an Onion, and some
whole Pepper; this must be kept stirring often, and when it is very thick,
withdraw the Onion, and serve it in a Saucer with your Partridges. These
Sauces may likewise be served with Pheasants, or Quails. These may also be
stew'd, farced, baked, or put in Soups, or used in Fricassees. Thus far the
Lady.
Hares begin now to be in Season, and are well dress'd by the following
Receipt, which I purchased a few Years ago, at a noted Tavern in _London_.
A Hare and its Sauces.
If you kill a Hare by Coursing, you may keep it if the Weather be cool
three days before you roast it; or if it has been run hard by the Hounds,
then it will not keep so long. When the Skin is taken off, it is the
fashion to leave the Ears on, but that is at pleasure; then truss it for
Roasting, and take the Liver and boil it, and mince it very small; add to
this grated Bread, a little All-Spice, but fine, some butter'd Eggs, a
little dry'd sweet Marjoram, with a Seasoning of Pepper and Salt at
discretion, and some Parsley shred small: Mix this well together, and add
the Yolk of an Egg to it to bind it; then fill the Body of the Hare
moderately with this Farce, and sew up the Belly. When the Hare is first
laid down to the fire, put about three pints of Water with an Onion, some
Salt and whole Pepper, in the Dripping-pan, and baste the Hare with this
till it is near roasted enough, and baste it with a piece of fat burning
Bacon, or in the place of that, common Butter; but the Bacon is best, if
the Person knows how to use it. When it is enough, pour the following Sauce
into the Dish with it: Take the Liquor, with the Onion and Pepper in the
Dripping-pan, out before you baste the Hare with Butter or Bacon, and boil
it with a glass of Claret; it will be very rich when it comes to be mixt
with the Farce out of the Belly of the Hare, and is little trouble. You may
thicken this with a little Butter and Flower, if you please.
The following is also a very good one: Take a pound of lean Beef, boil it
in about three pints of Water with an Onion, a Bunch of sweet Herbs, some
All-spice, Pepper and Salt, till the Beef is boil'd half enough; then cut
the Beef in several places to let out the Gravey, and continue to boil all
those till the Liquor has lost a third part; then add a little Claret to
it, and strain the Liquor through a Sieve, pouring the Gravey hot into the
Dish before you put the Hare in it; and when you lay in the Hare, cut away
the part that was sew'd up, or take away the thread that sew'd it. Some
chuse to skewer up the Belly of the Hare, rather than sew it. You may serve
this with Lemmon sliced, and in a plate by it have the following Sauce.
Sweet Venison Sauce.
Take half a pint of Claret, a little Stick of Cinnamon, and boil them
together till the Flavour of the Cinnamon is in the Claret; then sweeten it
to your mind with double-refined Loaf-sugar. Or else,
Grate some Crumb of Bread, and put to it as much Claret as will make it
like thin Pap; add to this a small piece of Cinnamon, and boil it well,
then sweeten it with double-refined Loaf-sugar grated small. These are the
sweet Sauces used for Hare, and all other Venison.
To dress a Hare with White or Brown Sauce, from the late curious Mr.
_Harrison_ of _Henley_ upon _Thames._
Cut your Hare in four or eight pieces, and slit the Head; fry it a little
in Hog's Lard, and then put it to stew in an earthen glazed Vessel, with
Gravey, half a pint of White-wine, Pepper, Nutmeg, Salt, a bunch of sweet
Herbs, and a slice or two of Lemmon-Peel; keep this close covered, and stew
it gently till 'tis tender, then strain off the Sauce, and brown it with
fry'd Flower, or burnt Butter: pour the Sauce hot over the Hare, and serve
it With a Garnish of Lemmon in Slices; but if you would have your Sauce of
brighter Colour, instead of the burnt Butter, or fry'd Flower, thicken it
with the Yolks of three or four Eggs. This is an excellent way of dressing
a Hare, and more generally admired than any other.
This being the Season for taking Honey, I shall here set down the Method of
making of Mead, after two ways, which are both extraordinary.
To make Mead, from Lady _G._
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
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