English Recipe Book, early 18th century MS.7746

To pickle Walnuts

Take walnuts before they begin to be hard lay them in steep 9 days in fair water shifting the water every day then scald them 5 times on this manner lay them in a broad saspan one by one Cover them with water & set them ^on the fire till they are ready to boil but be sure they do not boil then put the water away & put fresh to them having done this 5 times pickle them up thus lay a layer of walnuts & strew salt on them & then a layer of dill then a layer of walnuts & do so till your pot is full then cover them with your pickle which must be made [thereas] boil water & salt till it will bear an egg then put 2 quarts of vinegar to a pint & half of water. . . . . always put a bodkin through the walnuts as are not paired to let the bitterness out . . . . .

How to make the wright french biskets

Take a pound of sugar a pound of flower & 9 eggs then whisk the whights all up to froth then put in eight of the yolks & beat the eggs & sugar very well first then beat in the flower & when they are beat enough put them in paper Coffins they must be put on a wier or something that the bottom may not stick to the oven to burn them the paper must be flowerd [&] the biskets sugar done over them when they go in the oven & eggs must have Ambergraise or what you like in them to perfume them

Black Cherry Water

Take 3 pound of black Cherrys pick off the stalks & bruise them that you crack the stones cardius baume sweet marjorim & spearemint of each 2 large handfulls 3 pints of claret wine 4 nutmeggs & the like weight of Cinnamond beat the spice & bruise the herbs & put altogether let it stand 24 hours & then distill it in a cold still or limbeck

To fry Toste Take a loaf of wheight bread & cut it in slices like tosts then have some thick cream & the yolk of an egg & a spoonfull or 2 of sack & a little sugar beaten altogether & dip your toste well in it & fry them with some sweet butter then serve them up scrape sugar on them

Cowcumbers like Mangos

Take the largest you can get scope out all the inside make as little a hole at one end as you can let your pickle be made with 2 quarts of vinegar one Pint of Lime Juices half a pint of musterd a quarter of a pint of musterd seed bruised stepe your Cucumbers with 6 or 8 cloves of garleek 6 or 8 little slices of ginger & the bruised musterd seed put them into your pickle & in 16 days they will be ready the largest is best if Green

To make Cowslip Wine Lady Whitmors way

Take 9 gallons of water & 24 pound of sugar boil your water & Sugar very well for an hour haveing put into it the whights of 6 new lade eggs well beaten skim it s'constantly all the while it boils then have a bushel of cowslaps picked & bruised & put in a clean tub and pouer this licker to them & let it stand till near morning then strain the liquor from them & squise them dry then take the thickest ale yeast spread it upon tosts of brown bred tosted hard on both sides & set it to work when you put in 3 bottles of sack & one of rennish with the juce of 6 lemmonds & some of the pill then cover it & let it work 24 hours then strain it & put into a runlet fit for the quantity you make & when it hath stood 3 weeks or more in the runlet draw it into bottles you may put a little cup of fine loaf sugar into every bottle if you please cork it up close & after it hath stood a month you may drink it & will keep a year . . . . [men of]

A receit for the worms in Children

half an ounce of worm food bruised & steeped all night in white wine vinegar the next morning put to it A quarter of an ounce of runing treacle A quarter of an ounce of conserve of roses mix these well together & take the Quantity of a large nutmegg every morning for 9 mornings fasting an hour after eate no salt meat nor milk meates during the time of fasting

To drie Beef

To a large fat rumpe take half a pound of petter salt rube the salt well in then take of whight salt & salt all very well & keep the brine up to it & let it lie in salt 3 weeks & then sow it up in a cloth & hang it up in the Chimney as high as you think convenient & then Boil it for your use it must boil 4 hours & put it into the watter could before the watter is heated - - - - -

To make yorke Gingerbread

Take a quarte of sack a pound and half of sugar boyl & skim it then put in 2 ounces of cinnamon 2 nutmegs & a dram of clovs & a dram of ginger all beat & serced, take a grain of Ambergrase & rub it with a little of your sugar & mix it with the rest a quarter of a pound of sweet Almonds blanched & beat very fine with a spoo-nfull or 2 of rose water take of the hard purest of old Bread grated & dryed in an oven sift it trough a hare sive: & throw it in by little & little as your sack boils stiring it all the while then put in your Almonds & a little red seeds to coller when it is boild enough take it off the fire & stir it still it be cold enough to work like paste with your hands & print it you must dust your with cinnamon & sugar make not your prints too thick & it will dry sooner & eat better

To Pickle Walnuts Cousen Johnsons way

Take your walnuts and pick them full of Holes throw them into salt & water let them ly a week shifting them once or twice then make a pickle of vinegar with all sorts of spice if your vinegar is very sharp you must put water to it when your pickle doth boil throw them in & let them [simber] a little then take the walnuts out put them into a pot & pour in your pickle scalding hot upon them

Straw Cheese Take 3 quarts of new milk from the cow put a little runnet to it when it is come lay it into your straw strawner without breaking lay 2 or 3 pound waits on it let it stand 3 or 4 hours then turn it into a fresh drainer & so keep it often turning until the next morning then take off the waite & then salt it keep it in the Strainer a - - - week changing it twice a day for another week & then it will be fit to eate it must be dryed in a very warm place - - - -

To Salt ham Lady Powels way

Take the leg of a fat hog cut out like a westfaly ham let it hang up 3 weeks till it begins to be mouldy then wash it very well in verges rubing it with your hand till all mouldy be off pour it away & wash it in fresh verges till it be very Clean rub it all over with salt peter make a hole in the brany part with a small knife & put in as much salt salt peter as will ly on a shilling rub it all over with salt & lay it in a tray turn it every day & wash it in the brine that run from it let it thus ly 3 weeks then hang it up to smoke in a Chimney where you burn wood or turf it may hang 3 months if the places be not two hot

To pickle Mushrooms

Take the Mushrooms Early in the Morning if buttons only wash them In water & salt if open take the outward skin off & then take the red inside out put them into 2 or 3 several waters then put them into a Kettle a posnet & put salt enough & season them with a little pepper beaten & let them boil themselvs till enough when boiled take them out & dry them & lay them on a Cloth or Table til Cold - - - - Take vinegar Salt peper cloves & mace beaten & boil it altogether

Sossiges

Take a fore line of pork cut off the skins take as much fat & lene as you want & chop them mighty fine together a handfull of sage & a little rosemary cut very smal season the meats with a little pepper salt & 2 nutmegs grated smal then put in the yolks of 3 eggs mix all well together & put them into your skins they ar good boiled or fryed let the water boil before you put them in - - - - - - - - - -

An Excelent Sear Cloth for Ague or Sore Take a pint of the best sallet oyl half a pound of red led finely beaten & serced 2 ounces of the best venus turpratine mingle all those together in a skillet set them over a soft fire Stiring it with a stick boil it till it turn black when a drop will slip off from a pewter dish it is enough then set it of

from the fire & dip your clothes smoothing them out with 2 sticks as fast as you can that which you leave you may weting your hands with cold water roul up for a salve

To Make Oring Cream

Take the juce of 7 oringes & put to it better then a quorter of a pound of powder Sugar when it is boiled up run it through a sive when it is almost Cold have the yolks of 10 eggs beaten & put as much whight wine to them as make it a Coulor to your liking then mingle it with the oringe juce & set it over the fire till it is thick & stir it one way & not let it boil -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

A receit for Damson Brandy

Take 10 gallons of brandy put into it a bushel of damsons A little bruised and ten pound of sugar an ounce of cinnamon one ounce of nutmegs and one ounce of cloves all bruised and let them stand six weeks in a vessel stiring it every day & then when it is fine bottle it off -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- I think there is two much sugar by Almost half for this makes it very much too sweet

To dress Carps: when your Carps is handsomely boyled make this sau[c]e:

have the blood of your Carps sarced & put to it a quort of Clarret wine in a deep dish or pan and put in an- chovey clean picked from the bones some oysters liker if you have it a little bit of horse redish & a very little shall lot & a little hole pepper let all these stew together almost an hour as long as your carps are a boiling when it is anough beat your yolk of an egg & a little thick butter together & stir it well in to thicken it up & if you please a little strong gravey then lay your dish handsomely with Sipits & dish up your Carps you should sqause a leamon or an oring into your sause & put in some salt & garnish your dish with the rasping of bread sifted finely over the Sides & fry some sipit crisp with sweet butter if you have the body of a lobster to put into your sause