Helps towards the Preservation of Fish.
If you would keep Fish long, kill them as soon as they are out of the Water, and take out their Gills; then fill their Heads as much as may be, with Pepper, and wipe them very dry, and pack them in dry Wheat-Straw.
T. R.
To make Wine of White Elder-berries, like Cyprus Wine from Mrs. Warburton of Cheshire.
To nine Gallons of Water, put nine Quarts of the Juice of White Elder berries, which has been pressed gently from the Berries, with the Hand, and passed thro' a Sieve, without bruising the Kernels of the Berries; add to every Gallon of Liquor three Pounds of Lisbon Sugar, and to the whole Quantity put an Ounce and a half of Ginger, sliced, and three quarters of an Ounce of Cloves; then boil this near an Hour, taking off the Scum, as it rises, and pour the whole to cool, in an open Tub, and work it with Ale-Yeast, spread upon a Toast of white Bread, for three Days, and then tun it into a Vessel that will just hold it; adding about a Pound and a half of Raisins of the Sun split, to lie in the Liquor till we draw it off, which should not be till the Wine is fine, which you will find about January. This Wine is so like the fine rich Wine brought from Cyprus, in its Colour and Flavour, that it has deceiv'd the best Judges, These Berries are ripe in August, and may be had at the Ivy-House at Hoxton.
To make Wine of Black Elder-berries, which is equal to the best Hermitage Claret; from Henry Marsh, Esq. of Hammersmith.
Take nine Gallons of Spring Water, and half a Bushel of Elder-berries, pick'd clean from the Stalks; boil these till the Berries begin to dimple, then gently strain off the Liquor, and to every Gallon of it put two Pounds of good Lisbon Sugar, and boil it an Hour; then let it stand to cool, in an open Tub, for if it was to cool in the Copper, or Brass Kettle, it was boil'd in, the Liquor would be ill-tasted. When it is almost cool, spread some Ale-Yeast upon a Toast of White Bread, and put it into the Liquor, to work three Days in the open Tub, stirring the Liquor once or twice a Day, and then tun it in a Vessel of a right size, to hold it: At the same time add to every Gallon one pound of Raisins of the Sun whole, and let them lie in the Cask till the Wine is drawn off.
Such a small quantity of Wine, as is here directed, will be fit to bottle the January next after it is made, but larger Casks should not be drawn off till March or April.
A Receipt from Barbadoes, to make Rum; which proves very good.
In Barbadoes the Rum is made of the Scum and Offal of the Sugar, of which they put one ninth part, or eighth part, to common Water, about eighteen Gallons, all together, in a wooden open Vessel or Tub; cover this with dry Leaves of Palm, or for want of them, with the Leaves of Platanus or the Leaves of Fern in England, or the Parts or Leaves which Flagg-Brooms are made of. Let this remain for nine Days, till it changes of a clean yellow Colour, and it will be then fit to distil; then put it into an Alembic, and you will have what we call the Low-Wines. A Day or two after distil it again, and in the Cap of the Still, hang a small muslin Bag of sweet Fennel-Seeds, and the Spirit will be of a fine Flavour. Some will use Anniseed in the Bag, and some use a little Musk with the sweet Fennel Seeds, or else distil the Spirit twice, viz., once with the sweet Fennel-Seeds, and the next with a little Musk.