Closet For Ladies: Part 3 Edible Pastes

Welcome to fabulousFusionFood's Closet for Ladies and Modern Redaction Recipes, section 3: Edible Pastes — This is the third section of the 1608 volume, Closet for Ladies. Here you will find recipes for 'Edible Pastes'. I have used a special font to present the recipes in as close a form to the original as possible as well as side-by-side updates of the text to modern English orthography. I am also working on providing modern redactions for each and every recipe presented here. Enjoy...

These pages have been written to be as close to the font styles of the late 16th and early 17th century original as possible, within the limitations of HTML. As a result, the long-s symbol 'ſ' has been used in the text wherever it features in the original, as well as overbars and other symbols to represent abbreviations and the ligatures that link the c–t characters.

You will encounter many unfamiliar culinary terms and usages in this work. Where the recipe has been redacted into modern form, these are either defined in the redaction or a link to a definition is given. However, may of the terms can also be found by browsing or searching the glossary of cooking and food terms pages on this site.

The text presented here is derived directly from the original manuscript, rendered in a late Elizabethan style font. The font is embedded in this page to ensure, as far as possible, that the text renders correctly for you.

A Closet for Ladies: Section 3: Edible Pastes

To make Paſt of Pippins the GENVA faſhion, ſome with leaues, some like Plums with staulkes, and stones in them. TAke your Pippins, and pare them, and cut them in quarters, then boyle them in faire water till they be tender, then ſtraine them, and drie the pulpe vpon a Chafindiſh of coales, then weigh it, & take as much ſuger as it weigheth, and boyle it to Manus Chriſti, and put them together, then faſhion them vpon a Pie-plate, and put it into an Ouen, being very ſleightly heat, the next morning you may turn it, and put them off the plates vpon ſheetes of paper vpon a hurdle, and so put them into an Ouen of like heat, and there let them remaine foure or fiue dayes, putting euery day a Chafindish of coales into the Ouen, and when they be thorow dry, you may boxe them, and keepe them all the yeare. 1. To make Paste of Pippins the Genua fashion, some with leaves, some like Plums with stalks, and stones in them.. Take your pippins and pare them, and cut them in quarters, then boil them in fair water till they are tender then strain them and drie the pulp upon a chafing-dish of coals, then weigh it and take as much sugar as it weighs, and boil it up to Manus Christi* [height] and put them together, then arrange them upon a pie-place and put it into an oven, geing very slightly hot. The next morning you may turn it, and put them off the plates upon sheetes of paper upon a hurdle and so put them into an oven of similar heat and there let them remain four or five days, putting every day a chafing-dish of coals into the oven. And when they are thoroughly dry, you may box them and keep them all the year. To make Paſt of Eglantine of the colour of thrred Corall. TAke your EglantineBerries, otherwiſe called Hips, and ſtampe them in a morter, with Gum-tragacant and Roſewater, then ſtrayne it thorough a ſtrayner, then take halfe a pound of refined ſuger, beaten and ſearsed, and worke it vp into Paſt with this ſtrayning, then print it with your moulds, then ſtoaue it, and then guild them. 2. To make Paste of Eglantine* of the colour of the red Coral. Take your Eglantine berries*, otherwise called Hips, and stamp them in a mortar with gum-tragacant and rosewater, then strain it thorugh a strainer, then take half a pound of refined sugar, beaten and sifted, and work it up into a paste with this straining, then print it with your moulds*, then stove it and then gild them. To make Paſt Royall white. TAke a pound of refined ſuger beaten and ſearsed, and put into an Alabaſter morter, with an ounce of Gum-tragacant, ſteeped in Roſe water, and if you ſee your Paſt bee too weake, put in more ſuger, if too drie, more gumme, with a droppe or two of oyle of Cynamon, ſo that you neuer deceiue your ſelfe to ſtand vpon quantities, beat it into perfect Paſt, and then you may print it with your moulds, and when it is drie, guild it, and ſo keepe them. 3. To make white Royal Paste. Take a pound of refined sugar, beaten and sifted, and put [it] into an Alabaster morter with an ounce of gum tragacanth* steeped in rose water and if you see yor paste is too weak [ie too liquid] put in more sugar; if too dry, more gum; with a drop or two of oil of oil of Cinnamon so that you never decieve your self to stand upon quantities. Beat it into perfect paste and then you may print it with your moulds, and when it is dry, gild it, and so keep them. To make Paſt royall in ſpices. TAke of Cynamon and Ginger, of each a like quantitie, being finely ſearsed, mingle it with your ſearsed ſuger, and Gum-tragacant ſteeped in Roſe water, and worke it into Paſt, as you did your Paſt royall white, and then you may turne it vpon ſtickes made of peeces of arrowes, and make them hollow like Cynamon ſtickes: in like ſort you may make it taſt of what ſpices you pleaſe. 4. To make Royal Paste with spices. Take a similar quantity of cinnamon and ginger, being finely sifted, mingel it with your sifted sugar and gum tragacanth steeped in rose water, and work it into a paste, as you did your white royal paste, and then you may turn it upon sticks made of pieces of arrows, and make them hollow like cinnamon sticks. In a similar manner you may make it taste of whatever spices you please. To make Paſt of Genua the true way. TAke two pound of the Pulpe of Quinces, and as much of peaches, and ſtraine it, and drie it in a pewter platter vpon a Chafindish of coles, then weigh it, and take as much ſuger as it weigheth, and boyle it to the height of Manus Chriſti, and then put them together, and ſo faſhion it vpon a Pieplate, and dry it in an Ouen with a Chafindish of coales, vntill it be throrough drie, and then if it pleaſe you, you may ſpot them with Gold. 5. To make Genua Paste the true way. Take two pounds of the pulp of quinces and as much of peaches and strain it and dry it in a pewter platter upon a chafing-dish of coals, then weight it and take as much sugar as it weighs and boil int to the height of Manus Christi* and then put them together and so fashion it upon a pie plate and dry it in an oven with a chafing dish of coals until it is thoroughly dry and then if you like, you may spot them with gold. To make Paſt of Violets. YOu muſt take of your Violets, which are ready picked, & bruise them in an Alabaſter or marble morter and wring the iuyce from them into a porringer, and put as much hard ſuger in fine powder as that iuyce will couer, drie it, and then powder it againe, and then take as much Gum-tragacant ſteeped in roſe water, as wil bring this ſuger into a perfect paſt, when it is perfect, take it vp and print it with your moulds, and ſo drie it in your Stoaue, and not by the fire for feare of daunger, and when it is drie, guild it. It is a fine banqueting conceit. 6. To make Violet Paste. You must take violets that are ready picked, and bruise them in an Alabaster or marble mortar and wring the juice from them into a porringer*, and put as much hard sugar (in fine powder) as the juice will cover. Dry it and then powder it again, and then take as much gum tragacanth, steeped in rose water, as will bring this sugar into a paerfect paste. When it is perfect, take it up and print it with your moulds, and so dry it in your stove and not by the fire for fear of danger and when it is try gild it. It is a fine banqueting conceit. To make Paſt of Goos-berries. TAke of your Goos-berries, and cut them one by one, and wring the iuyce from them, till you haue gotten ſo much as you think wil ſerue your turne, boyle your iuyce a little, that it may be the thicker, then take as much double refined ſuger, as your iuyce will ſharpen, and dry it as you did for your Violets, and being drie, beat it very fine, and take as much Gum-tragacant ſteeped in Red roſe water as will ſerue, and beate it into perfect past in an Alabaster morter, and then take it vp, and print it with your moulds, vſing it in euery reſpect as your paſt of Violets: This is excellent good for one that hath a weake ſtomacke. 7. To make Gooseberry Paste. Take your gooseberries and slice them one by one, and wring the juice from them, until you have obtained as much as you think will serve you. Boil your juice a little, so that it thickens, then take as much double refined sugar as your juice will sharpen [ie to sweeten the juice to your taste] and dry it as you did for your violets and being dry, beat it very fine, and take as much gum tragacanth settped in rose water as will serve [to thicken it] and beat it into perfect paste in an alabaster mortar and then take it up and print it with your moulds, using it in every respect as your paste of violets. This is excellently good for someone who has a weak stomach.

Notes:
[*] This is a classic sugar confection made since the Middle Ages. Manus Christi was also a term used to indicate a sugar boiling temperature and you will find many recipes that call for sugar to be boiled to Manus Christi height. Manus Christi seems to have evolved as a medicinal confection in the Middle ages, hence the rosewater with ambergris and ground pearls. Later, in Elizabethan times Manus Christi became sugar confections coated in gold leaf. Theories vary about the temperature implied by Manus Christi (some believe it to be 102°C, but I think this is too low and you would not have a proper candy. Pesonally I believe it to be 112°C.)
[*] Eglantine is an old word for rose hips and this is basically a rose hip leather.
[*] The seeds of rose hips are extremely irritating. As a result, the hips here must have been thoroughly de-seeded before use and what is meant in this recipes is 'rose hip flesh'.
[*] During this period the molds for making confection of this type were either simply stamps with a pattern embossed on them or they were boxes with lids that had a pattern cut into it which was then pressed down on the confection.
[*] Gum tragacanth is a natural gum obtained from the dried sap of several species of Middle Eastern legumes of the genus Astragalus, including Astragalus adscendens, Astragalus gummifer, Astragalus brachycalyx, and Astragalus tragacanthus (known colloquially as goat's thorn). Gum tragacanth is a viscous, odorless, tasteless, water-soluble mixture of polysaccharides obtained from sap which is drained from the root of the plant and dried. In Tudor and Stuart times it was one of the most common food gums, but today has been supplanted by gum Arabic or guar gum; largely because most tragacanth is grown in Middle Eastern countries which have shaky trade relations with countries where the gum is to be used.
[*] Porringers were shallow bowls, between 10 to 15cm in diameter, and 3.75 to 7.5cm deep; the form originates in the medieval period in Europe and they were made in wood, ceramic, pewter and silver that flat, horizontal handles. Colonial porringers tended to have one handle whereas European ones tend to have two handles on opposite sides and from which gruel or porridge, or other soft foods were typically eaten. Typical volumes were about a pint (500ml in the measurements of the time).


Previous Page | Next Page

Back to the contents of the Delightes for Ladies.