Beat this very well together, with a little of the
Liquor in a skiming dish, till you see it well incorporated,
and that it beginneth to work. Then put it to
a pailful (of about two Gallons and a half) of the
Liquor, and mingle it well therewith. Then leave
the skiming dish reversed floating in the middle of
the Liquor, and so the yest will work up into and
under the hollow of the dish, and grow out round about
the sides without. He left this well and thick
covered all night, from about eleven a clock at night;
And the next morning, finding it had wrought very
well, He mingled what was in the Pail with the whole
proportion of the Liquor, and so Tunned it up into
a Sack-cask. I am not satisfied, whether he did
not put a spoonful of fine white good Mustard into
his Barm, before he brought it hither, (for he took
a pretext to look out some pure clean white barm)
but he protested, there was nothing mingled with the
barm, yet I am in doubt. He confessed to me that
in making of Sider, He put’s in half as much
Mustard as Barm; but never in Meathe. The fourth
of September in the morning, he Bottled up into Quart-bottles
the two lesser Rundlets of this Meathe (for he did
Tun the whole quantity into one large Rundlet, and
two little ones) whereof the one contained thirty Bottles;
and the other, twenty two. There remained but
little settling or dregs in the Bottom’s of
the Barrels, but some there was. The Bottles were
set into a cool Cellar, and He said they would be
ready to drink in three weeks. The Proportion
of Herbs and Spices is this; That there be so much
as to drown the luscious sweetness of the Honey; but
not so much as to taste of herbs or spice, when you
drink the Meathe. But that the sweetnes of the
honey may kill their taste: And so the Meathe
have a pleasant taste, but not of herbs, nor spice,
nor honey. And therefore you put more or less
according to the time you will drink it in. For
a great deal will be mellowed away in a year, that
would be ungratefully strong in three months.
And the honey that will make it keep a year or two,
will require a triple proportion of spice and herbs.
He commends Parsley roots to be in greatest quantity,
boiled whole, if young; but quarterred and pithed,
if great and old.
MY OWN CONSIDERATIONS FOR MAKING OF MEATHE
Boil what quantity of Spring-water you please, three or four walms, and then let it set the twenty four hours, and pour the clear from the settling. Take sixteen Gallons of the clear, and boil in it ten handfuls of Eglantine-leaves, five of Liverwort, five of Scabious, four of Baulm, four of Rosemary; two of Bay-leaves; one of Thyme, and one of Sweet-marjoram, and five Eringo-roots splitted. When the water hath drawn out the vertue of the herbs (which it will do in half an hours boiling,) let it run through a strainer or sieve, and let it settle so, that you may pour the clear from the Dregs. To every three Gallons of the Clear, take one of Honey, and with