Recipe Manuscript

To Make Reson Wine

Name: To Make Reson Wine
Prep time: PTPT20M
Cook time: PTPT0M
Yield: 10
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 3.8 liters water; 900 grams sun-dried raisins (substitute: standard seedless raisins if sun-dried unavailable); 450 grams granulated sugar; 2 lemons, thinly sliced

1709

From the treasured pages of Cook-book of Margaret Turner

Written by Margaret Eyre

Culinary Enlightenment (1700 - 1800)European Beginner Drink

Original Recipe • 1709

Original Manuscript(circa Culinary Enlightenment, 1700 - 1800)

As inscribed by the original author's hand, transcribed with care by Lost Kitchen Scrolls

To Make Reson Wine

"Take to a gallon of water 2 pound of resons in ye sun & one pound of shuger 2 Lemmons sliced. boil your water & shuger & when cold put your Resons & Lemmon to it so let it stand all together 2 or 3 days & strain it & put it into a vessell. & stop it close. & let it stand 3 weeks or a month &n bottle it up; some do not boil ye water."

Note on the Original Text

This recipe uses early 18th-century English spelling—‘resons’ for ‘raisins’, ‘shuger’ for ‘sugar’, and ‘lemmons’ for ‘lemons’—as well as period punctuation and phrasing with minimal instruction or measured times. Directions are brief and assume familiarity with basic brewing techniques common to the era’s readers. The lack of step-by-step technical detail reflects both the oral tradition of cookery and an expectation of experienced household management.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Cook-book of Margaret Turner - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Cook-book of Margaret Turner (1709)

You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome

Writer

Margaret Eyre

Era

1709

Publisher

Unknown

Background

Step into the refined world of early 18th-century cookery with Margaret Eyre, where recipes are whispered secrets and culinary wonders await. From hearty roasts to delicate sweets, this charming tome serves up inspiration fit for the tables of historic England.

Kindly made available by

Folger Shakespeare Library

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe comes from the early 18th-century English household of Margaret Eyre, around 1709—a time when home wine- and cordial-making flourished as both a domestic craft and a necessity. Wine from raisins (sometimes spelled ‘resons’ or ‘raisins’) offered a way for families without access to vineyards to create their own festive beverages. Recipes such as these are found in many English household manuscripts of the period, reflecting the importance of using imported dried fruits and citrus for preserving and flavoring.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

In Margaret Eyre’s kitchen, boiling water would be achieved in a large cauldron or pot over the hearth, with sugar and water stirred with a wooden spoon. After infusing the raisins and lemons, the mixture would be strained through cloth or a fine sieve. A stoneware fermenting crock or cask, stopped with a cloth or wooden bung, provided the vessel for fermentation. Bottling would use glass bottles sealed with corks or wax where available.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

0 mins

Servings

We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!

Ingredients

1 gallon water
2 pounds sun-dried raisins (substitute: standard seedless raisins if sun-dried unavailable)
1 pound granulated sugar
2 lemons, thinly sliced

Instructions

To make a modern version of Reson Wine, start by boiling 1 gallon (3.8 liters) of water and dissolving 1 pound (2 cups) of granulated sugar into it.
Once cooled to room temperature, add 2 pounds (about 2 quarts) of sun-dried raisins and 2 lemons thinly sliced.
Let this mixture stand, covered, at room temperature for 2-3 days to infuse.
Afterward, strain out the solids and pour the liquid into a clean fermentation vessel, securing it with an airlock or tightly-fitting lid.
Allow this to ferment at room temperature for 3 to 4 weeks.
Once fermentation appears to have ceased, decant into clean bottles and seal.
Optionally, you can skip boiling the water for a more rustic approach, as suggested in the original recipe.

Estimated Calories

130 per serving

Cooking Estimates

It takes about 20 minutes to prepare the ingredients and start simmering the mixture. There is no real cooking time beyond dissolving the sugar in hot water. Each serving has around 130 calories. The recipe makes about 10 servings, based on standard wine serving sizes.

As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.

We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.