Siurop Of Nettels
From the treasured pages of Cookbook
Unknown Author
Siurop Of Nettels
"Take your nettels and put them in a stoup and set it in among scalding and let it boill till it be tender then take and wring them out put in as many and so continue till your have stoved them all then put in your tincture in a pan and the whit of 2 egges after they are beat then set it on the fire and let it stand till it come a boylling then take of the scum then take to every mutchkino of tinctur a pound of suggar and when it is disolved set it on a fire & let it boyle to the consistanc of a siurop then take & let it cooll & then bottell it up."
Note on the Original Text
This recipe is written in the characteristically direct, conversational English of its era, with whimsical spellings and rare punctuation. Terms like 'mutchkin' (about 350 ml) and 'tincture' (the extracted nettle liquid) are used with the expectation of contemporary familiarity. Egg whites clarify the syrup, a common 17th-18th century preserving technique, while the method of boiling down to 'the consistanc of a siurop' is visually gauged—no sugar thermometers here!
Title
Cookbook (1706)
You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome
Writer
Unknown
Era
1706
Publisher
Unknown
Background
Step back to the early 18th century with this charming culinary collection, brimming with period recipes that tantalize the tastebuds and offer a delicious glimpse into historic kitchens.
Kindly made available by
Folger Shakespeare Library
This recipe hails from early 18th-century Scotland, around 1706—a time when household medicine and cookery overlapped in the domestic sphere. Syrups were both sweet treats and vehicles for herbal remedies. Nettle was prized for its nutritional and medicinal properties, thought to 'cleanse the blood' in spring. Cooks and housewives of the period would have recognized the value of native wild greens like nettles, making this not just a flavorful preparation but also a means to preserve a fleeting seasonal ingredient.
The original recipe would have called for a stoup (a handled vessel, like a small pot), an open hearth with hot coals for boiling, a simple whisk or fork for beating egg whites, and linen or muslin for wringing and straining the nettles. For bottling, glass bottles with wax-sealed corks or stoppers would be used. Skimming would be done with a wooden or metal spoon.
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Servings
12
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
- Fresh young nettle leaves (about 1 lb for a good yield of tincture)
- Water (enough to cover and steam the nettles)
- Egg whites, 2
- Granulated sugar, 2 cups for every 1 1/2 cups nettle liquid
Instructions
- Take fresh young nettle leaves (be sure to use gloves!), thoroughly wash them, and place them in a pot.
- Cover the pot with a lid and let the nettles steam in boiling water until tender, about 10-15 minutes.
- Once soft, squeeze out the liquid gently and repeat until all your nettles are processed, reserving the vibrant green liquid (the 'tincture').
- Pour this tincture into a saucepan.
- Whisk the whites of 2 eggs lightly, add them to the tincture, and gently heat—do not boil fiercely—until it reaches simmering.
- Skim off any scum or curdled egg whites that float to the surface.
- For every 1 1/2 cups (about a 'mutchkin', an old Scottish measure) of nettle liquid, add 2 cups sugar.
- Stir to dissolve, bring to a gentle boil, and cook until it has thickened to a syrupy consistency, about 10-15 minutes.
- Allow to cool, then bottle the nettle syrup for storage.
Estimated Calories
140 per serving
Cooking Estimates
You will spend about 10 minutes getting the nettles ready and washing them, then about 25 minutes cooking and simmering everything. The finished syrup will serve about 12 people, and each serving has around 140 calories.
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.
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