Recipe Manuscript

To Make White Elder Wine

Name: To Make White Elder Wine
Prep time: PTPT2H
Cook time: PTPT1H
Yield: 180
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 45 liters spring water; 21.6 kg Malmsey (Malaga) raisins, finely chopped (or use high-quality regular raisins); 10 grams dried elderflowers; 28 grams isinglass (or 28 grams vegetarian gelatin for clarification); 60–120 grams granulated sugar (1 lump per bottle, optional); 2–3 teaspoons saffron extract (optional, for color)

1764

From the treasured pages of Cookbook of Mary Puleston

Written by Mary Puleston

Culinary Enlightenment (1700 - 1800)European Intermediate Drink

Original Recipe • 1764

Original Manuscript(circa Culinary Enlightenment, 1700 - 1800)

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

To Make White Elder Wine

"Take 12 gallons of spring water well boyled when almost cold put to every gallon of water four pound of malligo raisons shread small. so put ym into a tub & mix ym well with yr hands so that ye don't remain in lumps. let it stand 12 days stiring it once every day. yr strain ye liquor into yr vessell & put a small handfull of dry'd Elder flowers; so stop up yr vessell close for six weeks. yr take an ounce of Ising glass & disolve it in a litle of ye wine when it is melted put it into yr vessell & stir it in; yr stop it close for 12 days to rostle it. ye may put a lump of sugar in every botle. but it does well without; some squeze in six pency worth of Safomb into ye quantity; but it makes it very high colord"

Note on the Original Text

The recipe is written in characteristic 18th-century English with many abbreviations and archaic words—such as 'to rostle' (to settle/clarify), 'Malligo raisons' (Malaga raisins, now usually called Malmsey), 'isinglass' (a clarifying agent made from fish bladders), and 'Safomb' (a phonetic spelling of saffron). Spelling reflects the nonstandardized conventions of the time: 'ym' means 'them', 'ye' is 'the', 'yr' stands for 'your', and quantities are specified informally ('lump', 'handfull'). Recipe instructions assume a high degree of practical knowledge by the reader, consistent with domestic manuscript cookery of the period.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Cookbook of Mary Puleston - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Cookbook of Mary Puleston (1764)

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

Writer

Mary Puleston

Era

1764

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A tantalizing compilation of 18th-century culinary wisdom, this collection artfully preserves the flavors, techniques, and charms of British cookery before 1764—inviting modern gourmets to savor a taste of history with every recipe.

Kindly made available by

Folger Shakespeare Library

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe hails from mid-18th century Britain, compiled before 1764 by Mary Puleston. During this time, making wine at home from local fruits and botanicals was a common practice for country households. Elder-flower wine was especially popular due to the abundance of elder trees and the distinctive floral character the blossoms imparted to beverages. Wine made from raisins—often from imported Spanish or Canary varieties like Malmsey—acted as a creative substitute for grape wine, which was expensive and reserved for the wealthy. Recipes such as this reflect both resourcefulness and the evolving culinary landscape of the period.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

The process would have required large earthenware or wooden tubs for fermenting, a stout wooden spoon or paddle for stirring, a linen cloth or fine sieve for straining, and tightly sealed stoneware or glass bottles for aging and storage. Additionally, a small saucepan would be used for dissolving isinglass, with the wine stored in a cool cellar to mature.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

2 hrs

Cook Time

1 hr

Servings

180

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

12 gallons spring water
48 pounds Malmsey (Malaga) raisins, finely chopped (or use high-quality regular raisins)
0.35 ounces dried elderflowers
1 ounce isinglass (or 1 ounce vegetarian gelatin for clarification)
2–4 ounces granulated sugar (1 lump per bottle, optional)
2–3 teaspoons saffron extract (optional, for color)

Instructions

Bring 12 gallons of spring water to a boil and then allow it to cool until just warm.
For every gallon of water, use about 1 pound of Malmsey (Malaga) raisins, finely chopped.
Combine raisins and cooled water in a large sanitized container, mixing thoroughly by hand until no lumps remain.
Cover the mixture loosely and let it ferment at room temperature for 12 days, stirring once each day.
After fermentation, strain the liquid through a fine cloth or sieve into a clean fermentation vessel.
Add a small handful (about 0.35 ounces) of dried elderflowers.
Seal the vessel tightly and let it rest undisturbed for 6 weeks.
Melt 1 ounce of isinglass (or vegetarian gelatin substitute) in a small amount of the wine.
Once dissolved, stir this back into the main batch to help clarify the liquid.
Seal and let sit for another 12 days.
When bottling, you can add a sugar lump (0.2–0.35 ounces) to each bottle for sweetness, or leave as is for a drier wine.
Optionally, add a small squeeze (about the equivalent of modern sixpence, perhaps 2–3 teaspoons) of saffron extract, but be aware this will give the wine a deep golden color.

Estimated Calories

200 per serving

Cooking Estimates

This recipe takes time mostly for fermenting and clarifying the wine. Actual hands-on prep and cooking is limited to chopping raisins, boiling and cooling water, and mixing ingredients. The majority of the process is waiting for fermentation and clarification to finish. Each serving is about 250 ml, similar to a standard glass of wine. The calorie estimate is based on the sugar content of raisins and assumes minimal residual sugar.

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.