Recipe Manuscript

To Make Orange Watter

Name: To Make Orange Watter
Prep time: PTPT45M
Cook time: PTPT1H
Yield: 15
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 25 Seville oranges (or bitter oranges), for peel; 2.85 liters brandy; 950 ml dry sherry (substitute: French white wine if unavailable); 300–400 grams granulated sugar (to taste); Additional 6 Seville oranges (for subsequent extract batch); 950 ml additional brandy (for second batch)

1675

From the treasured pages of Medicinal and cookery recipes by John King

Written by John King

Renaissance (1400 - 1700)European Advanced Drink

Original Recipe • 1675

Original Manuscript(circa Renaissance, 1400 - 1700)

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

To Make Orange Watter

"Take a quarter of a hundred of deep rinned Civell oringes pare them pretty thin & putt into the Still then take 3 quarts of brandy & one quart of Sack or french wine & power wine & brandy upon them Lett the rinds stay in the Still one night the Still being Closst pasted the next morning putt fire into the Still draw nere 4 quarts keep the head of the still with a wett Cloath you must keep a Jentel fire that it still not past a day or 2: after the water is distiled put the strong & smale together into a clean scillet or cottel sett it over a clear fire that it hath noe smoke & put in as much lb of suger as will sweeten it stir it till it is dissoulved then take it of the fire bottel it hot fill the bottels as high as the corks when you have drawn of nere 4 bottels lift up the head of the still & putt in the rinds of 6 oringes & a quart of brandy & you may draugh of nere 3 quarts"

Note on the Original Text

The recipe is composed in the idiosyncratic, stream-of-consciousness style typical of handwritten English cookery books from the 17th and early 18th centuries—note the non-standard spelling ('pasted' for 'pasted shut', 'Jentel' for 'gentle', 'dissoulved' for 'dissolved'). Directions are densely packed and punctuation is sparse, requiring the reader to interpret process steps with some culinary intuition. Spelling and terminology reflect the phonetics and kitchen vernacular of the period; for example, 'Civell oringes' are 'Seville oranges', and 'Still' refers to a distillation apparatus. Measurements like 'a quarter of a hundred' (i.e., 25) and 'quarts' translate to modern metric volumes as closely as possible.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Medicinal and cookery recipes by John King - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Medicinal and cookery recipes by John King (1675)

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

Writer

John King

Era

1675

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A delightful journey into the kitchens of the 17th and early 18th centuries, this collection, attributed to John King, brims with time-honored recipes, culinary wisdom, and flavors that once graced historic tables.

Kindly made available by

Folger Shakespeare Library

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe hails from early modern England, roughly between 1625 and 1725, and is preserved in a collection connected to John King. During this era, the art of distillation was in vogue among the gentry and well-to-do households, who often made their own flavored waters and spirits for medicinal, culinary, and social use. Seville oranges were a prized ingredient for their aromatic rinds and sharp, lively flavor. Orange water, also known as 'orange cordial' or 'orange water,' was enjoyed both as a beverage and as a flavoring in confectionery and desserts. The recipe demonstrates both the social sophistication and practical ingenuity of home cooks in early modern England.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

Traditionally, this recipe would have required a copper alembic still for distillation, complete with a cap and condensing worm, as well as earthenware or glass storage bottles. Peeling knives (often silver or steel) were used to pare the citrus rinds, and strong heat-resistant vessels like cauldrons, skillets, or metal kettles for gently dissolving the sugar. Damp cloths were used to seal joints and assist cooling in the condensing process. Accurate scales and measures were less common, so volume and taste guided quantities.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

45 mins

Cook Time

1 hr

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

25 Seville oranges (or bitter oranges), for peel
3 quarts brandy
1 quart dry sherry (substitute: French white wine if unavailable)
11–14 ounces granulated sugar (to taste)
Additional 6 Seville oranges (for subsequent extract batch)
1 quart additional brandy (for second batch)

Instructions

Begin by taking 25 Seville oranges (these are known for their thick, deep rind and intense aroma).
Pare their rinds thinly, taking care to avoid as much of the bitter white pith as possible.
Place the orange rinds into a distillation vessel or an alternative such as a large, heatproof glass jar with a tight-fitting lid.
Pour in 3 quarts brandy and 1 quart dry sherry (as a substitute for historic 'sack' or use French white wine), mixing the spirits with the rinds.
Seal the vessel tightly and allow the mixture to steep overnight (8–12 hours) in a cool, dark place.
If distilling: The next day, set up the still with the soaked peels and liquid, sealing the joints with a damp cloth.
Gently heat with a low, steady flame.
Keep a damp cloth over the head of the still to help condense the vapors.
Collect about 1 gallon of distillate.
If not distilling: After steeping, strain the peels out and proceed with the liquid extract.
Combine the strong and weaker spirit fractions.
Place the mixture in a clean stainless steel or enamel pot.
Bring it gently to heat (do not boil), and add sugar to taste—start with 11–14 ounces, adjusting for sweetness.
Stir until fully dissolved.
Bottle while still hot, filling bottles almost to the top.
For a second, less intense batch, you may add peels from six more oranges and another 1 quart of brandy to the peels in the still, repeating the distillation to yield about 3 quarts more orange water.

Estimated Calories

180 per serving

Cooking Estimates

You will spend about 45 minutes peeling the oranges and preparing the ingredients. After the mixture steeps overnight, the distillation or straining will take about 1 hour including dissolving the sugar. This recipe produces about 3.8 liters (just over 15 cups), so serving size is based on about a 250 ml glass (1 cup). Each serving contains about 180 calories, considering the alcohol content and sugar added.

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.