Recipe Manuscript

To Make Black Cherry Water

Name: To Make Black Cherry Water
Prep time: PTPT1H
Cook time: PTPT2H
Yield: 20
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 3.6 kg black cherries, whole including pits; 2.85 liters dry sherry (as modern substitute for sack); 950 ml brandy; 28 g ground white sugar (as modern substitute for old 'caster'); 28 g dried galangal root (for 'Gallingall'); 28 g dried Squinant (Camel's hay) or 28 g dried sweet vernal grass (as substitute); 14 g spikenard root (as 'Spike nard'); 7 g 'Spices liberantes' (unidentifiable, use mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, and mace); 7 g contrayerva root (or dried elecampane as substitute); 14 g cardamom seeds; 7 g kermes berries (if unavailable, use 7 g pomegranate seeds as color/flavor substitute); 56 g dried candied citron peel; 56 g fresh or dried borage flowers ('Burrage'); 56 g apple blossoms (for 'pomion', or omitted); 56 g cowslip (primrose) flowers; 56 g bugle herb (Ajuga reptans, or substitute with mint for herbal note); 56 g clove gillyflowers (or use clove-scented pinks or regular carnations); 56 g rosemary flowers; 56 g marigold flowers; 0.06 g myrrh resin, powdered (1/20 of a teaspoon); 57 g lily of the valley flowers (Note: Lily of the valley is toxic; for modern purposes use orange blossom or edible flower*)

1650

From the treasured pages of Medicinal, household and cookery receipts 1600s

Unknown Author

Renaissance (1400 - 1700)European Advanced Drink

Original Recipe • 1650

Original Manuscript(circa Renaissance, 1400 - 1700)

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

To Make Black Cherry Water

"Take eight pound of black Cherrys And beat them in a Stone morter Stones and all, then steep them in an earthen pot with 3 quarts of Sack, and one quart of Brandy Put thereto one ounce of Caster, one ounce of Gallingall, one ounce Squinant otherwise Called Camells hay, halfe an ounce of Spike nard, halfe an ounce of Speceis Liberantes, halfe Contrayerra, halfe one ounce of Cardamums, halfe one of Spicies Liberantes, halfe on ounce of Kermes berries two ounces of Citron Peel Drayed two ounces of Burrage Pomoin Cowslips Bugles, Cloves gilliflowers Rosemary flowers, marygols, flowers of each 2 ounces, and Let ym steep alltogether in the Sack and Brandy 48 houres, then still ym in a rose still adding one Scruple of myrrh, So drain itt Long as it will run, and mingle it together, add to two ounces of lilly of ye ualley"

Note on the Original Text

This recipe is written in the imperative, instructional style common in early modern English cookery books—direct, with minimal punctuation and little in the way of detailed measurements by modern standards. Ingredient spellings reflect phonetic renderings of the day: 'Cherrys', 'Burrage', 'Cowslips', 'marygols', and 'Squinant' (for sweet-scented grasses or camel hay). 'Sack' refers to fortified white wine, such as sherry. Weights like 'ounce' here mean approximately 28 grams. Units such as 'scruple' (about 1.3 g) required careful scaling for modern use. Half-ounces and inconsistent spelling or naming of spices ('Spices liberantes', 'Contrayerra') remind us of the vibrant but variable pantry in the historical household kitchen.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Medicinal, household and cookery receipts 1600s - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Medicinal, household and cookery receipts 1600s (1650)

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

Writer

Unknown

Era

1650

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A delightful glimpse into the kitchens of the 17th century, this historical culinary gem serves up a feast of recipes and gastronomic secrets that will tantalize any food lover’s curiosity.

Kindly made available by

Folger Shakespeare Library

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe for Black Cherry Water hails from English household recipe books of the late 17th to early 18th century, a golden age for flavored cordials and medicinal waters. During this period, affluent households would experiment with distillation, blending exotic spices, herbs, and local fruits to create potent cordials believed to have healthful attributes as well as being a sign of hospitality. The drink itself sits at the intersection of medicine and pleasure—cherries, spices, aromatic roots, and flowers layered into wine and spirits, then distilled and drunk as a tonic. Many of the herbs reflect both fashionable tastes and the prevailing humoral medicine of the age.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

The tools typically used included a large stone or marble mortar and pestle for crushing the cherries and spices. The steeping was done in glazed earthenware pots. Distillation required a 'rose still', an early type of alembic or stove-top pot still designed for household use, allowing for gentle extraction of aromatic waters. Other essential tools: fine cloth or strainer for draining the liquid, glass bottles for storage, and weights or lids to keep the steeping mix covered.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

1 hr

Cook Time

2 hrs

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

8 pounds black cherries, whole including pits
3 quarts dry sherry (as modern substitute for sack)
1 quart brandy
1 ounce ground white sugar (as modern substitute for old 'caster')
1 ounce dried galangal root (for 'Gallingall')
1 ounce dried Squinant (Camel's hay) or 1 ounce dried sweet vernal grass (as substitute)
0.5 ounce spikenard root (as 'Spike nard')
0.25 ounce 'Spices liberantes' (unidentifiable, use mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, and mace)
0.25 ounce contrayerva root (or dried elecampane as substitute)
0.5 ounce cardamom seeds
0.25 ounce kermes berries (if unavailable, use 0.25 ounce pomegranate seeds as color/flavor substitute)
2 ounces dried candied citron peel
2 ounces fresh or dried borage flowers ('Burrage')
2 ounces apple blossoms (for 'pomion', or omitted)
2 ounces cowslip (primrose) flowers
2 ounces bugle herb (Ajuga reptans, or substitute with mint for herbal note)
2 ounces clove gillyflowers (or use clove-scented pinks or regular carnations)
2 ounces rosemary flowers
2 ounces marigold flowers
0.06 g myrrh resin, powdered (1/20 of a teaspoon)
2 ounces lily of the valley flowers (Note: Lily of the valley is toxic; for modern purposes use orange blossom or edible flower*)

Instructions

To prepare Black Cherry Water, start by taking 8 pounds of ripe black cherries and bruise them—pits and all—in a large stone mortar and pestle.
Place the crushed cherries into a large ceramic or glass container.
Pour in 3 quarts of dry sherry (substituting for sack) and 1 US quart of brandy.
Add your prepared spices and botanicals (see list), then cover and leave to steep for 48 hours in a cool place.
After steeping, pour the mixture into a modern distillation apparatus (if available) or use a large pot as an improvised still with a condenser, and slowly distill the liquid, collecting the aromatic distillate.
Once distillation is complete, add 1/20 of a teaspoon (about 0.06 g) myrrh to the distillate and combine well.
Finally, add 2 ounces of fresh or candied lily of the valley flowers, stir, and bottle the finished cordial.
Note: Some botanicals such as 'Squinnaut' (squinant or camel hay), galingale, and 'spices liberantes' are rare; see ingredient list for substitutions.

Estimated Calories

180 per serving

Cooking Estimates

Preparing Black Cherry Water takes about 1 hour, including bruising cherries and gathering ingredients. After steeping for 48 hours, the cooking stage is the distillation, which lasts about 2 hours. This recipe yields about 3.5 liters, or approximately 20 servings. Each serving contains about 180 calories, mainly from the alcohol and 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.

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Recipe's Origin

Title

Medicinal, household and cookery receipts 1600s (1650)

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

Writer

Unknown

Era

1650

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A delightful glimpse into the kitchens of the 17th century, this historical culinary gem serves up a feast of recipes and gastronomic secrets that will tantalize any food lover’s curiosity.