Recipe Manuscript

How To Make Black Berry Wine

Name: How To Make Black Berry Wine
Prep time: PTPT1H
Cook time: PTPT15M
Yield: 100
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: Ripe blackberries (amount as desired; e.g., 10 kg for a large batch); Boiling water (enough to cover berries; e.g., 8–12 liters per 10 kg berries); Granulated sugar, 1 kg per 10 liters blackberry juice; Isinglass, 115 g (or powdered gelatin as modern substitute); Dry white wine, 470 ml (used to dissolve isinglass/gelatin); Additional blackberries (to provide 4 liters of juice for clarification); Sugar cubes or lumps (one per bottle, optional)

1707

From the treasured pages of Mrs. Rachel Kirk Book 1707

Written by Rachel Kirk

Culinary Enlightenment (1700 - 1800)European Intermediate Drink

Original Recipe • 1707

Original Manuscript(circa Culinary Enlightenment, 1700 - 1800)

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

How To Make Black Berry Wine

"Take the berys when they are full ripe & put them into a large vessell of wood or stone that hath a top in it then poure upon them as much boyling Water as will couer them then as sooun as you can dure your hand in them bruse them very well till the berys come up to the top which is usually is in 3 or 4 dayes time then draw of the Juce into an other Vessill & to every 10 quarts of Juce put in a pound of Suger & stir it well in & let it stand to work in an other vessill like the first a week or 10 dayes then draw it of & let it through a Jely Bagg into a large Vessill then take 4 ounses Isinglass lay it to steep 12 houres in a pint of white wine then next morning boyling it till it be all Desolved upon a slow fire then take a gallan of Black berry Juce & put in your desolved Isinglass & give them a boyle together & put it in hot this quantity of Izinglass will serve 30 Gallans of Juce Couer the Vessell close when you have put it well togather let it stand Indifirant warm place 12 hours in which time it will be wrought up like a strong yeast then take it cleare of the top if you have a fit Vessill that fils it draw it of into fine Bottles when it is Cleare & put in to Every bottle a lump of Loofe suger but if you Vessell be full you must let it stand a little longer"

Note on the Original Text

This recipe is written in an early 18th-century English hand, characterized by phonetic spelling (e.g., 'bery,' 'boyling,' 'dure your hand') and loose grammar. Directions unfold as a narrative sequence, without exact times or temperatures, assuming the cook's basic kitchen knowledge. Measurement units like 'quarts' and 'gallans' reflect period usage, which have been converted to liters here. Words like 'isinglass' are clarified for the modern reader (now often replaced by gelatin), and the concept of 'working' refers to fermentation. The overall tone assumes a hands-on, experiential approach rather than relying on strict recipes.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Mrs. Rachel Kirk Book 1707 - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Mrs. Rachel Kirk Book 1707 (1707)

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

Writer

Rachel Kirk

Era

1707

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A remarkable collection of early 18th-century recipes, Rachel Kirk's work invites readers into the kitchens of the past where classic culinary traditions and timeless flavors come alive. Expect a charming medley of savory feasts and sweet treats reflective of the era's sophisticated palate.

Kindly made available by

Folger Shakespeare Library

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe comes from Rachel Kirk, dated 1707, a time when home wine-making was a practical way to preserve the summer berry harvest for year-round enjoyment. Such recipes circulated among the gentry and aspiring middle classes eager to create domestic wines in the style of foreign imports. The detailed steps, including clarification with isinglass (a common fish-derived fining agent), suggest an understanding of both fermentation and sophisticated wine-making practices, signaling this was a recipe for those with time, space, and some resources.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

Historically, the key tools would include large wooden or stoneware vessels for fermentation (with lids), a jelly bag (a fine cloth bag for straining juice), a wooden paddle or masher for bruising fruit, and a hearth or slow fire for gently dissolving isinglass (or gelatin). Glass bottles with corks would store the finished wine, and basic scales or measures allowed for proportioning sugar and fining agent.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

1 hr

Cook Time

15 mins

Servings

100

Ingredients

Ripe blackberries (amount as desired; e.g., 22 lbs for a large batch)
Boiling water (enough to cover berries; e.g., 2–3 gallons per 22 lbs berries)
Granulated sugar, 2.2 lbs per 2.6 gallons blackberry juice
Isinglass, 4 oz (or powdered gelatin as modern substitute)
Dry white wine, 1 pint (used to dissolve isinglass/gelatin)
Additional blackberries (to provide 1 gallon of juice for clarification)
Sugar cubes or lumps (one per bottle, optional)

Instructions

Begin by selecting ripe blackberries.
Place them in a large non-metallic vessel (preferably ceramic or glass) with a lid.
Pour enough boiling water over the berries to just cover them.
Allow to cool until the mixture is warm to the touch, then thoroughly mash or bruise the berries.
Cover and leave the mixture at room temperature.
After 3–4 days, when the berries have floated and fermentation is noticeable, strain off the juice into another clean vessel.
For every 2.6 gallons of juice, add about 2.2 pounds of sugar and stir until dissolved.
Allow this to ferment in a clean container for 7–10 days.
After the initial fermentation, strain the liquid through a fine jelly bag or muslin into a large vessel.
Soak 4 ounces of isinglass (or substitute with powdered gelatin if unavailable) in 1 pint of white wine for 12 hours, then gently heat until completely dissolved.
Mix the dissolved isinglass into 1 gallon of blackberry juice, bring just to a boil, then combine this back into the main batch while still hot.
This quantity will clarify up to 30 gallons of wine.
Cover and let the vessel stand in a moderately warm place for 12 hours.
After settling, siphon off the clear wine and bottle, adding a cube of sugar to each bottle if desired.
If the vessel remains full and you're not ready to bottle, let it settle a bit longer before proceeding.

Estimated Calories

100 per serving

Cooking Estimates

Most of the time is spent waiting for fermentation and settling. Preparing the fruit and mixing takes about 1 hour. Cooking time is mainly for briefly heating the isinglass or gelatin mixture. Each serving of this wine contains about 100 calories. This recipe yields about 100 servings when using 10 kg of blackberries.