To Dry Horryos

This cherry drying recipe comes from the late 17th century, composed by Beulah Hutson around 1680. During this time, preserving fruit was both a necessity and a luxury—sugar was precious, and candied fruits were popular treats both for their flavor and longevity. Recipes like this document the transition from medieval preservation to more refined confections enjoyed in grand households. Such recipes were typically handwritten in domestic manuscripts, passed down through generations and often personalized by each cook. The act of preserving fruit like cherries not only stretched the harvest but also provided a taste of summer well into the colder months.

In the 17th century, this would have been prepared over a hearth or open fire with a heavy-bottomed copper or brass pan. The cook used wooden spoons to stir the syrup and simple stone or ceramic mortars to crush and squeeze the juice from the smallest cherries. Fruits were dried on woven trays, wooden boards, or in a warm oven (if the household was so equipped). Hands and eyes, rather than precise thermometers or timers, dictated when syrups and preserves were ready. Modern equivalents would be a heavy saucepan, heatproof spoon, fine mesh sieve (for juicing), and baking trays lined with parchment for drying.