To Make Popy Water
From the treasured pages of Receipts in cookery and medicine 1700
Unknown Author
To Make Popy Water
"Take a gallon of Brandy put to it a pint of damask rose water & a pint of popy water, a pound & halfe of raisings of the sun ston'd and halfe a pound of dates sliced one ounce of cloues one ounce of anmill seeds one pound of figgs a quarter of a pound of liquorish put this in a chane pott altogether for fourteen days stirring it onct euery day. three days before you put it into the still put three handfulls of poppy leaues already bruis'd into it. & when you have run it and put a pound of white sugar candy bruis'd into it."
Note on the Original Text
Past recipes were written assuming significant kitchen knowledge. Quantities often use archaic measurements (pints, ounces, pounds) and ingredients such as 'anmill seeds'—likely a variation of 'anise'. Spelling was idiosyncratic, and instructions such as 'put to it', 'ston'd', and 'run it' refer to adding, seeding, and distilling, respectively. Much is left to the cook's discretion: how long to steep, what constitutes a 'handful', even the means of bruising herbs. Recipes should be read as flexible guides rather than precise blueprints.
Title
Receipts in cookery and medicine 1700 (1700)
You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome
Writer
Unknown
Era
1700
Publisher
Unknown
Background
Step into the kitchen of the early 18th century, where this charming culinary manuscript tempts tastebuds with recipes and secrets from a bygone era. A delicious journey for both the curious cook and the history lover.
Kindly made available by
Folger Shakespeare Library
This recipe comes from around 1700 and would have been found in a household recipe book of the English gentry. 'Popy Water' functioned both as a cordial and a medicinal preparation—likely intended to soothe, sedate, or treat sleeplessness. Herbal spirits such as this were commonplace in the early modern period, blending culinary pleasure with perceived medicinal benefit. The inclusion of exotic spices, dried fruits, and luxury sugar speaks to a wealthy household with access to global trade. Recipes were a means of preserving fruits, flavoring spirits, and experimenting with wellbeing, long before modern medicine.
In the early 18th century, the preparation would have begun in a 'chane pott' (stoneware or ceramic jar), covered but not airtight. Daily stirring was most likely done with a wooden spoon. Distillation was carried out using an alembic or primitive still, often copper or pewter, heated gently by fire. The resulting spirit was captured and stored in glass or earthenware bottles. Measuring would have relied on household scales and standardized jugs, but precision was less rigid than today.
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs
Servings
50
Ingredients
- 1 gallon brandy
- 1 pint damask rose water (or rose water available at supermarkets)
- 1 pint poppy water (made by steeping poppy flowers in hot water)
- 1.5 pounds raisins (stones removed)
- 8 ounces dates (sliced)
- 1 ounce cloves (whole)
- 1 ounce anise seeds (substitute for 'anmill seeds')
- 1 pound dried figs
- 4 ounces licorice root
- 3 handfuls fresh poppy leaves (bruised)
- 1 pound white sugar candy (or sugar cubes, crushed)
Instructions
- To create this historical 'Popy Water' cordial, start by combining 1 gallon of brandy, 1 pint of damask rose water, and 1 pint of water infused with poppy flowers (Papaver somniferum petals, steeped in hot water and strained).
- Add 1.5 pounds of stoned (seeded) raisins, 8 ounces of sliced dates, 1 ounce of whole cloves, 1 ounce of anise seeds (substitute for 'anmill', as close modern equivalent), 1 pound of dried figs, and 4 ounces of licorice root (cut into small pieces).
- Place all ingredients into a large glass or ceramic jar, seal it, and leave for 14 days, stirring once daily.
- Three days before distilling, add three generous handfuls of bruised (lightly crushed) poppy leaves.
- After the infusion period, distill the mixture using a home distillation apparatus (a simple alembic or copper still).
- Once distilled, dissolve 1 pound of crushed white sugar candy into the distillate.
- This produces a sweet, fragrant, and mildly sedative cordial.
- Use with caution and only in small amounts, as opium poppy is a controlled substance in many countries.
Estimated Calories
180 per serving
Cooking Estimates
It takes about 30 minutes to prepare all the ingredients and set things up. The mixture steeps for 14 days, with a few minutes of stirring each day. Cooking time is when you distill the cordial—this usually takes about 2 hours. The recipe produces around 5 liters of cordial, which makes about 50 servings if each is 100 ml. Each serving has about 180 calories, mostly from the brandy, fruit, and sugar.
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