[Sca-cooks] 16th C non-alcoholic drinks?

[Robert Downie]

lilinah at earthlink.net wrote:

> Actually, Urtatim wrote:
>
>>>  Can anyone recommend sources for 16th century non-alcoholic
>>>  beverages? I'm not a brewer and won't be making ale or cider between
>>>  now and then.
>>
>
> I looked in Digby. If i were a brewer or vintner, i'd be happy. And 
> i've never seen so many mead and mead-like beverage recipes in one 
> place (well, other than a book about making mead). Digby is all about 
> fermentation, baby.
>
> I just wish that there was evidence of sugar syrups! I mean, there's 
> plenty of evidence for the use of sugar, plenty of evidence for 
> cooking fruit in sugar... but no darn fruit syrups in Digby or any of 
> the other 16th and early 17th C. books i have. 

There is a lemonade recipe in _The French Cook_ 1651 (getting a little 
late , I know) by Francois Pierre La Varenne.

I don't have the original handy, but my scribbled notes say:
1 cup lemon juice
1 cup sugar
2 cups water
flowers if desired (jasmine, orange blossoms, muscade roses, or gilly 
flowers)

Boil the water and sugar together, allow to cool slightly and add the 
lemon juice.

Faerisa