After last week's post, I was contemplating the universe and remembered the original post by the man who referred to Nostradamus' predictions.
What most people seem to forget is that Michel de Nostredame (which he latinised to Nostradamus) was, first and foremost, an apothecary. That would be a chemist in British terms, a pharmacist in the Canadian lexicon, and a druggist in the American vocabulary. As I read through the jams and jellies section of the book, I was amused by how much sugar was required ... until I recalled that sugar was only available through apothecaries in France in the 16th century.
Nostradamus' book, Traité des fardemens et confitures, was published in 1555 -- although the prologue was dated 1552. It was revised and reprinted about once a year for a number of years.
Now, it turns out that someone else has already translated the book into English and published it in 1996. You can find it on Amazon, The Elixirs of Nostradamus: Nostradamus' Original Recipes for Elixirs, Scented Water, Beauty Potions, and Sweetmeats, by Knut Boeser.
The colour [of the jelly] will be so diaphanous that it will resemble an
oriental ruby, will have such excellent colour, and even better flavour, that
it can be given to the sick & will make them better.
What most people seem to forget is that Michel de Nostredame (which he latinised to Nostradamus) was, first and foremost, an apothecary. That would be a chemist in British terms, a pharmacist in the Canadian lexicon, and a druggist in the American vocabulary. As I read through the jams and jellies section of the book, I was amused by how much sugar was required ... until I recalled that sugar was only available through apothecaries in France in the 16th century.
Nostradamus' book, Traité des fardemens et confitures, was published in 1555 -- although the prologue was dated 1552. It was revised and reprinted about once a year for a number of years.
Now, it turns out that someone else has already translated the book into English and published it in 1996. You can find it on Amazon, The Elixirs of Nostradamus: Nostradamus' Original Recipes for Elixirs, Scented Water, Beauty Potions, and Sweetmeats, by Knut Boeser.
Here is a version that a friend translated a number of years ago ...
Nostradamus
- Quince Jelly Recipe
To make a
jelly of quinces, of great beauty, bounty, flavour, and excellence, suitable
for presentation to royalty, and which can be preserved for a long time.
Take as
many quinces as you like, as long as they are well ripened and yellow. Cut them
into quarters without peeling. (Some peel them, but the peel improves the fragrance.)
Cut each quince into five or six pieces and remove the seeds, for it will set
well without them. After cutting them, put them in a basin full of water for,
once they have been chopped or cut, they will soon turn black if they are not placed
in water.
Once they
have been chopped, set them in a large quantity of water, and heat until the
water is almost bubbling.
When they
are well cooked, spoon out the contents of the pot into a thick, new cloth,
& squeeze out as much of the liquid as possible. [In other words, strain
out the solid bits, leaving as much of the liquid as possible. ed.]
Take this
liquid and, if there are six pounds of liquid, take one and a half pounds of
Madeira sugar and add it into the mixture. Then let it boil on coals at medium
heat until you see that it reduces significantly.
Put it by
a small fire, but take care that it doesn't burn the sides, which would give a
bad colour to the jelly.
To test
whether the jelly is done, take a spatula, or a spoon, and put a dab of the
jelly on a flat surface. When it has cooled, if the drop stays rounded, then it
is done. Take it from the fire, and wait until the scum forms over the top. While
is still quite warm, put it in containers of wood or glass. If you wish to
write something on the box, you can do so.
Source: Traité
des fardemens et confitures
