SYRUPS.

Syrups made by infusion, are usually made of such flowers as soon lose their colour and strength by boiling, as roses, via lets, peach-flowers, &c. They are thus made :---Having picked your flowers clean, to every pound of them add three pounds, or three pints of spring water, boiling hot; first put your flowers into a pewter pot, with a cover, and pour the water on them ; then shutting the pot, let it stand by the fire twelve hours and strain it out ; (in such syrups as purge, as damask rose, peach-flowers, &e. the best way, is to repeat this infusion, adding fresh flowers to the same liquor, several times, that it may be the stronger) having strained it, put the infusion into a pewter bason, or an earthen one well glazed, and to every pint add two pounds of sugar, which being melted over the fire, without boiling, and scummed, will produce the syrup.Syrups made by decoction are usually made of compounds, yet may any simple herb be thus converted into syrup : Take the herb, root, or flowers, and bruise a little, then boil it in a convenient quantity of spring water ; the more water you boil it in, the weaker it will be : a handful of the herb or root is a convenient quantity for a pint of water ; boil it till half thewater be evaporated, then let it stand till almost cold, and strain it through woollen cloth, letting it run at leisure, without pres­sing. To every pint of this decoction add one pound of sugar, and boil it over the fire till it comes to a syrup, which you may know, if you now and then cool a little of it with a spoon : scum it while it boils, and when it is sufficiently boiled, whilst it is hot, strain it again through a woollen cloth, but press it not.Syrups made of juice, are usually made of such herbs as are full of juice, and the juice makes the best syrup. Having beat­en the herb in a stone mortar, with a wooden pestle, press out the juice and clarify it, as before ; then let the juice boil away till about a quarter of it be consumed : to a pint of this add a pound of sugar, and boil it to a syrup, always scumming it, and when it is boiled enough, strain it through a woollen cloth.If you make a syrup of roots that are hard, as Parsley, Fen­nel, and Grass roots, &c. When you have bruised them, lay them to steep some time in that water in which you intend to boil them, hot, so will the virtue the better come out.Keep your syrups either in glasses or stone pots, and stop them not with cork or bladder, only bind paper about the mouth. All syrups, if well made, continue good a year ; yet such as are made by infusion, keep shortest.