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To Drink Royal Strawberry Acid

royal strawberry acid
512px-Strawberries_with_hulls_-_scan.jpg
(from Miss Beecher's Domestic Receipt Book by Catharine Beecher, 1846)

Ingredients:

6 lbs. ripe strawberries​
2 oz. citric acid​
1 qt. spring water​
about 8 lbs. of sugar​

Instructions:

Take three pounds of ripe strawberries, two ounces of citric acid, and one quart of spring water. Dissolve the acid in the water and pour it on to the strawberries, and let them stand in a cool place twenty-four hours. Then drain the liquid off and pour it on to three pounds more of strawberries, and let it stand twenty-four hours. Then add to the liquid its own weight of sugar, boil it three or four minutes (in a porcelain lined preserve kettle, lest metal may affect the taste), and when cool, cork it in bottles lightly for three days, and then tight, and seal them. Keep it in a dry and cool place, where it will not freeze. It is very delicious for the sick, or the well.​



Photo by Sharon Mollerus [CC BY 2.0]

With spring well on its way and summer coming, I was interested in finding some good recipes for cool drinks that are everyone-friendly. I liked this recipe and will probably give it a try as written before tweaking it, even though my wallet sobbed loudly at the mere thought of using six pounds of strawberries. It looks like citric acid is available from a few online shops, so it should be a fairly easy-to-make drink. Has anyone else tried this? Any suggestions would be great!

Enjoy!
Adam

https://archive.org/stream/missbeechersdome01beec#page/190/mode/2up

upload_2017-4-17_11-6-56.png
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Another from Catharine Beecher's (sister of Harriet Beecher Stowe) cookbook, Miss Beecher's Domestic Receipt Book. With spring well on its way and summer coming, I was interested in finding some good recipes for cool drinks that are everyone-friendly. I liked this recipe and will probably give it a try as written before tweaking it, even though my wallet sobbed loudly at the mere thought of using six pounds of strawberries. It looks like citric acid is available from a few online shops, so it should be a fairly easy-to-make drink. Has anyone else tried this? Any suggestions would be great!

Enjoy!
Adam

https://archive.org/stream/missbeechersdome01beec#page/190/mode/2up

View attachment 132650
Citric acid is used all the time in commercial baking so it really should be available most anywhere.
 
Six pounds of strawberries at today's going rate might bankrupt you on supermarket day! I only buy organic berries as it's impossible to get all the nasty pesticides off during a rinse due to their delicate texture, so the going rate for strawberries around here is $4 a pound when not on sale.
With all the strawberry festivals we have during March and early April you can normally by a flat of strawberries for $8.00.,which is 75 cents a pint.
 
I wonder about cutting the recipe in half. Do you think it could still work?

And I agree, @Dave Hull - it sounds insanely sweet, especially if we add the amount of sugar as directed in the recipe.

Usually halving something does work quite well especially with so few ingredients. You would would probably still have to do two batches as it sounds like that's part of the reduction of the fruit and citric acid. Maybe a one and half pounds of strawberries for each batch with half a quart of water and only once of citric acid.

Seems the powdered form of citric acid is far more common shopping wise online, but I did find this one. It's a gallon, so that's way more than you need.- http://www.1-800-shaved-ice.com/c-cit-acd.html?gclid=COC85diwrNMCFRFMDQodQTAEmQ

There's a powdered version on Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0014UCJ8Q/?tag=civilwartalkc-20

Apparently there is food grade citric acid and non-food grade, so if you buy some, be sure to make sure it's the right kind as the other is some kind of cleaning version!
 
Usually halving something does work quite well especially with so few ingredients. You would would probably still have to do two batches as it sounds like that's part of the reduction of the fruit and citric acid. Maybe a one and half pounds of strawberries for each batch with half a quart of water and only once of citric acid.

Seems the powdered form of citric acid is far more common shopping wise online, but I did find this one. It's a gallon, so that's way more than you need.- http://www.1-800-shaved-ice.com/c-cit-acd.html?gclid=COC85diwrNMCFRFMDQodQTAEmQ

There's a powdered version on Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0014UCJ8Q/?tag=civilwartalkc-20

Apparently there is food grade citric acid and non-food grade, so if you buy some, be sure to make sure it's the right kind as the other is some kind of cleaning version!
Thank you, @Anna Elizabeth Henry !! Good advice all around, especially on the citric acid.

Yes, that's what I was considering for the berries as well. I might think about pureeing them as well and adding them to the mix, and if that works I will celebrate my culinary might over Catharine Beecher. :wink:
Adam
 
Thought I would add this old Shaker Recipe for similar Strawberry Drink called "Strawberry Cup"

9 quarts strawberries
4 cups vinegar
1 cup sugar to each cup of juice

Wash, boil and crush the strawberries, Cover with vinegar and let stand four days. Strain through jelly bag and measure juice. Add sugar and boil gently for 5 minutes. Makes four quarts. Dilute with water and serve.

The Shakers always made large quantities as was for the whole community.
 
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