A Closet for Ladies and Gentlewomen
- Year
- 1608
- Era
- 17th century
- Origin
- England · Europe
- Language
- English
- Category
- English pre-1800
A Closet for Ladies and Gentlewomen, first issued in 1608, is an anonymous English compilation of receipts for preserving fruits, making conserves, candies, syrups, and sugar work, alongside cookery and household instructions. One of the most frequently reprinted domestic manuals of the early Stuart period, it reflects the growing fashion for sugar confectionery in genteel households and stands as an important witness to the still-room arts of Jacobean England.
Cooking from this book
Candied Rose Petals
Signature dishA jewel of early Stuart confectionery, candied rose petals epitomise the delicate sugar work that made this little volume a household favourite. Preserved blossoms, glittering with crystallised sugar, were prized as banqueting subtleties to close a meal or adorn a sweetmeat trencher. The book's reputation rests on such fragrant, ornamental conserves, reflecting the Jacobean gentlewoman's stillroom craft where flowers, fruits and spices were transformed into edible treasures fit for guests of standing.
An editorial note on a dish associated with this book, written for The Coquinist. It is not a reproduction of the book's recipe.
