Colonial America: Liquorice Recipes

The following recipe was considered to be the easiest way to prepare lozenges. Even then, these were chiefly used to sooth a “tickling cough.”

Additional recipes this week include how to acquire liquorice extract, prepare liquorice juice and make refined liquorice.

Based on recipes from Mackenzie’s, 1829.

Liquorice Lozenges

• Take of extract of liquorice, double refined sugar [confectionary sugar], each 10 oz., tragacanth, powdered [The gum of any of various thorny shrubs of the genus Astragalus.], 3 oz.
• Powder them thoroughl, and make them into lozenges with rose-water

These are agreeable pectorals, and may be used at pleasure in tickling coughs. The above receipt [recipe] is the easiest and best mode of making these lozenges. Refined extract of liquorice should be used; and it is easily powdered in the cold, after it has been laid for some days in a dry and rather warm place.

Extract of Liquorice

The liquorice root is to be boiled in eight times its weight of water, to one half [when only half the liquid remains]; the liquor is then to be expressed, and after it is filtered; it is then to be evaporated, with heat until it becomes thickish; and, lastly, it is to be evaporated with heat and frequently stirred, until it acquires a consistence proper for forming pills.

This is made into little pastils [a small medicated or flavored tablet], or flat cakes, often bearing the impression of the places where they are made: and a bit now and then put into the mouth takes off the tickling of a cough. It should be sucked to make it pleasant, as much of the juice taken at a time is unpleasant.

To Prepare Liquorice Juice

• Take up the roots in July; clean them perfectly as soon as out of the earth, then hang them up in the air, till nearly dry
• Cut them into thin slices, and boil them in water till the decoction is extremely strong
• Press it hard out to obtain all the juice from the roots
• This decoction is left to settle a little, and when it has deposited its coarser parts, pour it off into vessels, evaporate it over a fire, strong first, but mild afterwards till it becomes of a thick consistence
• Let the fire go out, and when the extract is cool, take out large parcels of it at a time, and work them well with the hands, forming them into cylindric masses
The copyright of the article Colonial America: Liquorice Recipes in 19th Century Recipes is owned by Pat Williams. Permission to republish Colonial America: Liquorice Recipes in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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