Since
1755

The Drysalter's Almanac

No. 2
February

Notes from the Store

Discoveries from Our Archive

In the Kitchen

This is the second issue in our series of vignettes from our store, Britain's last drysalter.

We are uncertain as to when we first started to describe our business as that of a drysalter. When Charles Hadfield purchased the goodwill of his uncle's shop in 1755, the business was described as an apothecary. Perhaps it was also known as a drysalter at that time: the Oxford English Dictionary informs us that the first recorded use of the word appears in the London Gazette, in 1707. Use of the term increased markedly from around 1800, reaching its zenith in the 1860s, before declining as rapidly as it had risen.

patent for a cough elixir containing rum, granted to charles camm hadfield in 1969

The highlight of this month must surely be the arrival of Seville marmalade oranges. To make a good marmalade the cook must get the balance of pectin, acidity, sugar, and final temperature correct. To extract sufficient pectin, wrap up the pith and pips of the oranges in muslin. Acidity is traditionally assured by adding the juice of lemons to the recipe, though alternatively, citric acid can be used. Setting point is reached at a temperature of 104 – 106 degrees centigrade, for the measurement of which a jam thermometer or confectionary thermometer is essential. Many recipes call for skimming of the surface froth, but an easier technique is to simply stir in a small knob of butter at the end of the boil.

Hadfield

1755 - 2025

Serving Macclesfield
for 270 Years

Being February, you might well find yourself with a cough. In the not too distant past, Hadfield's would have sold just the remedy for this: rum cough elixir. Charles Camm Hadfield's prayers to the Comptroller were answerered in 1969, and a patent for an improved cough preparation was granted. We believe this was sold beyond the doors of our humble retail premises, being licensed for manufacture and distribution nationally.

At the Apothecary's Bench

???

Of the Wax Chandler

From the Housekeeper's Room

In London, in days of yore, the wax chandler was strictly permitted only to make candles from that finest of waxes: beeswax. Lesser, cheaper, candles for poorer kin were the preserve of the tallow chandlers. Our modern work of chandlering is not so restricted, and a range of waxes are employed according to the properties desired in the finished article. Beeswax features prominently amongst our candle wares, and remains a most popular choice for quality, long and clean burning lights.

the famous Hadfield alligator (actually a cayman)

In the Potting Shed

February is the month that usually sees the first signs of winter beginning to give way to spring in the garden. Snowdrops are a welcome sight, with their dainty white bell-shaped flowers held proudly on slender green flowering stems. It has long been held that the best way to establish snowdrops is to plant them "in the green", rather than as dormant bulbs. So, now is the time to divide existing clumps, or to look to your local plant merchant for potted snowdrop plants.

Wooded areas are much improved with the bright yellow flowers of the low growing winter aconite. As with snowdrops, these are best planted "in the green".

It is now all hands to the proverbial pump in the kitchen garden. After the lull of winter, a whirlwind of preparation tasks descends upon the gardener.

Seed potatoes have arrived, the treatment of which was covered in our last edition of The Almanac. Potatoes are divided into three categories: first earlies, second earlies, and maincrop. Thanks to the endeavours of generations of plantsmen, trait selection has resulted in this happy arrangement, whereby potatoes planted at similar times are ready for lifting at different times, thus providing a steady supply of this most useful and versatile tuber. The most important point to note when considering the planting of potatoes is that these plants are not originally of these shores, and are not frost-hardy. Unless growing under cover, wait until the danger of frosts has passed before committing spud to ground.

Now is the time to procure stocks of vegetable seeds and flower seeds, as there is much to start sowing this month. Do not chastise yourself too harshly if you fall behind with this task, as sowing a little late is generally of no severe consequence.

Nourish both your ornamental and kitchen garden beds

Much of the domestic labour at this time of year will be focused on stoves and fireplaces. Black lead your cast iron stoves, fire surrounds, and ranges to keep them smart and free from rust. For a black finish, buff off lightly, or for a more metallic shine, buff vigorously. Stove glass can be difficult to keep clean. A traditional technique is to scrunch up some newsprint, dampen slightly, and dip into cold ashes, then use to scrub the glass. Harder to remove marks require the use of a proprietary stove glass cleaner. Attention should also be given to tiled, marble, slate and stone fireplace surfaces. Slate oil seals this porous material to protect against water and staining. Restore marble with Italian Marble Polish, which imparts a long-lasting shine by chemically modifying the surface. Should you find sooty residue has accumulated on stone and brick surfaces, treatment with fireplace cleaner is recommended. Work on stoves and fireplaces will be found to be made very much easier with a good companion set and fireside brush. Replace worn brush heads.

Attention must be paid to the condition of fire backs, grates, and ash pans. Burned through and rusted castings should be replaced, and cracked fire backs or bricks should be repaired with fire cement, or replaced if in very poor condition. Be sure to keep flues swept to reduce the risk of chimney fires.

Be sure to keep a good stock of logwoods, kindling sticks, firelighters, matches, and coal. Always use well-seasoned wood to minimise tarring and the emission of nuisance smoke. Recall that coal fires require good ventilation through the fire bed from below, thus should be kept free of extensive ash accumulations. Wood, on the other hand, burns well on a bed of ash. A wood fire laying method that comes highly recommended to us is that of the top-down fire, which is illustrated here.

Items shown thus can be obtained at Hadfield, Drysalter, Macclesfield

Drysalter-s Almanac Edition 1