The Curious Frau

Recreation of Oxymeli from Pliny the Elder, The Natural History (eds. John Bostock, M.D., F.R.S., H.T. Riley, Esq., B.A.) CHAP. 21.--OXYMELI

"Vinegar even has been mixed with honey; nothing, in fact, has been left untried by man. To this mixture the name of oxymeli has been given; it is compounded of ten pounds of honey, five semi-sextarii of old vinegar, one pound of sea-salt, and five sextarii of rain- water. This is boiled gently till the mixture has bubbled in the pot some ten times,2 after which it is drawn off, and kept till it is old"

Recreation:

Ingredients in Roman weights
10 pounds honey
5 semi-sextarii of old vinegar
1 pound sea-salt
5 sextarii of water

Ingredients in modern weights

Roman equivalents found here )
7.5 pounds of honey
5 c 11 T (5.7) old vinegar
12 oz sea-salt
11.5 c water

Recipe at 1/12 reduction

10 oz honey
7 T 2t old vinegar (3 fluid oz)
1 oz sea-salt
1 c water

Add all ingredients to a sauce pan and heat over a low flame. After mixture becomes very clear and has bubbles over entire surface, stir. This counts as one "bubbled in pot". Repeat until it has done this 10 times. Remove from heat and let cool. Makes 1 2/3 cups of syrup.

Notes on the recreation

I used just things I had around the house, honey that had gone hard, apple cider vinegar and kosher salt, and it tastes really good. Later I also made this using ingredients as close to what Pilney would have had: French sea salt, Italian red wine vinegar, honey. It was very good then too.

3 tablespoons of oxymeli added to 12 ounces of water tastes just like Gatorade, and is significantly cheaper. If you are very heat sick, increase the ratio of Oxymeli to water.