Lemon suckets in syrop

To make Succade of Peels of Oranges and Lemons.

Taken from John Partridge's Treasurie of Commodious Conceits, & Hidden Secrets, and may be called, The huswiues closet, of healthfull prouision...(1573).  If ever there was a recipe that calls for using organically raised fruit, this is it!

  Fyrste take offe your Peeles by quarters and seeth them in fair water, from .iii. [three] quartes to .iii. [three] pynts, then take them out, and put to as much more water, and seethe them lykewise, and so doe agayne, till the water whein they are sodden have no bitternesse at all of the peeles, then are they ready.

Reading through advice on Stefan's Florilegium was helpful in addition to Partridge's instructions.  After several days of soaking, I used a knife to scrape more of the white part off the peels, and again a few more days later. I ended an 8 day period with very thin, nearly translucent peels.

Now prepare a Syrop  as ye doe for quinces condict in Syrop [water, rosewater, and sugar, and after you add the fruit you simmer until the syrop is "as thick as live honey"]... seeth them in the Syrope a while, a keep them in a Glasse or Pot.

I stored the peels and syrup in a glass jar in my fridge for almost a month before serving them at Atlantia's Kingdom Arts Festival. The sucket fork seen in the picture is by Billy & Charly's.