Gratuitous postcard: Miss Anna Glenn's Dandelion Wine

I love old cookbooks. Still, I scarcely ever cook, any more, unless Mom is out of town & I can therefore use her kitchen, because (a) my own kitchen isn't working, and (b) my own refrigerator is often quite bare. Still, a girl can dream, can't she?

Now, combine my love of old cookbooks with my quiet passion for composite flowers, and suddenly we have a thing of magic: Miss Anna R. Glenn's DANDELION WINE, as published in the third edition (December 1, 1907) of The Monmouth Baptist Ladies' Cook Book.

Pour one gallon of boiling water over one gallon of blossoms. Let stand three days. Take one pound of sugar to each quart of juice, one lemon, three oranges to one gallon juice. Take the liquid of flowers and rinds of lemon and oranges and boil fifteen minutes. Strain, then add lemon and oranges, sliced. When lukewarm add two tablespoons yeast or one-half cake compressed yeast, scant measure. Let stand one week. Strain again and settle, then bottle.

Now, I'm entirely too happy I don't weed my pitiable lawn.

Hmm. Beneath this recipe is a digression, on the making of fruit juices for sherbets:

For fruit beverages prepare the syrup by boiling sugar and water together, any fruit juices may be used, singly or in combination. Also candied cherries, bits of pineapple or other fruits or jelly may be added. Mint sherbet is made by adding mint leaves cut in rather small pieces.

Bottle all surplus, when canning fruit, to add to sherbets.

I wonder if I could use lemon balm or other entertaining aromatic leaves to make a worthwhile sherbet? Or are sherbets a lost cause?

Because, the season for dandelions is upon us now, and the season for frozen desserts is nigh.