Recipes from Scotland 1680s to 1940s

Jams and preserves


Honey as sweetener and preservative

Before sugar was widely available, honey was used by some Scots as a preservative and a sweetener, as well as a medicine.

John Levett's book of instruction on beekeeping was published in London in 1634.

After some years of decline, beekeeping is now enjoying a revival among community groups, schools and individuals.

Engraving of hive and bees

Illustration from John Levett's 'The true ordering of bees', London, 1634. By permission of the Scottish Beekeepers Association. [Library reference: MRB.75]

Jams and preserves