peaches-msg - 11/7/15 Medieval peaches and peach recipes. NOTE: See also the files: fruits-msg, apples-msg, berries-msg, grapes-msg, plums-msg, strawberries-msg, cherries-msg, figs-msg, fruit-pears-msg, fruit-quinces-msg. ************************************************************************ NOTICE - This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday. This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org I have done a limited amount of editing. Messages having to do with separate topics were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the message IDs were removed to save space and remove clutter. The comments made in these messages are not necessarily my viewpoints. I make no claims as to the accuracy of the information given by the individual authors. Please respect the time and efforts of those who have written these messages. The copyright status of these messages is unclear at this time. If information is published from these messages, please give credit to the originator(s). Thank you, Mark S. Harris AKA: THLord Stefan li Rous Stefan at florilegium.org ************************************************************************ From: Gretchen M Beck Date: Fri, 6 Jun 1997 10:35:45 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Re: SC - Period Recipes Excerpts from internet.listserv.sca-cooks: 5-Jun-97 Re: SC - Period Recipes by rebecca tants at servtech.c > Just a thought - I can't imagine there not being something like this > somewhere in all of period cooking. Aluminum foil is out, but what > else might have been used. (My mind went straight to mexican and > american indian cooking in corn husks and mediterranian cooking in > grape leaves, btu I'm at a consulting job in another state and won't > see my cookbooks again until at LEAST Sunday...) In the Fruit, Herbs and Vegetables of Italy, Castelvetro mentions roasting peaches in the coals wrapped in damp paper--"Some people eat peaches cooked, wrapped in damp paper, and roasted in the ashes--These really are very nice". toodles, margaret Date: Fri, 12 Dec 1997 08:55:07 -0600 From: "Decker, Terry D." Subject: RE: SC - A bit bland... Peaches (Prunis persica) were being cultivated in China before 500 B.C. They were traded into the Middle East after Jang Qian's diplomatic mission (to find allies against the Huns) into Central Asia in 140 B.C. In 65 B.C., Pompey had peaches transplanted to Rome from Persia. Apparently, peaches spread with the Roman advance to everywhere they could be grown in Europe. In 1513 C.E., the Spanish planted peaches in Florida and in 1618 C.E., English gardeners were warned not to prune peaches in England's cold climate. So, I would say peaches were available and eaten in much of Europe during period. Bear Date: Sun, 10 May 1998 22:24:04 +1000 From: "Glenda Robinson" Subject: SC - Roman world - Apricots or Peaches Niccolo wrote: > I'm not aware of any sources I have of peaches, but Apicius has > apricots in the ancient Roman cuisine. That should mean they came up > north at some point thereafter, at least in dried form. No certianty, > but those Romans shared their cultures with so many others that you > never can tell which way stuff went. Then there is the Hansiatic > trade league shooting all over the north European trade ways......they > proliferated many foodstuffs as well. Apricots would be a great taste > idea to go with a semi dry mead of final gravity around 1.035-1.040. The way my version of Apicius reads is that they had peaches in ancient Rome and not apricots (checked the latin recipe name with the dictionary - there's no mistranslation). There is also an extant fresco from Pompeii with peaches (p 104 - Still Life with Peaches - Pompeii - Lessing/Varone 1996 ISBN 2-87939-007-9) this book also has a lot of mosaics with fruit. Some of these fruits are easily identifiable, and others aren't. Some could possibly be apricots, but are not clear enough to positively identify. These yellow fruits are also much bigger (by comparison with other fruits in the same fresco) than the apricots we now get, so are unlikely to be them. That's not to say that this proves the Romans didn't have Apricots, but does prove they did have peaches. Glenda. Date: Sun, 10 May 1998 09:23:16 -0500 From: "Decker, Terry D." Subject: RE: SC - Roman world - Apricots or Peaches > The way my version of Apicius reads is that they had peaches in ancient Rome > and not apricots (checked the latin recipe name with the dictionary - > there's no mistranslation). > > Glenda Robinson According to Trager's The Food Chronology, about 140 B.C. apricots and peaches were brought out of China into the Near East. About 65 B.C., Pompey introduced apricots, peaches and plums into the Roman orchards. The source is a questionable, but it gives a starting point for finding meatier information. Bear Date: Mon, 11 May 1998 11:59:44 -0700 From: david friedman Subject: SC - Peaches in Northen Europe Brokk asked about peaches in Scandinavia or northern Europe. C. Anne Wilson, in Food and Drink in Britain, mentions peaches being planted in the royal gardens at Westminster in the 13th c. It sounds from the context as if they might have been somewhat unusual in England at that time. By the end of our period (actually, 1629) someone in England listed 22 varieties of peaches. I don't have any information for Scandinavia, though. Elizabeth/Betty Cook Date: Sun, 4 Feb 2001 10:59:02 -0500 From: rcmann4 at earthlink.net Subject: Re: SC - peaches And it came to pass on 4 Feb 01, , that Stefan li Rous wrote: > But I'm getting the feeling that peaches were not used that often > in period cooking. Perhaps it is just the recipes I've been reading, > but I thought I remembered one of the books saying this. Peaches were introduced into Europe from Persia by the Arabs. Karen Hess says that there were some planted in the royal garden at Westminister during the 13th century. Humourally, they are cold and moist, and are best served at the end of the meal. Platina suggests serving them dried, or cooked in honey. Enrique de Villena (1423) gives instruction in his carving manual for cutting and serving peaches -- peel them, remove the pit and the bitter parts, and cut them into slices. Then they are put on a plate, if they are not being served in wine. There are 14th century Catalan recipes for preserving peaches in honey or sugar. Nola has one recipe for a peach pottage, which appears to be meant as a accompaniment to roasts: peaches cooked in broth- based almond milk, seasoned with sugar, ginger, and drippings from the spit. Granado (1599) has various recipes for peaches, including 5 different preserves and confections. He also has 2 recipes for peach pie. One is sort of a cheescake, whose filling is a mixture of peach puree, various cheeses, sugar, and eggs. The other pie (possibly one of the Italian recipes he plagiarized from Scappi) has slices of peach with spices, sugar and butter. I'll let one of the gardeners on the list answer questions about growing them. Presumably, they require mild weather, since they flourish in places like Georgia. Lady Brighid ni Chiarain Settmour Swamp, East (NJ) Date: Sun, 4 Feb 2001 21:26:29 -0500 From: rcmann4 at earthlink.net Subject: Re: SC - peaches Sue Clemenger wrote: > OH MAN....I'm drooling all the way over here in Montana....recipes > please? > --Maire (trying to sound pathetic but not whiney) I was afaid that might happen. The recipe from Nola is the only one I have translated. Since I don't want to be a spoon-tease, here it is. Source: Rouperto de Nola, _Libro de Guisados_ (Spanish, 1529) Translation: Lady Brighid ni Chiarain (Robin Carroll-Mann) POTAJE LLAMADO PERSICATE Pottage called Peach-Dish You will take the peeled peaches, and cut them into slices, and cook them in good fat broth; and when they are cooked, take a few blanched almonds and grind them; and when they are well-ground, strain them rather thick with that broth. And then cook this sauce with sugar and a little ginger, and when it is cooked, cast in enough pot-broth or that which falls from the roasting-spit. And let it stew well for a little; and then prepare dishes, and upon each one cast sugar; and in this same way you can make the sauce of quinces in the same manner; but the quinces need to be strained with [the] almonds, and they should not be sour, and likewise the peaches. footnote: "Durazno" is the Spanish for "peach", but "Persico" ("Persian") is the word for the peach tree. The Latin name, "prunus persica", means Persian plum, because the fruit was introduced to Europe from Persia. Lady Brighid ni Chiarain Settmour Swamp, East (NJ) Date: Mon, 05 Feb 2001 03:33:16 +0100 From: TG Subject: Re: SC - peaches From "The good Huswifes Handmaide for the Kitchin" (ca. 1594): "To bake Peaches. Take Peaches, pare them, and cut them in two peeces, + take out the stones as cleane as you can for breaching of the Peach: then make your pie three square to bake fowre in a pie, let your paste be verie fine, then make your dredge with fine Sugar, Synamon and Ginger: and first lay a little dredge in the bottome of your pies: Then put in Peaches, and fill up your coffins with your Dredge, and put into every coffin three spoonfuls of Rosewater. Let not your Oven be too hot. +c." There are German recipes, too: Philippine Welser's (ca. 1545) recipe for a peach tart [*] or a recipe for peach salad in the F¸rtrefflichs Kochbuoch 1559/60. In addition, there are several medical and dietetical remarks about how and when peaches should be eaten. Castelvetro, looking back to 16th century Italy, says peach is a "delicatissimo frutto, e ordinariamente crudo si mangia", but he mentions other preparations, too. Thomas * "pfirsych dordten zu machenn so nim die pfirsych vnnd schel sy dau dan die keren her auser vnd mach zway dayl aus ainer kitten vnd las syeden daus dan jn die phrsych vnd nim zucker zimet vnnd ain frischen buder daus dar ein vnnd las ain fyerdel stundt bachen nim dan syesen wein vnd butter dus jn ain pfendlin vnnd la? an ain ander syeden vnd nim die brye vnnd geus auff den dorttenn" (Phil. Welser, ed. Hayer 69) Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2001 22:41:36 -0500 From: rcmann4 at earthlink.net Subject: SC - Peach tart recipe (in Spanish) Here's the first peach recipe from Granado. It's a melon tart, and making it with peaches is one of the variations. Source: Diego Granado, _Libro del arte de cozina_ (Spanish 1599) Torta de melones Tomase el melon limpio de la corteza y de la semilla, y que no este muy maduro, y cortese a bocadillos, y haganse freyr poco a poco con manteca mezclandolo con la cuchara de contino, saquese y dexese enfriar, y passese por el colador, y a cada dos libros de melon frito an~adansele seys onzas de queso de Tronchon or Parmesano y seys onzas de requeson, or queso fresco bien majado, seys onzas de queso de Pinto mantecoso una onza de canela, media onza de pimienta, seys onzas de azucar, diez hiemas de hueuos frescos, o a lo menos seys con las claras, y tengasa la cazuela tortera vntada con manteca, con vn ojaldre de pasta algo gordo hecho de la flor de la harina, agua rosada, hiemas de hueuos, manteca de vacas, y sal, y su tortillon ojaldrado alrededor, y pongase dentro la composicion, y hagase cozer en el horno con manteca derretida por encima, y en estando casi cozida hagase la corteza de azucar, y canela, y en estando cozida siruase caliente. Desta manera se puede hazer de los duraznos y aluaricoques, y ciruelas mal maduras. So, who'd like to tackle this one? There are some good dictionaries online at: http://www.diccionarios.com/ and the 1726 and 1992 RAE dictionaries are at: http://www.rae.es/NIVEL1/buscon/AUTORIDAD2.HTM I'll post another one tomorrow. I have been shovelling a foot of heavy, wet snow for an hour, and my back is aching. Lady Brighid ni Chiarain Settmour Swamp, East (NJ) Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2001 07:51:32 -0600 From: "Decker, Terry D." Subject: RE: SC - peaches Since Pliny mentions peaches, they arrived in Europe long before the Islamic expansion. One of Charlemagne's capitulares notes peach trees on the royal estates, which, while he could have gotten them from the Moors, is highly unlikely. BTW, peaches are of Chinese origin and are believed to have be brought into Persia around 140 BCE during Jang Qian's mission to find allies to fight the Hsiung Nu (Huns). Bear > Peaches were introduced into Europe from Persia by the Arabs. > Karen Hess says that there were some planted in the royal garden > at Westminister during the 13th century. > > Lady Brighid ni Chiarain Date: Mon, 26 Mar 2001 00:40:13 -0500 From: "Christine Seelye-King" Subject: SC - Pottage called Peach-Dish This weekend, I tried the following recipe translated and posted by Lady Brighid. It was absolutely yummy, and was declared a winner among period recipes. Below is the original, and my experiment last night. Christianna Source: Rouperto de Nola, _Libro de Guisados_ (Spanish, 1529) Translation: Lady Brighid ni Chiarain (Robin Carroll-Mann) POTAJE LLAMADO PERSICATE Pottage called Peach-Dish You will take the peeled peaches, and cut them into slices, and cook them in good fat broth; and when they are cooked, take a few blanched almonds and grind them; and when they are well-ground, strain them rather thick with that broth. And then cook this sauce with sugar and a little ginger, and when it is cooked, cast in enough pot-broth or that which falls from the roasting-spit. And let it stew well for a little; and then prepare dishes, and upon each one cast sugar; and in this same way you can make the sauce of quinces in the same manner; but the quinces need to be strained with [the] almonds, and they should not be sour, and likewise the peaches. footnote: Durazno is the Spanish for ‘peach’, but Persico (‘Persian’) is the word for the peach tree. The Latin name, prunus persica, means Persian plum, because the fruit was introduced to Europe from Persia. I took a pork roast and sprinkled ginger, pepper, and kosher salt on it. I had a can of white Chinese peach halves in light syrup, and I poured a small amount of the syrup over the roast. I cooked the roast in a medium oven for an hour or so. Meanwhile, I sliced the peach halves. This was a can of fruit that I had bought at a Chinese market some time back. The fruit was white, firm, almost the consistancy of a pear without the grit, and not as sweet as a cling peach. I think it made a big difference, I don't think it would be as good with cling peaches, but firm, light colored plums would be about the same texture and amount of sweetness. I suppose quinces would be good as well, just a very different flavor. I placed the peach slices, the rest of the syrup, ginger, a tablespoon or two of white sugar, and almond milk in a sauce pan and let it cook down while the roast was in the oven. When the roast was done, I added a bit of water to the pan to deglaze it a bit, and added the juices to the saucepan, and cooked it for about 20 minutes longer. After letting the roast rest, I sliced it and put it back in it's pan, pouring the sauce and peach slices over the meat. It was just wonderful. It was not too sweet, but I did find that the sauce needed the small amount of sugar to bring out the flavors, but not enough to make it overly sweet. The ginger was a nice compliment to the roast and sauce. I think it might also be good if the fruit were pureed into the sauce. I will cook this again for our purposes, and would certainly consider adding it to a feast menu. Thanks for the recipe, Brighid! Date: Mon, 26 Mar 2001 20:57:18 -0500 From: rcmann4 at earthlink.net Subject: Re: SC - Pottage called Peach-Dish And it came to pass on 26 Mar 01, , that Christine Seelye-King wrote: > This weekend, I tried the following recipe translated and posted by Lady > Brighid. It was absolutely yummy, and was declared a winner among period > recipes. Below is the original, and my experiment last night. > Christianna I redacted this once. I found it tasty, but too caloric for my personal use. I used frozen peach slices, fresh peaches not being in season. You, as I recall, can get them cheaply in season. If you were serving this sauce at a feast, it might be amusing to serve peach pits as well. You could explain to the feasters that you were being very thrifty, and not wasting any part of the peach.... :-) [In this case, Lady Brighid is talking about the peach pit sotelties discussed a while back on this list, not real peach pits. See sotelties-msg or illusion-fds-msg files for more details - Stefan] Lady Brighid ni Chiarain Settmour Swamp, East (NJ) Date: Fri, 13 Apr 2001 19:48:07 -0500 From: "Michael Newton" Subject: SC - coring fruit > Speaking of glop, I encountered a dish of pears in syrup made for a competition recently. The original recipe does not call for cutting, coring, or peeling the pears at all (in fact, none of the pears in syrup type recipes I've seen call for coring the pear, which is odd). The redactor had cored, peeled and cut the pears into small pieces and cooked it for some time-- the amount of wine in her redaction was minimal. Someone else pointed out that this recipe is usually done with pears peeled, cored and sliced in half, then cooked quickly. It occured to me that that is the way modern pears in syrup are served, and so we may be being overly influenced by 'tradition'. What do others think? (The redaction was delicious but obviously somewhat similar to really chunky applesauce.) > -- > Jadwiga Zajaczkowa, mka Jennifer Heise jenne at mail.browser.net They may have not cored the pear at all; the Czech vet at work always eats his apple/pear, core and all. I also remember reading in _Pinniccio_,(the book not the Disney version) that Gepedo warns his "son" to eat all of the pear, including the core, since he might not have anything else to eat. Was this a common thought during the Medieval ages? I don't know. But it could be why their recipes don't call for coring the fruit. A waste not, want not attitude. Beatrix of Tanet Date: Tue, 25 Aug 2009 09:38:48 -0500 From: Jennifer Carlson To: Cooks list Subject: [Sca-cooks] Preserving peaches Some weeks back, someone mentioned the Martha Washington's cookbook's recipe for preserving peaches in wine and, as the Oklahoma peach crop was coming in just then, I gave it a whirl. I got a half-bushel of Porter peaches (a variety of freestones - Augustas, I think) and, deciding to go on an all-Ansteorra theme, a bottle of a Texas moscato (Ste. Genevieve), and got to work. The result was beautiful and absolutely delicious. The wine and peach juice made a lovely, rosy syrup with some of the richest flavor I've ever gotten putting up peaches. The moscato added a light honey tone to the taste. This first attempt was a complete success. I'm having to ration how much I let the husband put on his ice cream/pound cake/oatmeal so we'll have some to enjoy this winter. If I were to try using ingredients closer to those of the time period of the recipe, what varieties of peaches and what wines would be appropriate equivalents? In servicio et humilitate, Talana Date: Tue, 25 Aug 2009 21:27:29 -0400 From: Johnna Holloway To: Cooks within the SCA Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Preserving peaches I took a look at the 1633 edition of The herball or Generall historie of plantes. Gathered by Iohn Gerarde of London. It's the one online so it's easy to use. He lists in Chapter 94 the following kinds: "THere are diuers sorts of Peaches besides the foure here set forth by our Author, but the trees do not much differ in shape, but the difference chiefely consists in the fruit, whereof I will giue you the names of the choice ones, and such as are to be had from my friend M^r . Millen in Old-street, which are these; two sorts of Nutmeg Peaches; The Queenes Peach; The Newington Peach; The grand Carnation Peach; The Carnation Peach; The Blacke Peach; the Melocotone; the White; The Romane; The Alberza; The Island Peach; Peach du Troy. These are all good ones. He hath also of that kinde of Peach which some call Nucipersica or Nectorins, these following kindes; the Roman red, the best of fruits; the bastard Red; the little dainty green; yellow; the white; the russet, which is not so good as the rest. Those that would see any fuller discourse of these may haue recourse to the late worke of M^r . Iohn Perkinson, where they may finde more varieties, and more largely handled, and therefore not necessarie for me in this place to insist vpon them." He mentions a red peach, the Persica praecocia, or the d'auant Peach, a white peach, and a Persica lutea, or the yellow Peach. Hope this helps, Johnnae Jennifer Carlson wrote: snipped <<< If I were to try using ingredients closer to those of the time period of the recipe, what varieties of peaches and what wines would be appropriate equivalents? Talana >>> Date: Tue, 25 Aug 2009 18:49:56 -0700 From: David Walddon To: Cooks within the SCA Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Preserving peaches For an earlier take there is always De Honesta. These two "recipes" come from the first five books so are not included in Martino, etc. BK2 #12 De Persico Preserved Fresh Peaches. To keep fresh peaches bringe them overnight, remove them from the brine, place in a jar with salt, vinegar and savory. BK2 #12 De Persico Peaches in Wine. Cut them in pieces and cook, or soften them in wine. Serve as a final course following roasted meat. Eduardo Date: Tue, 25 Aug 2009 22:05:35 -0400 From: Johnna Holloway To: Cooks within the SCA Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Preserving peaches <<< If I were to try using ingredients closer to those of the time period of the recipe, what varieties of peaches and what wines would be appropriate equivalents? Talana >>> Of course the Herball could be looked up and used in this edition /The herball or Generall historie of plantes. Gathered by Iohn Gerarde of London Master in Chirurgerie/, Imprinted at London : by [Edm. Bollifant for [Bonham Norton and] Iohn Norton, 1597. but it's late and it's much easier to just look up, cut and paste from the 1633 when it's this late. Since I am still online with the university, I just took a look under "peach" and "cookery" and came up with this one recipe from Dawson's 1587 The good husvvifes ievvell. To make all maner of fruit Tartes. You must boile your fruite, whether it be apple, cherie, peach, damson, peare, Mulberie, or codling, in faire water, and when they be boyled inough, put them into a bowle, and bruse them with a ladle, and when they be cold, straine them, and put in red wine or claret wine, and so season it with suger, sinamom and ginger. There are a few more indexed under peach at medievalcookery.com Johnnae Date: Sat, 27 Feb 2010 08:31:06 -0600 From: "Terry Decker" To: "Cooks within the SCA" Subject: [Sca-cooks] Peaches was Theatre food in Elizabethan England <<< http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100129/od_nm/us_shakespeare_snacks ***************************************** "...imported food like peaches..."?? Peaches grow in the UK don't they? I was given to understand they had been grown in England for most of the mediaeval period. Angharad >>> According to Davidson, the common wisdom has been that peaches were introduced into England into the 16th Century; however, a reference to peaches in Chaucer, two peach trees were at the Tower of London in 1275 and peach pits excavated from a 2nd Century fishmarket in Billingsgate, suggest that the common wisdom is in error. The current thinking appears to be peach cultivation ceased for a time and was reintroduced from France in the 16th Century I haven't chased down the Tower of London reference, but several sources suggest that it is an account entry for two trees delivered to the Tower in 1275. The Chaucer reference appears to be from his (probable) translation of Romance of the Rose, which, being of French origin, doesn't place peach trees in England. We know that Pliny wrote of the peach trees in Gaul and I have no problem with the idea that the Romans introduced peach cultivation into England. There is also some evidence that Charlemagne tried to expand peach cultivation in France more or less unsuccessfully. Which leads me to the question of yield. If the yields were low, then the peach could have been a rare and expensive fruit even if grown locally. Espaliering fruit trees, pruning them to open them up and increase yields, occurred in Europe in the late 14th Century. It may be that peaches were in England, but were of limited utility due to low yields until growers adopted the new techniques of arboriculture. It's an interesting question. Bear Date: Wed, 11 Aug 2010 12:10:21 -0400 From: Sharon Palmer To: sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org Subject: [Sca-cooks] Peaches I brought home two pecks (about 2 gallons each) of peaches yesterday. I want to try the Rumpolt recipe for dried peaches. Rather than putting them in the sun (its raining hard right now) or using a dehydrator, I thought of turning my oven to warm for awhile, then turning it off and putting in the peaches, on a rack over a sheet pan Does that seem like it would work? And Peach Latweg (also from Rumpolt) Make peach preserve also therefore/ and press the peaches/ like this you are going to press a good juice from it/ boil it quickly away/ and take not much sugar/ like this it is also a beautiful preserve/ becomes beautiful clear juice/ good and well tasting. Ranvaig Date: Wed, 11 Aug 2010 16:46:14 -0700 (PDT) From: wheezul at canby.com To: "Cooks within the SCA" Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Peaches - more German Peaches are so nom! Rontzier's Peach Torte: One peels and lays them in the torte / give thereon grated bread / sugar / coriander and egg yolks beaten with wine as well as butter / etc. Wecker has a lot to say about peaches being bad for the ill as they decompose in the stomach and are forbidden to the sick above other fruits. But she gives some recipes (this is somewhat down and dirty just for the ideation): Good dry peaches / as are normally the yellow / are good peeled / in fine flour coated like the apples / and thus in fat fried / as well as with sugar bestrewed. / half or whole / as it pleases you / but whole are easiest / also you may uncoated brown them in fat / then with Malmsey / cinnamon/ ginger/ and sugar make a brew thereover / and only [just] allow them to boil / if you want raisin and such things / bestrew it in a good proportion / or rather make in in a pastry shell. You may all kinds of mushes all mixed as one finds apples / prepare [this] from it. However when you would rather tortes or pastry make / so peel these into the pastry / chop a piece off / that you can take out the kernel. If you want / the crush shelled almonds therein / or whole boiled dates / lay an hour or tow in Malmsey or such strong wine / then prepare in the shell with sugar and ginger / it will need goodly suger. When the shell hardenes / pour the wine also into it / you may also a bit of fat prepare it with / it will be very tasty and good. Cut the torte as a apple-mush / also lay it in wine / prepare it in a shell (or pot) like an apple torte . Put raisins in between / they [the peaches] also allow for preparation to keep in various ways. One bakes them also whole or half / and they are then as cooked less bad [for you] than the raw. The new Stengler Cookbook has a preserve done in clarified sugar (probably the syrup form we've been discussing). Katherine Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:40:49 -0500 From: Robin Carroll-Mann To: Cooks within the SCA Subject: [Sca-cooks] Recipe translation: Dried peaches I am going to throw caution to the wind and post this. Something short and simple, since the hour is late and I am tired. Dried Peaches for the Beginning of the Meal Put them the night before to soak in good white wine and at the time that they are to be served at the table, take them out and cast ground sugar on top of them. From "Regalo de la vida humana" by Juan Valles, 16th c. c. 2009 by the Government of Navarre and the Austrian National Library Translation by Robin Carroll-Mann Some may remember that a little over a year ago, we were discussing peach recipes. The 1423 carving manual "Art de Cortar" has instructions for carving fresh peaches and dipping the slices in white wine. This recipe is not as elegant as table-side carving, but would work well when peaches are out of season. -- Brighid ni Chiarain, OL MKA: Robin Carroll-Mann rcarrollmann at gmail.com From: Sharon Palmer Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Any references to peaches being used in period brewing? Date: April 18, 2014 1:20:35 PM CDT To: Cooks within the SCA <<< And don't forget.... peach butter: >>> If we are moving beyond brewing, Rumpolt has several references to peaches, including ways to preserve them Eyngemachten means anything preserved Confect (or confict) means candied fruit Latwerge is more like a fruit butter, or even stiff enough to cut. Pfirsig Confict. 5 Peach confict (preserve). Pfersig Kern Confict. 9 Peach kernel preserve. Turten von Mandeln/ vnd Pfirsich dareyn gemacht. 34 Tart made of almonds/ and peaches enclosed within. Pfersig Lattwergen mit den Kernen. 27 Peach lattwergen (preserve) with the kernel. Zugemüß 161. Pfersig Muß. Peach sauce or pottage. Take peaches/ and take the pits out/ put the peaches in a mortar/ and crush them/ strain them nicely thick/ make sweet/ and set on the fire/ stir well/ until it boils/ if it is too thick/ then pour wine or a little water in it/ and when you will dress it/ then sprinkle it with sugar/ so it becomes good and well tasting. Zugemüß 162. Dürre Pfersig. Dry peaches. Take half water and wine/ let set a boil open (come to a boil) with it/ and when you dress it/ them sprinkle it with white sugar/ like this it is a good dish. Turten 9. Pfersig Turten. Peach tart/ strain them/ or enclose them whole with cinnamon and sugar. Zucker 11. Pfersig Kern vberzogen. Peach kernels sugar coated. Confect 1. Take water and sugar/ and let come to a boil/ peel apples/ and cut them apart/ or take them whole/ and stab the core out with a sharp hollow iron/ that the apples remain whole/ and when the water along with the sugar comes to a boil/ then throw the apples in/ and let cook/ until they become soft pull them out on a clean board/ and let the syrup boil/ lay the apple slices in again/ and let a good boil open (come to a good boil) with it/ that it does not scorch/ pull them out/ and lay them nicely around a dish/ and pour the syrup over the top/ and let become cool. And when you will give to a table/ then sprinkle them with small coated comfits/ like this it is good and elegant. Confect 2. Pfersig Confect. Peach confect made as is described before. Confect 13. Take almonds/ that are white and well soaked in cold water/ cut them nicely lengthwise and thin/ take small raisins with it/ that are cleanly washed/ throw them in syrup/ that has been cooked thick/ and let simmer well together. Put is on a wafer/ that is pricked round/ and let it become nicely cool/ like this it is good and elegant. Confect 18. Pfersig Kern Confect/ Peach kernel confect/ as one makes the almond confect. Eyngemachten 10. Mach Pfersig Latwerge auch also/ Make peach preserve also like this/ and press the peaches/ like this you are going to press a good juice from it/ boil it quickly away/ and take not much sugar/ so it also becomes a beautiful preserve/ becomes beautiful clear juice/ good and well tasting. Eyngemachten 12. Saur Limoniensafft mit Quitten/ Pfersig oder Epffelsafft. Sour lemon juice with quince/ peach or apple juice. Eyngemachten 13. Pomerantzensafft mit Pfersigsafft. Seville orange juice let boil with peach juice/ becomes good and well tasting. Eyngemachten 18. Nim~ Pfersig/ Take peaches/ peel them and cut apart/ and take the stone out/ sprinkle them on both sides with white sugar/ that is pounded small/ lay over a clean sieve/ that is nicely new/ lay the peaches in it/ and cover with a thin veil/ set in the sun/ that the bugs do not come/ and turn over often/ like this they become nicely dry from the sun/ that you can lift it up/ and give to a table nicely dry. Eyngemachten 19. Nim~ Pfersig/ Take peaches/ and peel them/ put them in a clear syrup/ that is nicely warm/ and when it becomes thin from it/ then pour it in a clean strainer/ and boil the syrup/ until it becomes thick/ and is nicely skimmed clean/ put the peaches in again/ when the syrup has cooled down. And of such form and manner you can preserve all manner of fruit. The Kellermeisterey (Brewing) section has two references to peach -kernels- used to flavor wine. Peach kernels are rather like bitter almonds and also contain hydrocyanic acid. Too many of them is poisonous, but the lethal dose is rather large. The toxicity is destroyed by cooking, but there is no reference to cooking them here. No reference to using peaches or peach juice in brewing, although peaches were clearly used in cooking. Wine like Whey. You should help it like this/ Take honey foam/ well roasted in a pan/ and a half pound peach kernels/ that are ground to powder/ then pour it with wine through a linen cloth/ also put a cup full of wine in it/ pour it in the barrel/ then the wine develops a good color. Another Secret Art/ that one can make a wine more praiseworthy/ stronger and better tasting/ than if it was grown (matured??) by Nature. Item: Take the best brandy that you have/ and put into it the following stück (seasoning)/ a quarter (of a lot? ie 1/8 ounce) of galangal/ three lots (half ounce, 1 1/2 ounce) of cloves/ four lots (2 ounces) of ginger/ four lots (2 ounces) of cinnamon rind/ two pounds of peach kernels/ a pound of cherry kernels/ that one should put all into the brandy/ then let it stand together eight days/ Then you should purify (strain??) the wine/ and pour the brandy into the purified wine in each barrel/ according to your judgement and pleasure/ or good taste/ according to laudable taste/ or strength/ to the very best/ From: Robin Carroll-Mann Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Any references to peaches being used in period brewing? Date: April 22, 2014 4:54:31 PM CDT To: Cooks within the SCA Not connected with brewing, but I know of two "recipes" in the Spanish corpus involving peaches and wine. I believe I've posted them here. In the 15th c. carving manual by Enrique de Villena, he instructs the server who is carving fresh peaches at table to dip each slice in white wine before serving. The purpose was humoural, if I recall correctly. In the 16th c. Regalo de la Vida Humana by Juan Valles, he suggests soaking dried peaches overnight in wine. I have enjoyed the first at an event, and tested the second at home, and found them very pleasant, and not tasting as strongly of wine as I might have suspected. Brighid ni Chiarain Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2014 13:25:49 -0400 (EDT) From: JIMCHEVAL at aol.com To: sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Any references to peaches being used in period brewing? And don't forget.... peach butter: "Peach Butter. Take pound for pound of peaches and sugar; cook peaches alone until they become soft, then put in one-half the sugar, and stir for one-half an hour: then the remainder of the sugar, and stir half an hour. Season with cloves and cinnamon. Peach Butter. Take pound for pound of peaches and sugar; cook peaches until they are soft, then put in one-half of the sugar and cook slowly for half an hour, stirring often; then the rest of the sugar, and cook and stir for an hour and a half. Season with cloves and cinnamon." .... Peach Butter. Use a twenty-gallon kettle. Boil twenty gallons of apple cider down to ten gallons, skimming well while boiling. Dip out while hot into stone or wooden vessels; it must not cool in the kettle. Take five bushels of peaches, as ripe as can be handled; wash, but do not pare them; cut away the sun-cooked or black side; boil to a slush, stirring from first to last, using the boiled cider to keep it thin. The cider must be added hot, and the mass kept constantly boiling, and continued for five hours after the last of the cooked peaches and boiled cider are added. Five bushels of peaches cooked should use the ten gallons of boiled cider. A few minutes before removing from the fire add eight pounds of granulated sugar, four tablespoonfuls of ground cinnamon, two tablespoonfuls each of essence of lemon and essence of cinnamon. We find ready sale for this at one dollar a gallon, and it will keep for a year. The above quantity will stir off from thirteen to sixteen gallons of peach butter. A. R. Baxley, Humboldt The Peach: The Kansas Peach 1899 edited by William H. Barnes http://books.google.com/books?id=kcNBAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA153&dq=peach+cider&hl=en& sa=X&ei=VlxRU9ivF6ri8gH6z4GQDg&ved=0CEoQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false I think this is due for a revival at some cutting edge restaurant. Otherwise, it's probably worth noting that this book entirely devoted to the peach does not mention peach cider. This said, there are nineteenth century references to it: "Peach cider sold then at Parramatta, for nine-pence a quart, but ten gallons of cider made one gallon of brandy, several degrees above proof; so as I had Doctor Balmain's still by me, ever since I had bought" http://books.google.com/books?id=wvI5AAAAcAAJ&dq=peach%20cider&pg=PA272#v=on epage&q&f=false Missionaries noted "cidre de peche" in Australia: _http://books.google.com/books?id=OdU7AAAAcAAJ&dq=%22cidre%20de%20peche%22&p g=PA46#v=onepage&q&f=false_ (http://books.google.com/books?id=OdU7AAAAcAAJ&dq="cidre%20de%20peche"&pg=PA46#v=onepage&q&f=false) Ironically, this item on fruit butters mentions in passing that one could just as well make the underlying cider with peaches: http://books.google.com/books?id=jzLiAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA475&dq=peach+cider&hl=en& sa=X&ei=VlxRU9ivF6ri8gH6z4GQDg&ved=0CG0Q6AEwBw#v=onepage&q&f=false Still, the idea seems to have remained a novelty: "The exquisite and various flavor of the North American peach, in the most favorable situations, and the ease with which it is propagated in such places, give rise to great solicitude, that nice and careful experiments should be made of the quality of the clear fermented liquor it would yield. Whether the attempt would succeed best, if the peach were treated like the grape, the apple, and the pear, in making wine, cider, and perry, or whether it would best succeed, if the fruit were treated in the manner of the currant, experience would determine" http://books.google.com/books?id=_40bAQAAMAAJ&dq=peach%20cider&pg=PA684#v=on epage&q&f=false And while we're at it, what about melons? "very excellent cider may be made from melons." http://books.google.com/books?id=h0RFAAAAYAAJ&dq=peach%20cider&pg=PA159#v=on epage&q&f=false (Now THAT sounds like it could be a modern summer hit.) Jim Chevallier www.chezjim.com Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2014 14:20:35 -0400 From: Sharon Palmer To: Cooks within the SCA Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Any references to peaches being used in period brewing? <<< And don't forget.... peach butter: >>> If we are moving beyond brewing, Rumpolt has several references to peaches, including ways to preserve them Eyngemachten means anything preserved Confect (or confict) means candied fruit Latwerge is more like a fruit butter, or even stiff enough to cut. Pfirsig Confict. 5 Peach confict (preserve). Pfersig Kern Confict. 9 Peach kernel preserve. Turten von Mandeln/ vnd Pfirsich dareyn gemacht. 34 Tart made of almonds/ and peaches enclosed within. Pfersig Lattwergen mit den Kernen. 27 Peach lattwergen (preserve) with the kernel. Zugem?? 161. Pfersig Mu?. Peach sauce or pottage. Take peaches/ and take the pits out/ put the peaches in a mortar/ and crush them/ strain them nicely thick/ make sweet/ and set on the fire/ stir well/ until it boils/ if it is too thick/ then pour wine or a little water in it/ and when you will dress it/ then sprinkle it with sugar/ so it becomes good and well tasting. Zugem?? 162. D?rre Pfersig. Dry peaches. Take half water and wine/ let set a boil open (come to a boil) with it/ and when you dress it/ them sprinkle it with white sugar/ like this it is a good dish. Turten 9. Pfersig Turten. Peach tart/ strain them/ or enclose them whole with cinnamon and sugar. Zucker 11. Pfersig Kern vberzogen. Peach kernels sugar coated. Confect 1. Take water and sugar/ and let come to a boil/ peel apples/ and cut them apart/ or take them whole/ and stab the core out with a sharp hollow iron/ that the apples remain whole/ and when the water along with the sugar comes to a boil/ then throw the apples in/ and let cook/ until they become soft pull them out on a clean board/ and let the syrup boil/ lay the apple slices in again/ and let a good boil open (come to a good boil) with it/ that it does not scorch/ pull them out/ and lay them nicely around a dish/ and pour the syrup over the top/ and let become cool. And when you will give to a table/ then sprinkle them with small coated comfits/ like this it is good and elegant. Confect 2. Pfersig Confect. Peach confect made as is described before. Confect 13. Take almonds/ that are white and well soaked in cold water/ cut them nicely lengthwise and thin/ take small raisins with it/ that are cleanly washed/ throw them in syrup/ that has been cooked thick/ and let simmer well together. Put is on a wafer/ that is pricked round/ and let it become nicely cool/ like this it is good and elegant. Confect 18. Pfersig Kern Confect/ Peach kernel confect/ as one makes the almond confect. Eyngemachten 10. Mach Pfersig Latwerge auch also/ Make peach preserve also like this/ and press the peaches/ like this you are going to press a good juice from it/ boil it quickly away/ and take not much sugar/ so it also becomes a beautiful preserve/ becomes beautiful clear juice/ good and well tasting. Eyngemachten 12. Saur Limoniensafft mit Quitten/ Pfersig oder Epffelsafft. Sour lemon juice with quince/ peach or apple juice. Eyngemachten 13. Pomerantzensafft mit Pfersigsafft. Seville orange juice let boil with peach juice/ becomes good and well tasting. Eyngemachten 18. Nim~ Pfersig/ Take peaches/ peel them and cut apart/ and take the stone out/ sprinkle them on both sides with white sugar/ that is pounded small/ lay over a clean sieve/ that is nicely new/ lay the peaches in it/ and cover with a thin veil/ set in the sun/ that the bugs do not come/ and turn over often/ like this they become nicely dry from the sun/ that you can lift it up/ and give to a table nicely dry. Eyngemachten 19. Nim~ Pfersig/ Take peaches/ and peel them/ put them in a clear syrup/ that is nicely warm/ and when it becomes thin from it/ then pour it in a clean strainer/ and boil the syrup/ until it becomes thick/ and is nicely skimmed clean/ put the peaches in again/ when the syrup has cooled down. And of such form and manner you can preserve all manner of fruit. The Kellermeisterey (Brewing) section has two references to peach -kernels- used to flavor wine. Peach kernels are rather like bitter almonds and also contain hydrocyanic acid. Too many of them is poisonous, but the lethal dose is rather large. The toxicity is destroyed by cooking, but there is no reference to cooking them here. No reference to using peaches or peach juice in brewing, although peaches were clearly used in cooking. Wine like Whey. You should help it like this/ Take honey foam/ well roasted in a pan/ and a half pound peach kernels/ that are ground to powder/ then pour it with wine through a linen cloth/ also put a cup full of wine in it/ pour it in the barrel/ then the wine develops a good color. Another Secret Art/ that one can make a wine more praiseworthy/ stronger and better tasting/ than if it was grown (matured??) by Nature. Item: Take the best brandy that you have/ and put into it the following st?ck (seasoning)/ a quarter (of a lot? ie 1/8 ounce) of galangal/ three lots (half ounce, 1 1/2 ounce) of cloves/ four lots (2 ounces) of ginger/ four lots (2 ounces) of cinnamon rind/ two pounds of peach kernels/ a pound of cherry kernels/ that one should put all into the brandy/ then let it stand together eight days/ Then you should purify (strain??) the wine/ and pour the brandy into the purified wine in each barrel/ according to your judgement and pleasure/ or good taste/ according to laudable taste/ or strength/ to the very best/ Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2014 17:01:28 -0400 (EDT) From: JIMCHEVAL at aol.com To: sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Any references to peaches being used in period brewing? For anyone who's interested in cider and fruit drink history in France, that's one of the subjects covered in my blog post this week: Beyond wine, water and beer: what else they drank in Medieval France http://leslefts.blogspot.com/2014/04/beyond-wine-water-and-beer-what-else.ht ml Whether the peach was common or not is relative. It's mentioned in texts from the start of the Middle Ages, but not frequently. Yet, as Ruas points out, for some reason one finds peach remains fairly regularly in digs. Otherwise, Aldebrandino advises the juice of peach leaves against worms, but says nothing about making drink from the fruit itself. Jim Chevallier Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2014 17:54:31 -0400 From: Robin Carroll-Mann To: Cooks within the SCA Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Any references to peaches being used in period brewing? Not connected with brewing, but I know of two "recipes" in the Spanish corpus involving peaches and wine. I believe I've posted them here. In the 15th c. carving manual by Enrique de Villena, he instructs the server who is carving fresh peaches at table to dip each slice in white wine before serving. The purpose was humoural, if I recall correctly. In the 16th c. Regalo de la Vida Humana by Juan Valles, he suggests soaking dried peaches overnight in wine. I have enjoyed the first at an event, and tested the second at home, and found them very pleasant, and not tasting as strongly of wine as I might have suspected. Brighid ni Chiarain Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2014 18:06:17 -0400 (EDT) From: JIMCHEVAL at aol.com To: sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Any references to peaches being used in period brewing? In fact Aledebrandino suggests eating "peskes" with good wine, mainly to counteract their "bad humors". Oh, and their tendency to cause bad breath, which one may be permitted to doubt. Jim Chevallier Date: Thu, 24 Apr 2014 17:14:30 -0400 From: Sharon Palmer To: Cooks within the SCA Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Any references to peaches being used in period brewing? <<< In the 15th c. carving manual by Enrique de Villena, he instructs the server who is carving fresh peaches at table to dip each slice in white wine before serving. The purpose was humoural, if I recall correctly. >>> It probably also kept them from turning brown, like we sometimes dip peaches and apples in lemon juice. A sweet wine might add sugar too. Ranvaig Date: Fri, 25 Apr 2014 06:03:30 -0500 From: "Terry Decker" To: "Cooks within the SCA" Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Any references to peaches being used in periodbrewing? Wine is acidic primarily from the tartaric, malic and citric acids in the grapes. Whether this is enough to keep the peaches from oxidizing, who knows? Bear -----Original Message----- Would the wine keep the peach from turning brown though? I thought the lemon juice worked because of it's acidity. In which case, vinegar would also work, but wouldn't be as tasty. :-( So would dipping peach or apple pieces in wine keep them from turning brown? I can see where dipping peaches in a sweet wine might increase the sweetness, though. Or perhaps a reduced-wine sauce. Stefan Edited by Mark S. Harris peaches-msg Page 21 of 21