Home Page

Stefan's Florilegium

pickled-foods-msg



This document is also available in: text or RTF formats.

pickled-foods-msg – 5/7/14

 

Medieval pickled food. recipes. Pickled eggs, lemons, cheese, cucumbers, compost.

 

NOTE: See also the files: pickled-meats-msg, campfood-msg, food-storage-msg, canning-msg, drying-foods-msg, meat-smoked-msg, stockfish-msg, vinegar-msg, eggs-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: Aoife <liontamr at postoffice.ptd.net>

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

Subject: Re: Keeping meat (was: one "pot" meal)

Date: 4 Sep 1996 20:22:54 GMT

 

Gracious gentles,

 

>> 3) soft cheese in oil. This sounds interesting. Can I just buy a soft

>> cheese and immurse it in oil?

>I  bought a jar containing lots of balls of a soft white cheese in olive

>oil at a middle eastern grocery before this Pennsic, and it kept fine at

>Pennsic. I haven't experimented with producing it myself.

 

Aoife: Several years ago "Marinated Mozzerella" was the culinary rage.

Olive oil, a little balsamic vinegar, blanched garlic, and spices of your

choice are briefly heated to kill any nasty bugs. When cooled, it is

poured over cubed mozzerella or other semi-soft cheese. It keeps several

weeks on the counter, several months or more in the 'fridge. I heartily

reccomend this....cheese is wonderful when preserved this way.

 

>David/Cariadoc

 

Aoife

liontamr at ptd.net

 

 

From: Aoife <liontamr at postoffice.ptd.net>

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

Subject: Re: Keeping meat (was: one "pot" meal)

Date: 9 Sep 1996 16:51:47 GMT

Organization: ProLog - PenTeleData, Inc.

 

jeffs at bu.edu (Jeff Suzuki) wrote:

>I am currently running experiments on various means of pickling, and

>how long they will keep without refrigeration.  Right now, I'm

>pickling various vegetables in the Japanese tsukemono fashion.  

>First, a note: I've always seen the signs say "refrigerate after

>opening", and I've always _bought_ tsukemono refrigerated, but of

>course, in period, they wouldn't have had either.  So I am assuming

>that, done properly, the tsukemono will keep for a while.

>Anyway, I'll post the results when I get them...

>Fujimoto

 

In Martha Washington's Booke of Cookery, (not THE Martha

Washington...Columbia university Press, New York, 1981)Editor Karen Hess

gives us some valuable advice: (Page 166-7, and regarding vegetables, but

equally true of meat) "Straight pickling brine requires about 6

tablespoons of salt per quart of water; if vinegar is added, far less is

required, perhaps 1 or 2 tablespoons will do. Pickles should be examined

occaisionally for mold; if there is as yet no sign of softening, all can

be set right by draining off the liquor, boiling it for 10 or 15 minutes,

rinsing off the pickles,and adding a new cold vinegar to the cooled

liquor in sufficient quantity to cover the pickles once again."

 

Please forgive my impertinence if this advice isn't going to a novice,

but....I reccomend you do further reading. In fact most old

household-type cookery books have excellent examples of pickling or

brining foods in recipes. BTW, do you have any japanese period cooking

sources? Please share.

 

The best source for period information is the horse's mouth....

 

Aoife

 

 

From: jeffs at bu.edu (Jeff Suzuki)

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

Subject: food preservative report

Date: 25 Sep 1996 21:40:52 GMT

Organization: Boston University

 

All right, the science experiment has succeeded...

 

I experimented a bit with pickled vegetables in a Japanese vein

(tsukemono), a great accompaniment with rice (and --- eek! --- takai

if you buy them yourself).  Here are the recipes (though they're also

on my web page: http://math.bu.edu/INDIVIDUAL/jeffs/index.html)

 

Cucumbers: three cucumbers, 2 cups water and 1/4 cup salt.  Keep the

cucumbers covered, let sit for a week in the fridge.  These kept about

a week at room temperature before mold started growing on them.

 

Chinese cabbage: rinse, separate leaves, and layer, liberally

sprinkling salt over each layer.  Let sit about a week in the fridge,

weighted down (if you don't want to buy a tsukemono presser, at

$ridiculous, use a plate and a heavy weight).  These have been sitting

out for about three weeks now, and are still fine.  

 

Next month...miso pickles?  We'll see...

 

Fujimoto

 

 

From: alysk at ix.netcom.com(Elise Fleming )

Newsgroups: rec.food.historic,rec.org.sca

Subject: Re: Pickled Lemons

Date: 21 Jan 1997 01:14:34 GMT

 

L Herr-Gelatt and J R Gelatt <liontamr at postoffice.ptd.net> writes:

>I am searching for a source (unredacted) that will have directions for

>making Pickled Lemons and the other sorts of things that might be

>strewn upon a grand Elizabethan Salad.

 

Robert May, _The Accomplisht Cook, 4th edition, 1678, has "To pickle

Lemons" and says simply "Boil them in water and salt, and put them up

with white-wine."

 

May also includes a number of things for "sallats" which would include

the grand sallat.  You may want to search out a copy.  Ditto for

Gervase Markham's _The English Housewife_, 1615, as edited by Michael

Best.  This you might find in a library.  He includes a number of salad

ideas including carving carrots into fantastic shapes and making

"strange sallats" with flowers composed of parts of vegetables.  May

would be an excellent resource.

 

May also has "Of pickling sallats" where he says "...they are only

boiled, and then drained from the water, spread upon a table, and a

good store of salt thrown over them, then when they are thorough cold,

make a pickle with water, salt, and a little vinegar, and with the same

pot them up in close earthen pots, and serve them forth as occasion

shall serve."

 

Seems to me there was at least one other reference to pickled lemons

but I can't find it right now.

 

Elise/Alys

 

 

From: jkrissw at aol.com

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

Subject: Re: Pickled Lemons

Date: 21 Jan 1997 18:49:12 GMT

 

L Herr-Gelatt and J R Gelatt <liontamr at postoffice.ptd.net> writes:

>I am searching for a source (unredacted) that will have directions for

>making Pickled Lemons and the other sorts of things that might be strewn

>upon a grand Elizabethan Salad. I have come across a recipe for *faking*

>pickled lemons, but as it requires you have the liquid from the pickled

>lemons to begin with, I am no farther forward. Failing a period recipe,

>I'm willing to work from a description or best guess.

 

Here's a recipe from Claudia Roden's "A Book of Middle Eastern Food" (not

necessarily period, but certainly traditional Egyptian):  

 

"Scrub lemons well and slice them.  Sprinkle the slices generously with

salt and leave for at least 24 hours on a large plate set at an angle or

in a collander.  They will become soft and limp, and lose their

bitterness.  Arrange the slices in layers in a glass jar, sprinkling a

little paprika between each layer."  (Note, as paprika is late-period at

best, you might want to experiment with other spices - coriander,

cinnamon, etc.)  "Cover with corn or nut oil. Sometimes olive oil is

used, but its taste is rather strong and may slightly overpower the

lemons.  Close the jar tightly.  After about 3 weeks, the lemons will be

ready to eat - soft, yellow, and a beautiful orange color."

 

I've also heard a version where the lemons were first boiled (whole, not

wedged) before being packed in salt. That recipe also called for using

some "fake saffron" (safflower).  

 

Pickled lemons are quite interesting when used on a sandwich as one would

a "regular" pickle, adding a bite to almost any kind of meat sandwich.

The Egyptians use it to spice up a "bisterma" (middle-eastern cousin of

"pastrami", but more garlicy) sandwich.

 

Daveed of Granada, AoA, CHA

From the Barony of Lyondemere in fair Caid

mka J. Kriss White in smoggy L.A.

jkrissw at aol.com

 

 

From: L Herr-Gelatt and J R Gelatt <liontamr at postoffice.ptd.net>

Newsgroups: rec.food.historic,rec.org.sca

Subject: Re: Pickled Lemons

Date: 22 Jan 1997 12:54:50 GMT

Organization: ProLog - PenTeleData, Inc.

 

Gracious Gentleperson,

 

    Thanks for your input. This sounds interesting! I have also been

pointed in the direction of Robert May and Markham (later edition than

the one I own). In addition I have found (been pointed to)several recipes

for pickled lemon rinds using white wine and sugar (which was near to

what I was looking for). I have preserved oranges, and can guess from

that tasty experiment the procedure for pickling lemons whole. It's a

darn shame I may have to go out and buy yet more cookbooks. Last month my

cookbook shelf literally fell off the wall. Now I know better than to

trust my valuable tomes to mere nails, wood and brackets!

 

    Actually this post went to both newsgroups at once. I indulge in both

sins (hopefully at the same time ;^D).

 

    Your efforts may make it to the table at Aethelmearc's First Crown

Tournament. Thank-you.

 

Lady Aoife Finn (who was born in "Fair Caid", in the city of Angels, and

wishes she were there out of the snow right now).

 

 

From: jack at purr.demon.co.uk (Jack Campin)

Newsgroups: rec.food.historic,rec.org.sca

Subject: Re: Pickled Lemons

Date: 23 Jan 1997 01:20:18 GMT

Organization: The Fluffiest Flat in Edinburgh

 

L Herr-Gelatt and J R Gelatt <liontamr at postoffice.ptd.net> writes:

> I am searching for a source (unredacted) that will have directions for

> making Pickled Lemons and the other sorts of things that might be strewn

> upon a grand Elizabethan Salad.

 

Why not just buy them from a Middle Eastern food shop?  Is the modern

Egyptian bottled kind all that different from what the Elizabethans used?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jack Campin                                             jack at purr.demon.co.uk

T/L, 2 Haddington Place, Edinburgh EH7 4AE, Scotland       (+44) 131 556 5272

 

 

From: cass <cass at telerama.lm.com>

Newsgroups: rec.food.historic,rec.org.sca

Subject: Re: Pickled Lemons

Date: Thu, 23 Jan 1997 08:00:42 +0000

Organization: Telerama Public Access Internet, Pittsburgh, PA

 

I have just put together a small booklet on Feasting and Fasting Foods

of Lent and Ramadan for a Food Fest weekend. Among the recipes I intend

to share are several Torshi recipes of Egypt.

        I am an American but share my time between the US and Egypt. Torshi are

pickled vegetables. They include turnips, onions, cucumbers, carrots,

green hot peppers, olives, and lemons.

        The Egyptian lemons are small ones, the size of a large walnut. They

are available int he United States. They are much more flavorful that

American lemons.

Lamoon Mikhalel

Pickled Lemons

50 small lemons for juice

4 T salt

3 T black peppercorns

7 T saffron

50 small yellow lemons

8-10 pickling jars

        Squeeze the juice of 50 lemons and set aside. Combine salt, peppercorns

and saffron and set aside. WAsh remaining lemons. Cut almost in half,

leaving enought to keep them joined. Place a layer of lemons, sprinkle

salt mixture, add another layer, sprinkle salt mixture, and continue

until jar is filled. Pour enough juice to completely cover the lemons.

Seal the jar. Continue until finished. Allow to ferment for three to

four weeks.

There are two cookbooks you might me interested in

Egyptian Cooking by Samia Abdelnour. American University in Cairo Press

(available through Columbia University Press (new edition currently in press)

and

Flavors of Egypt by Susan Torgersen available through Trade Routes

Enterprises 518 Fourth Street Monessen, PA 15062. Price 20.00 plus 3 s&h

        Now I am interested in the history of Torshi in Egypt. Any ideas?

Cassandra Vivian

 

 

From: "Joseph M. Carlin" <foodbks at shore.net>

Newsgroups: rec.food.historic,rec.org.sca

Subject: Re: Pickled Lemons

Date: Sat, 25 Jan 1997 08:12:09 -0500

Organization: Food Heritage Press

 

Every Friday I go to Boston's Haymarket to buy a half-pound of olives

from one of the few Middle Eastern food stalls. Yesterday (Jan 24) they

had a five-gallon plastic bucket filled with pickled lemons.  This was

the first time I had seen them in the mostly Italian food market.

 

 

From: charding at nwlink.com (Cathy Harding)

Date: Mon, 21 Apr 1997 18:52:14 -0800

Subject: Re: SC - SC Pickels

 

Master Ian Damebrigge of Wychwood wrote about a sweet pickle from

Curye on Inglish, p. 120-121

 

This is a wonderful sweet pickle.  It is the one Cossette and I used in the

last feast we did.  It was the Janeltis feast held in the honor of the

Dowager Princess of An Tir at the An Tir Kingdom Kingdom A&S Championship.

We put up about 24 jars of it.  Because this was a visual as well as yummy

feast we did the Pears and green and red cabbage separately so that we

would have different colors on the plate and garnished it with fresh

violets and pansies (edible). It was a pickling extravaganza, and the

kitchen was quite sticky afterward!

 

We did it the weekend before the feast, it was part of the first course

which was all cold as we had the kitchen for a very limited time.

 

Maeve

 

 

From: "Philip W. Troy" <troy at asan.com>

Date: Tue, 22 Apr 1997 00:57:03 -0400

Subject: Re: SC - Pickles

 

linneah at erols.com wrote:

> Why haven't I seen more pickled things (veggies and meats) served at feasts?

> Is it because it takes too much planning or is there something else?

>

> Linneah

 

It might be just that people don't want to store the food for long

enough in advance for the process to be completed. I've had good sucess

with the composte recipe from The Forme of Cury. It's a sort of cooked

pickle/jam/chutney. A bit like Italian mustard fruits.

 

Adamantius

 

 

From: L Herr-Gelatt and J R Gelatt <liontamr at postoffice.ptd.net>

Date: Tue, 22 Apr 1997 07:51:42 -0500 (CDT)

Subject: SC - Pickled Lemons-The Recipe-LONG

 

Maeve writes:

>Cosette the Nice and I just spent all day sunday putting up vegetables

>(pickled of course) which won't be ready until about september crown.  Last

>fall we pickled more vegetables which we are eager to taste in May.  Many

>pickled things take time to mature before they are ready to be served,

>sometimes months.  This often doesn't fit in to the feast planning

>schedule.

>We are always looking for pickle recipes and other ways of preserving

>fruits and vegetables for later use.  Anyone have any experience with this?

>Maeve

>charding at nwlink.com

 

OK. I can't resist showing off my new recipe, espescially since I trawled

all over the 'net begging for originals of the recipes I read about in a

third-hand source......Oh NO! It's the Pickled Lemons AGAIN!!!! The

copyright notice is for my protection. I may wish to write a cook-book one

day! The notice expressly forbids copying to another news group. Please note

this fact. It allows the use for Feasts and even for printing a menu/recipe

list, but only in an SCA context. As a point of interest, current law

provides that a recipe is sufficiently altered from an original if it

contains a 25 percent difference in ingredient contents and/or amounts, AND

the corresponding alteration in directions. Altering the directions with

different wording OR a slight alteration in ingredients is not sufficient to

avoid violation of copyright laws. Please accept my apologies for the

baldness and necessity of the copyright notice. Since we have taken the

honor of the SCA into a public forum, I feel it is necessary.

 

The ancient, non-copyright originals:

 

Preserved Oranges (technique lifted, but not all ingredients).

The Good Huswife's Jewel --T Dawson, 1596

A Lemon Salat from A Book of Fruits and Flowers, printed by Thos. Jenner,

London 1653 (author unknown). I followed the ingredients but not the technique!

 

The recipe is a compilation of the two, and can not be considered a primary

source redaction of a medieval recipe. I have bothered to include it on the

sca-cooks list because it's fabulous, and must be tried to be appreciated.

In the past I have read several recounts of salads which had lemons or

pickled lemons strewn upon them. This was my attempt to re-create those

pickled lemons. Not having been alive in the 16th-17th century, I don't know

if I have succeeded. However, every now and then, a cook get a single recipe

for which they are most proud. Right now, this is mine.

 

COPYRIGHT NOTICE:

The following recipe entitled "Pickled Lemons" is copyright  L. Herr-Gelatt,

1997, also known as Lady Aoife Finn of Ynos Mon within the Society for

Creative Anachronism, Inc., (SCA), and may not be reproduced in part or in

whole without express permission of the author, except for the one-time

transmission  originated by the author for the purposes of the newsgroup

"Sca-Cooks" and no other automated transmission, for storage in the Society

for Creative Anachronism, Inc. (SCA) Cooking Archive Files of Mark S. Harris

for research purposes, or to be used privately for the purpose of Historical

Meal Planning and Cooking within the structure of the SCA, Inc. In all

cases, full credit should be given to the author. At the date of

transmission, the Author can be reached at liontamr at ptd.net or at RR 1 Box

500F Honesdale PA 18431. This copyright notice must accompany all versions

of the recipe unless the author gives express permission to exclude it.

 

 

RECIPE:

 

Pickled Lemons

 

2 blemish-free lemons

Juice  and zest of 1 lemon (no white)

1 cup white wine (sweet: Rhine wine is suggested)

1 c.  sugar

1/3 cup white or flavored vinegar (I used home-made costmary/lemon verbena

vinegar)

 

Cut a small round hole in the 2 lemons the size of the end of your little

finger. Remove the round piece of peel. Insert  a paring knife into the hole

and give it several twists to loosen and break the membranes. Insert little

finger and press gently against the flesh to try and loosen any pits. Remove

the pits that fall out, and reserve the draining lemon juice for syrup, below.

 

Gently bring to boil 1 quart of water in a suacepan. Lower lemons into the

pan and boil rapidly 5 minutes. Remove and drain. Repeat 3 more times with

fresh water (it is more efficient to have one pan heating while boiling in

another). If the lemon rind is espescially thick, 1-3 more boilings will be

necessary.

 

Drain them well, saving the liquid that pools beneath them.

 

In a separate saucepan combine remaining ingredients (and the drained lemon

juice from above). Bring to a boil to combine, and turn off heat. When

lemons have been boiled in the 4 changes of water, put them (drained) into

the wine-syrup mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer approx.

15 minutes or until syrup volume has reduced by 1/3-1/2. Cool. Remove lemon

zest and reserve for another use (it is now candied). To keep the lemons,

refrigerate lemons in syrup or can them in the syrup using normal heat

processing procedures.

 

Store in an airtight container. Slice lemons thinly or dice small  and use

in salads or to garnish desserts. The liquid produced, in which the lemons

are to be stored, refrigerated, or canned in by heat processing, is

excellent, and can be used on it's own as a dressing for salad or added to

water or seltzer for a refreshing drink.

 

I welcome any comments about the above recipe.

 

Aoife

 

 

From: "James L. Matterer" <jmattere at weir.net>

Date: Tue, 22 Apr 1997 11:49:41 -0700

Subject: Re: SC - SC Pickels

 

Cossette wrote:

>Why haven't I seen more pickled things (veggies and meats) served at >feasts? Is it because it takes too much planning or is there something >else?

>

>Linneah

 

Well, I've been making pickled dishes an integral part of every feast

I've done for the past several years. The most popular seems to be

English-style pickled eggs (which I usually make as part of a

Ploughman's Lunch, with pickled onions, bread, & cheese), but one of my

favorites is a dish called "Compost" which contains raisins, pears,

cabbage, walnuts, mustard seeds, anise seeds, white radishes... all

pickled together in white wine and honey. Here's the original recipe

with my redaction:

 

Compost

redaction by Master Ian Damebrigge of Wychwood

 

   "Take rote of persel, of pasternak, of rafens, scape hem and waische

hem clene. Take rapes & caboches, ypared and icorue. Take an erthen

panne with clene water & set it on the fire; cast alle thise therinne.

Whan they buth boiled cast therto peeres, & parboile hem wel. Take alle

thise thynges vp & lat it kele on a faire cloth. Do therto salt; whan it

is colde, do hit in a vessel; take vyneger & powdour & safroun & do

therto, & lat alle thise thynges lye therin al nyyt, other al day. Take

wyne greke & hony, clarified togider; take lumbarde mustard & raisons

coraunce, al hoole, & grynde powdour of canel, powdour douce & aneys

hole, & fenell seed. Take alle thise thynges & cast togyder in a pot of

erthe, & take therof whan thou wilt & serue forth."

- -Curye on Inglish, p. 120-121

 

   The following is a modified (but just as tasty) version of the

medieval recipe, containing only the "pasternak" (carrots- from the

botanical "pastinaca"), "caboches" (cabbage), "peeres" (pears) and

"raisons of courace" (currants). The other medieval ingredients are

"rote of persel" (parsley root), "rafens" (radishes), and "rapes" (white

turnip).

 

2 lbs. carrots, sliced                                                 

1/2 head cabbage, in small pieces

3-4 pears, sliced thin                                                 

1 tsp. salt                                                             

6 tblsp. vinegar                                                       

2 tsp. ginger                                                           

few threads saffron                                                     

1 bottle (750 ml.) white wine                                           

1/2 c. honey                                                           

1 tblsp. mustard seed                                                   

3/4 c. currants                                                         

1 tsp. cinnamon                                               

1/2 tblsp. each anise seed & fennel seed

 

   Boil the carrots and cabbage for several minutes, then add the pears.

Cook until tender; drain well. Lay vegetables and pears in a large,

flat, non-metallic dish. Sprinkle on the salt. Let cool, then sprinkle

on the vinegar, ginger, and saffron. Cover with a cloth and let stand

for several hours or overnight. When ready, mix the vegetables with the

currants and the seeds. Place in a sealable container and set aside. In

a separate pot, bring the honey, cinnamon, and wine to a boil, skimming

off the scum until clear. Remove from heat and pour over the vegetable

mixture. Let cool and seal. May be stored for a week or more. Serves 12

- - 15.

 

Bibliography: Hieatt, Constance B. and Butler, Sharon.  Curye on

Inglish: English Culinary Manuscripts of the Fourteenth Century

(Including the Forme of Cury). London: For the Early English Text

Society by the Oxford University Press, 1985.

 

 

From: "Philip W. Troy" <troy at asan.com>

Date: Tue, 22 Apr 1997 14:10:02 -0400

Subject: Re: SC - SC Pickels

 

James L. Matterer wrote:

>

> Well, I've been making pickled dishes an integral part of every feast

> I've done for the past several years. The most popular seems to be

> English-style pickled eggs (which I usually make as part of a

> Ploughman's Lunch, with pickled onions, bread, & cheese), but one of my

> favorites is a dish called "Compost" which contains raisins, pears,

> cabbage, walnuts, mustard seeds, anise seeds, white radishes... all

> pickled together in white wine and honey. Here's the original recipe

> with my redaction:

 

<Original recipe snipped for space>

 

I've loved this dish for several years. I'm interested in your mention

of walnuts above. The source you cite doesn't mention them, but the

recipe in Le Menagier for a similar dish does mention green, immature

nuts, probably walnuts although no specific type is mentioned. I've

tried this with immature almonds, which I can get at Middle Eastern

markets near me about once a year. When cooked they resemble those large

"Italian" string beans.

 

>    The following is a modified (but just as tasty) version of the

> medieval recipe, containing only the "pasternak" (carrots- from the

> botanical "pastinaca"), "caboches" (cabbage), "peeres" (pears) and

> "raisons of courace" (currants). The other medieval ingredients are

> "rote of persel" (parsley root), "rafens" (radishes), and "rapes" (white

> turnip).

 

Pretty similar to what I make. One trick I've been using is to put the

mixture into sterile canning jars. You could argue that this defeats the

period purpose of pickling, but it does prolong the shelf life by quite

a bit, and any unopened jars can actually be saved for the next time you

might want them (including another event, if you're of a mind).

Actually, if sealed jars are refrigerated, the compost will keep for

upwards of a year with no serious diminution of quality.

 

This is a wonderful Pennsic food and is especially good with cold meats

or sausage.

 

Adamantius

 

 

From: "Sue Wensel" <swensel at brandegee.lm.com>

Date: 22 Apr 1997 14:57:55 -0500

Subject: Re(2): SC - SC Pickels

 

> > Compost

> > redaction by Master Ian Damebrigge of Wychwood

> <snip!>

> > 1 bottle (750 ml.) white wine

> <snip!>

>

> This sounds really good.  Can anyone suggest something I could

> substitute for the wine? (or am I out of luck on this one?)

>

> Claricia Nyetgale

> Canton of Caldrithig

> Barony of Skraeling Althing

> Ealdormere  (still mostly in the Middle Kingdom)

 

Option 1:  Try to get non-alcoholic white wine.

 

Option 2:  Increase the amount of vinegar and water to approximate the amount

of white wine.  I think the ratio may be 1 part vinegar to 3 (or 4?) parts of

water.  You may also need to increase the sugar to account for the increased

tartness of the vinegar.

 

Derdriu

 

 

From: "James L. Matterer" <jmattere at weir.net>

Date: Tue, 22 Apr 1997 20:35:32 -0700

Subject: Re: Re(2): SC - SC Pickels

 

> This sounds really good.  Can anyone suggest something I could

> substitute for the wine? (or am I out of luck on this one?)

 

I would suggest using white grape juice that has been tempered with

cider vinegar or malt vinegar - just enough to sour the juice and

increase the acidity level to a close approximation of wine.

 

Master Ian

 

 

Date: Wed, 24 Sep 1997 02:11:30 -0400

From: Philip & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com>

Subject: Compost: was SC - bird or bay?

 

<snip>

 

It's a mixed pickle/chutney similar to Italian mustard fruits. Recipes

for it appear in le Menagier and in the Forme of Cury. The French

version calls for clove-and-ginger studded, immature nuts (probably

walnuts, but possibly hazels or some other type) to be pickled, along

with several other fruits and vegetables, each separately processed and

added to the mixture when their peak harvest date arrives (How's that

for thinking medievally, Aoife ;  )  )  The English version is much more

straightforward, with the various ingredients being parboiled, diced,

salted overnight, and added to a hot vinegar pickle / honey-mustard

syrup.

 

As I say, I have a recipe for making something like 50 pounds or more of

the stuff, and have not yet had the opportunity to reduce it to more

managable quantities...unless...

waitaminnit. Go to (those of you who can) these URL's:

 

http://www.adelphi.edu/~sbloch/sca/cooking/ppb.html#compot

 

and

 

http://www.adelphi.edu/~sbloch/sca/cooking/twelfth.night.html#Sauseges

 

The first URL has a recipe for a reasonable amount of compost made from

green almonds, in a synthesis of the French and English versions.

 

The second has a recipe for an ungodly huge amount of strictly English

compost. You can ignore the accompanying sausage recipe, which isn't

period anyway. Or not, as you wish.

 

Adamantius

 

 

Date: Thu, 25 Sep 1997 11:07:41 -0400

From: Philip & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com>

Subject: Re: SC - Re: pickles

 

Michael F. Gunter wrote:

> Isn't there a recipe in "The English Housewife" or one of the other more

> common sources for pickles?  I'm sure I saw a recipe for pickles just the

> other night.

 

Yup, you're right. Markham, and various other late period sources, do

include recipes for various types of vegetable and/or flower pickles.

Generally they call for a brief blanching in boiling water, and then a

bath in a vinegar-based sauce, which is usually cooked with sugar and

spices and then allowed to cool before using.

 

I'd sort of gotten into the habit of thinking of such sources as

marginally out-of-period, and thought first of the "High Middle Ages"

sources, which contain relatively few pickle recipes, as such.

 

Perfectly legit, of course.

 

Adamantius

 

 

Date: Mon, 29 Sep 1997 10:59:47 -0400

From: Aine of Wyvernwood <sybella at gte.net>

Subject: Re: SC - Buried Foods (was - Composte)

 

add suerkraut to that list....originally it was put into crocks with a rock

inside to keep the cabbage beneath the vinegar and burried to keep it cool and

to ferment...my mom makes the stuff, tho she does not bury it - it is the same.

so sour that I make my poor little lips pucker in rememberance...but

fabulous on hot dogs.

 

 

Date: Sun, 5 Oct 1997 23:04:16 -0400 (EDT)

From: Tyrca at aol.com

Subject: Re: SC - period suerkraut?

 

This is just my opinion, and not at all documented, but German Saurkraut is

made by salting the fresh cabbage, and leaving it in the crock to ferment on

its own.  It seems to me that this process didn't have to be imported from

anywhere, but could have risen very easily from a good housewife trying to

preserve some of her fresh cabbage through the winter.  We know that they

were already preserving meats this way.  I don't think it is that difficult

to see the progression.

 

Tyrca

 

 

Date: Mon, 06 Oct 1997 12:49:49 -0400

From: Philip & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com>

Subject: Re: SC - period suerkraut?

 

Brett and Karen Williams wrote:

> It is possible that the dish we know as sauerkraut is far older a

> technique than we can document, as is the general technique of

> salt/brine pickling. Without that documentation, though, a supposition

> remains a supposition.

 

True. For what it's worth, though, I understand that it is possible to

make sauerkraut without salt, under the right conditions. Apparently, in

relately cool but humid conditions (say, in a cellar in Germany) you can

press your shredded cabbage with a board and a weight, and it will exude

enough juice without the salt to begin lactic fermentation. Adding salt

may have been considered an improvement over this technique, but my

guess is that we'll never know.

 

Adamantius

 

 

Date: Mon, 13 Oct 1997 18:31:15 -0400 (EDT)

From: ANN1106 at aol.com

Subject: Re: SC - period sauerkraut?

 

Just came across an article in Saveur Magazine, Jan/Feb 1997 issue:

Page 48 sttes:

"The origins of sauerkraut are hotly debated in Alsace, but the basic notion

of fermented cabbage was probably brought to what is now Germany from China

in the late Middle Ages by invading Mongol hordes.  The earliest reference

to it in Alsace dates from the 15th century..."

Audrey - just lurking around because I have an interest in food history

 

 

Date: Mon, 08 Dec 1997 12:43:19 -0400

From: Philip & Susan Troy <troy at spambegone.asan.com>

Subject: Re: SC - Request for documentation: Honey Glazed Vegetables

 

Maddie Teller-Kook wrote:

> This recipe is from Terence Scully's latest cookbook: Early French

> Cooking. This recipe is a redaction from the Menagier de Paris.

> Honey Glazed Vegetables:

> for 5 lbs vegetables:

> 1 lb each (or chose any mix of a total = 5 lbs).

 

I could be wrong, but I think the recipe you mention is a very loose

adaptation of the recipe in Le Menagier [Take 500 new nuts, etc.], which

is essentially a sweet, spicy pickle of mixed vegetables, including

green nuts, carrots, pears, etc. There are similar recipes in both the

Forme of Cury (composte) and in Ein Buoch Von Guter Spise (the latter

using a similar sauce for cucumbers or root vegetables).

 

The only parsnip recipe I can think of, offhand, apart from parsnip

fritters of various kinds and composte, is from quite late period, or

after. I think it's in either Hugh Plat's "Delites for Ladies", or in

Digby's Closet. It is essentially boiled, mashed, parsnips, pureed with

butter and a bit of the cooking liquid to a creamy consistency. I'll see

if I can find it.

 

Adamantius

 

 

Date: Sun, 22 Mar 1998 22:44:49 EST

From: melc2newton at juno.com (Michael P Newton)

Subject: SC - My entry to Queen's Prize Tourney

 

For those of you not in Calontir, last sat. was Queen's Prize Tourney,

our A&S main event of the year. Those of the Grant level award and above

sponsor those of us below that level and help/encourage projects in the

Arts and Sciences. At the event, the projects are laid out, with their

documentation, where the populace can show their astonishment and

appreciation for them (bowls are given and placed next to the projects so

that the populace can give trinkets and other things if they are really

impressed - I ended up with several beads, two small "empty" books, and

two bars of homemade soap) Judges, at scheduled times, normally in

threes, come around and do a face to face evaluation  with the person on

their entry. Instead of judging, they discuss what was good, bad, or

surprising, about the object and its documentation, and where you can go

to from here. It also gives you a chance to question people more

experienced than yourself on the chosen topic. At the evening court, the

sponsors call up their people and award them prizes, most of them made by

the sponsors themselves.(we had to evacuate the building in the middle of

court because a fire alarm went off, but that is another story)

 

My Cooking Entry was Pickled Lemons.

I had found several references to pickled lemons in _The Domostroi:Rules

for Russian Households in the Time of Ivan The Terrible_ edited and

Translated by Carolyn Johnston Pouncy (Thank you Brigid!) and decided to

see if I could find a salt brine lemon pickle recipe. I found a modern

one in _A Feast of Fruits_:

Moroccan Preserved Lemons

6 lemons, preferably thin-skinned lemons, about 1 13/4 lbs.

1/2 C. coarse salt (I used canning salt, so I think I overdid the salt a

bit)

One 1-inch stick cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon allspice berries (I know, allspice isn't medieval, but It

was the first time on the recipe so I didn't want to muck with the spice

blend. The judges suggested ginger/anise perhaps, next time)

1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns

2 whole cloves

1 bay leaf

 

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the lemons, return the water to a

boil, and cook 3 minutes. Drain, drop the lemons into cold water,

changing it once or twice to cool the lemons;drain again and dry.Stand

the lemons on end & cut them lengthwise nearly into quarters so that they

open out and remain attached at one end. Spread each open and sprinkle

the inside liberally with the salt;close it up and pack it into a

wide-mouthed 2-quart preserving jar,or two 1-quart jars, pressing down to

squeeze out some of the juice. Continue with the remaining lemons. Add

the apices to the jar/s along with the remaining salt, and pour fresh

boiling water up to the top. Wait until all the bubbles have risen, then

seal and sterilize. Store at least 1 month in a cool dry place. To use

rinse the lemons and quarter,slice, or chop them with or without the

pulp.

 

For demonstration purposes, I just chopped them up and put them on a

plate with toothpicks nearby. Of course, first I had to open one of the

jars. When I seal something, nothing gets in, not even the cook

apparently! Luckily I found a strong male friend who didn't mind the salt

brine soaking when he finally managed to open it! :-) I basically got two

reactions:  Why, that's.......interesting!?!?!

(polite way of saying "Good G*d! what did I just put in my mouth? blech!)

and WOW! where did you find this? this is wonderful! what would you use

it for? etc. It pleased me that there was more of the second than the

first. The judges were also very impressed that I was willing to go out

on a limb and try something completely different (at least in QPT terms).

They suggested that since, according to Pouncy, lemons were imported from

Italy via Poland or from Astrakhan, that I try to trace trade routes and

find if any of those countries had pickled lemons or recipes using

pickled lemons, period or modern.

So, does anyone have any info on trade routes to Muscovey from Italy via

Poland, or Astrakham (where is Astrakham anyways?)

Cariadoc,& Lord Ras, you are into Middle Eastern cooking, do you have any

recipes that call for pickled lemons? I have one 1-qt. jar left here, I

would like to know somethings to do with it.

 

Lady Beatrix of Tanet

 

 

Date: Mon, 23 Mar 1998 09:47:32 -0600

From: "Decker, Terry D." <TerryD at Health.State.OK.US>

Subject: RE: SC - My entry to Queen's Prize Tourney

 

> So, does anyone have any info on trade routes to Muscovey from Italy via

> Poland, or Astrakham (where is Astrakham anyways?)

> Cariadoc,& Lord Ras, you are into Middle Eastern cooking, do you have any

> recipes that call for pickled lemons? I have one 1-qt. jar left here, I

> would like to know somethings to do with it.

> Lady Beatrix of Tanet

 

The primary trade routes into the Rus were up the Don from the Black Sea, up

the Volga from the Caspian Sea (Astrakhan is located on this route), and

across Northern Europe from Holland through the Northern Germanic States and

Poland or by sea across the Baltic (these latter being controlled by the

Hanseatic League).

 

You should also consider that in the late 15th Century under Ivan III (Ivan

IV "the Terrible" became Tsar about 40 years after Ivan III's death), the

Russians became very expansionist, probably because of their wars with the

Tartars, and were actively opening trade routes east to the Amur, which

became the Chinese-Russian border.  These became very important when the

Turks closed off the Mediterranean-Moscow trade in the 16th and 17th

Centuries.  I have no information on the extent of trade with Russia through

the Ottoman Empire.

 

The perishable nature of the lemon makes it a questionable trade good for

the overland trade unless already pickled or dried.  Your pickled lemons are

very likely part of this trade.

 

Lemons and oranges were delivered to England by ship in the 15th century and

sold at the dock as luxury goods.  Since this is the fastest way of

delivering Mediterranean lemons to Russia, I really would expect if they

were delivered fresh that it would be done over the Hanseatic sea route.

 

Bear

 

 

Date: Fri, 3 Apr 1998 21:46:31 -0800

From: david friedman <ddfr at best.com>

Subject: Re: SC - camping without a cooler

 

At 12:59 PM -0800 4/3/98, Marisa Herzog wrote:

>But don't many of the things that get preserved have to be canned or contained

>in some manner which is also out of period? I imagine pickled meat and other

>things must be sealed into a jar or some-such?

 

No. Pickled things are preserved by the salt and/or vinegar, not by being

sterilized and kept airtight like modern canned things. We normally keep

the pickled meat in a ceramic container with a ceramic lid--period

technology.

 

David/Cariadoc

http://www.best.com/~ddfr/

 

 

Date: Sat, 4 Apr 1998 08:05:31 -0600

From: "Decker, Terry D." <TerryD at Health.State.OK.US>

Subject: RE: SC - camping without a cooler

 

> >But don't many of the things that get preserved have to be canned or

> >contained in some manner which is also out of period?  I imagine pickled

> >meat and other things must be sealed into a jar or some-such?

> No. Pickled things are preserved by the salt and/or vinegar, not by being

> sterilized and kept airtight like modern canned things. We normally keep

> the pickled meat in a ceramic container with a ceramic lid--period

> technology.

> David/Cariadoc

 

Sauerbraten is traditionally prepared in a stoneware crock.  I sometimes

wonder how old the practice is.  I'm fairly certain it is at least medieval

and possibly earlier.

 

Bear

 

 

Date: Fri, 01 May 1998 18:36:59 +1000

From: Robyn Probert <robyn.probert at lawpoint.com.au>

Subject: Re: SC - Compost recipe

 

Ras wrote:

>Yep, it's mine. :-) Problem was I call it something else entirely in my modern

>kitchen. :-) Sorry. The liquid measurements are accurate for the way I do it

>because as the harvest season progresses I add more of the fruits and veggies

>to it as the season progresses. I don't exactly know what the reduced amounts

>of liquid would be. The consistency should be like a relish (maybe slightly

>more liquidy so the main ingredients are submersed). Hope this helps.

 

Here is a redaction of the same recipie from "The Medieval Cookbook" by

Maggie Black, published by British Museum Press. This is a nice book which

*does* include the original with the redaction.

 

COMPOST

 

900g/2 lb  mixed parsley roots, carrots, turnip and radishes

450g/1 lb white cabbage

450g/1 lb hard eating pears

6 Tbsp salt

1 Tsp ground ginger

1/2 Tsp saffron threads

2 cups white wine vinegar

50g/2oz currants

2 1/2 cups fruity white wine

6 Tbsp clear honey

1 Tsp french mustard

1/8 Tsp each cinnamon and pepper

1/4 Tsp each anise and fennel seed

50g/2oz white sugar

 

Prepare the root vegetables and slice them thinly. Core and shred the

cabbage. Put these vegetables into a large pan of water and bring slowly to

the boil. Peel, core and cut up the pears and add them to the pan. Cook

until they start to soften. Drain the contents of the pan and spread in a

5cm/2in layer in a shallow non-metallic dish. Sprinkle with the salt,

saffron, ginger and 4 Tbsp of vinegar. Leave covered for 12 hours. Rinse

well, then add the currants. Pack into sterilised storage jars, with at

least 2.5cm/1in headspace.

Put the wine and honey in a pan. Bring to simmering point and skim. Add the

rest of the vinegar and all the remaining spices and sugar. Reduce the heat

and stir without boiling until the sugar dissolves. Bring back to the boil.

Pour over the vegetables, covering them with 1cm/ 1/2in linquid. Cover with

vinegar proof seals and store.

 

Rowan

- -----------------------------------------------------------------

Robyn Probert

Customer Service Manager                Phone +61 2 9239 4999

Services Development Manager            Fax   +61 2 9221 8671

Lawpoint Pty Limited                    Sydney NSW  Australia

 

 

Date: Wed, 20 May 1998 22:48:58 -0700

From: "Anne-Marie Rousseau" <acrouss at gte.net>

Subject: Re: SC - Pickled things

 

Hi all from Anne-Marie

I am asked by Aislinn:

>    Anne-Marie, would you be willing to share your recipes for the

>    pickled things you mention?  I've been fascinated by pickling

>    lately, experimenting with "the Lord's Salt" and other recipes....

>    looking towards Pennsic and what I can take without

>    refrigeration....

 

the late sources (Dibgy, May, etc) pickle anything that doesnt move (and

likely a few things that do). We have recipes for pickled mushrooms and

capers and cukes (Apicius even does cukes in vinegar, several different

ways). the other stuff is a peri-oide way to get color and crunch and

flavor to the buffet table.

 

Pickled asparagus we buy in large jars (cheap!!) at Costco, the pickled

mushrooms are from the deli, or you can make your own (I use the recipe in

Fanny Farmer). Pickled eggs are made by taking the juice from pickled

beets, pickled onions and pickled cukes and pouring it over harboiled eggs.

The pickled carrots are my own (a relic from my blue ribbon 4H days).

Basically, I use the brine recipe for bread and butter pickles, plus a few

medallions of fresh ginger. Parboil carrot sticks till just tender, then

pack into boiling hot jars. top with boiling hot brine, and seal. We ate a

one year old jar this last weekend and they were still crunchy and tasty.

 

By the way, meat preserved with the Lords Salt is awfully tasty, especially

with a strong mustard. Ours never lasted long enough to test the

preservative powers, but I understand Cariadoc has done this bit of kitchen

science.

 

- --AM

 

 

Date: Sun, 16 Aug 1998 20:52:57 -0500

From: David Friedman <ddfr at best.com>

Subject: Re: SC - cucumbers in period

 

>IIRC, there is a recipe in the Known World Handbook for vinegar marinated

>cucumbers that are served in sour cream. Its quite yummy. As well, I believe

>there are other recipes around. I have a question tho'. I do not experience

>this bitterness you are atributing to cukes? Coiuld they be of a different

>variety?

>Micaylah

 

Unless the recipe gives its source, it is not safe to assume that just

because it is in the Known World Handbook it is period. As best I recall

from reading the recipe article, a lot of them were ethnic recipes which

pretty clearly had not come from period sources.

 

Here is a period recipe (13th c. Andalusian) that uses cucumbers; it's in

the Miscellany.

- ---

A Muzawwara (Vegetarian Dish) Beneficial for Tertian Fevers and Acute Fevers

Andalusian p. A-52

 

Take boiled peeled lentils and wash in hot water several times; put in the

pot and add water without covering them; cook and then throw in pieces of

gourd, or the stems [ribs] of Swiss chard, or of lettuce and its tender

sprigs, or the flesh of cucumber or melon, and vinegar, coriander seed, a

little cumin, Chinese cinnamon, saffron and two ûqiyas of fresh oil;

balance with a little salt and cook. Taste, and if its flavor is pleasingly

balanced between sweet and sour, [good;] and if not, reinforce until it is

equalized, according to taste, and leave it to lose its heat until it is

cold and then serve.

 

2 c lentils     1 1/2 t cinnamon        one of the following:   1 1/2 lb

gourd (see p. 121)

5 c water       6 threads saffron               1 lb chard or beet leaves

1/4 c cider vinegar     1/4 c oil               1 lb lettuce

3/4 t ground coriander  1 t salt                2 8" cucumbers

3/4 t cumin                     melon (?)

 

Boil lentils about 40 minutes until they start to get mushy. Add spices and

vinegar and oil. Add one of the vegetables; leafy vegetables should be torn

up, gourd or cucumbers are cut into bite-sized pieces and cooked about

10-15 minutes before being added to lentils. Cook lettuce or chard version

for about 10 minutes, until leaves are soft. Cook gourd or cucumber version

about 20 minutes. Be careful not to burn during the final cooking.

 

David/Cariadoc

http://www.best.com/~ddfr/

 

 

Date: Wed, 23 Sep 1998 07:15:54 -0500

From: vjarmstrong at aristotle.net (Valoise Armstrong)

Subject: SC - Sauerkraut

 

Yesterday I was reading Bernd Roeck's _Baecker, Brot und Getreide in

Augsburg_ and I ran across a list of markets in the city in the mid-16th

century. There was one market area specifically for sauerkraut. Still

haven't found any recipes for it, but since there was a designated area for

sauerkraut merchants I wonder if, in urban areas, it wasn't a guild

acrivity.

 

Valoise

 

 

Date: Wed, 23 Sep 1998 09:24:05 -0400

From: Phil & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com>

Subject: Re: SC - Sauerkraut

 

Valoise Armstrong wrote:

> Yesterday I was reading Bernd Roeck's _Baecker, Brot und Getreide in

> Augsburg_ and I ran across a list of markets in the city in the mid-16th

> century. There was one market area specifically for sauerkraut. Still

> haven't found any recipes for it, but since there was a designated area for

> sauerkraut merchants I wonder if, in urban areas, it wasn't a guild

> acrivity.

> Valoise

 

Umm, I don't mean to be facetious here. Really I don't. But have you ever

smelled any place where large-scale production of sauerkraut was going on? I'd

be inclined to think that while keeping the sauerkraut merchants apart from

each other might be a good thing, another, and equally viable viewpoint might

be to keep them together, at the edge of the marketplace, and preferably downwind.

 

A couple of years ago I was in a car driven by my brother as we passed a town

in upstate New York (North Norwich?) that claimed to be "The Sauerkraut

Capital of the World", or some such. While I couldn't vouch for the

truthfulness of the claim, I know my brother almost lost control of the car,

the smell was so bad. I'm not talking about a simple sauerkraut smell here

(which I actually like), this was more along the lines of a sulphurous mustard

gas type of smell.

 

In any case, while there may be some substance to the idea of a guild having

their own little corner of the marketplace, there may also be some more

practical reason involved.

 

Adamantius

 

 

Date: Sun, 25 Oct 1998 09:03:06 -0400

From: Phil & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com>

Subject: Re: SC - pickled vegetables and fruits

 

Stefan li Rous wrote:

> Looking through the pickled-food-msg file in my Florilegium, I find that

> a number of the recipes don't seem to name specific vegetables. However,

> I did find the following ones mentioned:

> Lemons, oranges, raisins, pears, cabbage, walnuts, white radishes,

> currants, carrots, turnips, mushrooms, onions, cucumbers, lentils, chard.

> Many of these appear to be a mix of vegetables at once called compost

> and not just a single vegetable at a time.

 

Well, you know, it's an interesting thing. There's an English recipe for

compost in The Forme of Cury, which appears to make a product pretty similar

to the pickled nut recipe in Le Menagier de Paris, except it uses a slightly

smaller variety of fruits and vegetables, all more or less in season at the

same time.

 

The recipe in Le Menagier is, well, disguised, I think, as several recipes in

sequence, but it is, I think, one long, complex recipe. How closely it is

expected to be followed is in question, but basically the process seems to

call for making a nut pickle, then when something else on the list, that is

ready for harvest or market two weeks later, is available, it is cooked and

added to the original pickle, and so on. It seems likely the pickle is stored

in a stone crock with a lid, and items would be dipped out of it about as

frequently as they are added, but as autumn progresses the variety of the

pickle grows.

 

And, BTW, this stuff really does keep well, especially refrigerated. Of

course, before we worry too much about the fact that Le Menagier's bride

wouldn't have had refrigeration, we should consider the effects of storing a

wet pickle in a porous stone or earthenware jar in a larder or cellar, in

autmn. Maybe not 35 - 40 degrees Fahrenheit, but possibly not too far from

it, either.

 

Adamantius

Østgardr, East

 

 

Date: Thu, 29 Oct 1998 15:33:35 -0600

From: Melissa Martines <mmartines at brighthorizons.com>

Subject: SC - Vegetable Names

 

Help!  I am trying to redact the following recipe for compost:

 

Compost from Curye on Inglysch pp. 120-21

 

"Take rote of persel, of pasternak, of rafens, scrape hem and waishe hem

clene.  Take rapes and caboches, ypared and icone.  Take an erthen panne

with clene water and set it on the fire; cast alle thise perinne.  When they

both boiled cast therto peeres, and perboil hem well.  Take alle thise

thynges and lat it kele on a faire clothe.  Do therto salt; when it is cold,

do hit in a vessal; take vynegar and powdour and safroun and do therto, and

lat alle thise thynges lye there all night, other all day.  Take wyne greke

and hony, clarified together; take lumbards mustard and raisouns coraunce.

All hoole, and gryne powder of canel, powder douce and aneys hole and fennel

seed.  Take all thise thynges and cast togyder in a pot of erthe, and take

therof when thou wilt and serve it forth.

 

I have a redaction by a Master Iain, but he leaves out some of the

ingredients, and I also don't agree with him on all his interpretations of

what is what.

 

If anyone has any documentation or educated guesses about what the following

items are, please let me know.  Thanks in advance!!

 

Rote of persel

Rafens

Rapes

Caboches

 

Also, did we ever determine if raisin of courance were currents or raisins?

 

Morgan MacBride

 

 

From: RAISYA at aol.com

To: herbalist at Ansteorra.ORG

Subject: HERB - Pickles

Date: Thursday, November 05, 1998 4:28 PM

 

OK, I tried this one out, and my kids say they're delicious (I don't care for

pickles myself).  So I thought it might be worth sharing, these could probably

be canned as presents, though I guess it is a little late for cucumbers most

other places <G>.

 

"TO PRESERVE COWCUMBERS ALL THE YEERE. (DELIGHTES FOR LADIES, Sir Hugh

Plat, 1609)

 

You may take a gallon of faire water, and a pottle of veriuyce, and a pinte of

bay salt, and a handfull of greene Fennell or Dill:  boile it a little, and

when it is cold put it into a barrell, and then put your Cowcumbers into that

pickle, and you shall keepe them all the yeere."

(notes - A pottle is 4 pints.  Bay salt is vague, I used sea salt)

 

I divided the quantity in half, putting a half gallon of water, a quart of

apple cider vinegar (verjuice is hard to find), a cup of sea salt and a couple

of tablespoons of dill and put them into a pot. Slowly, I brought it to a low

boil, then removed it from the heat.  When it cooled, I put the brine in a

gallon jar, and added several sliced up cucumbers.  I left it out on the

counter overnight, then stored it in the fridge. That was about 10 - 12 days

ago, we just opened them for the first time. I'll have my husband test them

tonight and tell me how close they are to modern pickles.

 

Raisya

 

 

Date: Sun, 29 Nov 1998 21:46:43 EST

From: Mordonna22 at aol.com

Subject: Re: SC - pickles

 

>  > Dill Picles

>  > Bread and Butter Pickles

 

Dill pickles are sharp, not sweet.  Bread and Butter pickles are very sweet,

with spices such as cloves.

 

I'll have to call back home to get the recipe.

 

Mordonna

 

 

Date: Thu, 08 Jul 1999 12:24:08 -0400

From: Philip & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com>

Subject: Re: SC - Apician Carrots

 

LrdRas at aol.com wrote:

> troy at asan.com writes:

> << The closest I can find in Apicius is

>  a dish of carrots in cumin sauce, ....<snip>.... you'd have a

>  honey sauce for carrots. Sort of.

>  Adamantius >>

> Apicius does recommend a method of storing vegetables which is taking young

> vegetables and covering them with honey. I presume the honey was not

> discarded in the preparation of the vegetable later on but stranger things

> have been found.

> Could this be the origins of the dish? Are there any recipes in Apicius which

> might provide evidence on how vegetables preserved in honey were used? And,

> were carrots one of the vegetables preserved in this manner? If the honey

> preservative was used and carrots were preserved in this manner then, this

> may be the answer to the origins of the recipe and to the answer to why it is

> attributed to Apicius. Are there any Apician scholars on the list who might

> know the answers to these questions? Llewellyn, perhaps (although I am unsure

> if he is still subscribed)?

> Ras

 

There's a recipe nearly identical to medieval Compost or the French

equivalent green nut preserve, in a vinegar/mustard/honey sauce. It is

for turnips (rapae), though, and doesn't say whether the vegetables are

preserved raw or cooked. It just says to clean them. I'm tempted to

think this might be just for preserving them, though, if the turnips are

indeed raw when sauced.

 

Adamantius

 

 

Date: Fri, 06 Aug 1999 21:26:18 PDT

From: "Bonne of Traquair" <oftraquair at hotmail.com>

Subject: SC - OOP pickled cherry recipe was cherry-vinegar syrup drink

 

>Could I have the recipe for the pickled cherries?

 

Of course!

 

>Pickled cherries are

>mentioned in SCA-period Russia, but no recipes.  Alright, I could do the

>legwork myself, but I'd rather have a tried-and-true recipe.

 

Really?, if you could share info on where you've seen the mention, I'd

appreciate it.  Most of my canning goes to gifts at Yule, so now I know what

to give two Russian gentleman of my aquaintance. It would be nice to add a

note about the theoretical periodness, esp. for the teenager.

 

The following is, of course, NOT a period recipe.

 

Pickled Cherries

From: In a Pickle or a Jam, Vicki Willder, Creative Home Library 1971

Note: these pickles go well with roast chicken, duck, or pork.

 

24 cups Bing cherries, about 6 lbs

4 tablespoons whole cloves

6 cups sugar

1 cup vinegar

 

1. Stem and pit cherries (if you don't have a cherry pitter, one of those

pouring tubes for bottles of oil makes a nifty one. It looks nicer to have

whole cherries instead of sliced.)

2. Tie cloves in a piece of cheesecloth (I lacked the cloth so just tossed

them in.)

3. Combine cherries and remaining ingredients in a heavy kettle.

4. Heat to boiling, simmer 45 minutes.

5. Remove the spice bag, spoon hot mixture into hot sterilized jars and

seal.

 

I put the cherries in first and then filled with the vinegar syrup to 1/2

inch of top. Leftover syrup tasted pretty good but was thin.  cherries had

put out a lot of liquid.  I simmered and tweaked the sugar and vinegar to

get it to a senkajabin consistency.  Then it thickened more when cool so

maybe I needn't have.

 

Bonne

 

 

Date: Thu, 30 Sep 1999 23:10:48 -0700

From: "Robert C. Lightfoot" <celtcat at almatel.net>

Subject: SC - Re: sca-cooks V1 #1669

 

> earlier this summer I posted re: my experience making pickled cherries and

> making a drink syrup with the leftover pickled vinegar.  Someone stated that

> the pickled cherries were a traditional dish in Russia. I'd like more

> information on that if the person is still around, or if anyone else has

> heard this.

> Lady Bonne de Traquair

> Buckston-on-Eno

> Windmasters' Hill

> Atlantia

 

I'm not sure what your recipe for the cherries was, but at least one of my basic Russian cookbooks contains a recipe for marinated cherries using assorted spices, vinegar, sugar & water.[_Art of Russian Cusine_ by Anne Volokh.]

 

_A Taste of Russia_ by Darra Goldstein {formerly _A la Russe_] also has a recipe for spiced pickeld cherries and mentions that when Peter the Great returned from Holland intent upon Westernizing Russia, he brought along the idea of serving pickled fruits with meats and this practise was well accepted.

 

Lady Siobhan ni Ahearn

Camden Tor

Meridies

 

 

Date: Fri, 01 Oct 1999 22:41:06 GMT

From: kerric at pobox.alaska.net (Kerri Canepa)

Subject: SC - Need help with "Compost"

 

And I don't mean that stuff you put in your garden...

 

I'm looking at Form of Cury and specifically at Compost. I'm having more trouble

than I'd like figuring out the ingredients and cooking process. Here's the

recipe as best that I can type it, considering I don't have the special

characters or superscripts.

 

Note: ? are the funny "p" character for the hard "th" sound, I'm guessing.

 

Take rote of psel (parsley root?), pasternak of rasens (carrots? parsnips?),

scrape hem and waisthe he clene, take rap (turnips) & caboch (cabbage) ypared

and icorne. take an erthen pane w clene wat & set it on the fire. cast all ?ise

?inne. when ?ey buth boiled cast ?to peer (pears?) & pboile hem wel. take ?ise

thyng up & lat it kele on a fair cloth, do ?to salt whan it is colde in a vessel

tkae vineg (vinegar) & powdo & safron & do ?to, & lat all ?ise thing lye ?in al

nyzt o? al day, take wyne greke and hony clarified togid lumbarde mustard

&raisons corance al hoo. & gyne powdo of canel powdo douce & ancys (anise) hole.

& fenell seed. take alle ?ise thing & cast togyd i apot of erthe. and tkae ?of

whan ? wilt & sue forth.

 

My guess is you take all the parsley root, carrots or parsnips, turnips and

cabbage, chunk them up and boil them in water. Then I'm not so sure. Looks like

pears are parboiled and added or just added and parboiled, the whole thing is

taken out of the cooking water and let cool. When cool it's put back in a pan

with salt, vinegar, and saffron where it's allowed to sit for a period of time.

Then greek wine and clarified honey along with lombard mustard, dried currents,

powdered cinnamon, powder douce, whole aniseed (?) and fennel seed are added.

It's served at room temperature.

 

Can anyone tell me if I'm on track or way out in left field?

 

Anyone want to take a guess on Greek wine and Lombard mustard?

 

Last question, it appears this is a "have it around just in case" dish; would it

have been served at dinner?

 

Kerri

Cedrin Etainnighean, OL

 

 

Date: Sat, 02 Oct 1999 03:13:14 EDT

From: Korrin S DaArdain <korrin.daardain at juno.com>

Subject: Re: SC - Need help with "Compost"

 

On Fri, 01 Oct 1999 22:41:06 GMT kerric at pobox.alaska.net (Kerri Canepa)

writes:

>And I don't mean that stuff you put in your garden...

>I'm looking at Form of Cury and specifically at Compost. I'm having

>more trouble

>than I'd like figuring out the ingredients and cooking process. Here's

>the

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

        Compost

        Forme of Cury 103. Copyright 1997 by L. J. Spencer, Jr. (a.k.a.

Lord Ras al Zib) Posted by Lord Ras (LrdRas at aol.com). Reposted by

Bronwynmgn (Bronwynmgn at aol.com)

        Take rote of parsel, of pasternak, rafens, scrape hem and waische

hem clene. Take rapes & caboches, ypared and icorue. Take an erthen panne

with clene water & set it on the fire; cast all (th)ise (th)erinne. When

(th)ey buth boiled cast (th)erto peeres, & perboile hem wel. Take alle

(th)ise thynges vp & lat it kele on a faire cloth. Do (th)erto salt; whan

it is colde, do hit in a vessel; take vinegar & powdour & safroun & and

do (th)erto, & lat alle (th)ise thynges lye (th)erin al ny(gh)t, o(th)er

al day. Take wyne greke & honey, clarified togider; take lumbarde mustard

& raisouns coraunce, al hoole, & gynde powdour of canel, powdour douce,

anys hole, & fenell seed. Take alle (th)ise thynges & castt togyder in a

pot of erthe, & take (th)erof whan (th)oui wilt & serue forth.

        There is a redaction in 'Pleyn Delit which, IMHO, deviates away

from the original in very significant ways so I am not posting it. My

translation and redaction follows:

        Take parsley root, parsnips, radishes, scrape them and wash them

clean. Take turnips and cabbages, pared and cored. Take an earthen pan

with clean water and set it on the fire; cast all this therein. When they

both boiled cast therein pears, and parboil them well. Take all these

things up and let it cool on a fair cloth. Do thereto salt; when it is

cold, do it in a vessel; take vinegar and powder and saffron and do

thereto, and let all these things lie therein all night, other(wise) all

day. Take Greek wine and honey, clarified together; take Lumbard mustard

and raisins of Corinth (currants ?), all whole, and grind powder of

cinnamon, powder douce, anys whole, & fennel seed. Take alle these things

and cast together in a pot of earth, & take thereof when thou wilt and

serve it forth.

        1/2 cup parsley root, peeled and diced

        6 parsnips, peeled and diced

        1 medium black radish, peeled and diced

        1 lb. turnips, peeled and diced

        1 gallon cabbage, cored and chopped

        2 quarts winter pears, peeled, cored and chopped

        Salt

        1 bottle Retsina (Greek wine)

        2 cups honey

        2 quarts cider vinegar

        ........................................

        Powder:

        1 cup sugar

        1 Tbs. ground cloves

        1 Tbs. ground cinnamon

        2 Tbs. ground ginger)

        ........................................

        1 tsp. saffron

        1/2 cup ground white mustard (the supermarket variety)

        1 lb. dried currants

        1 tsp. cinnamon

        .......................................

        Powder douce:

        1 cup sugar

        1 tsp. ground cloves

        2 tsp. ground cinnamon

        2 tsp. ground ginger

        1 Tbs. ground cubebs (opt.)

        2 tsp. ground galingal (opt.)

        1 Tbs. grains of Paradise (opt.)

        ........................................

        1 tsp. aniseed

        1 tsp. fennel seed

        Place parsley root, parsnips, radishes, turnips and cabbage in a

non-reactive kettle (e.g. enamel, glass, or Teflon. Cover with water.

Bring to a boil. Add pears. Reduce heat to medium and cook until pears

are barely tender. Drain; spread on a cloth. Sprinkle with a substantial

amount of salt and leave until cold. While mixture is cooling, bring wine

and honey to a boil, removing the scum as needed. When the scum stops

rising remove from heat. Put cooled cabbage mixture into a non-reactive

kettle. Add vinegar, powder and saffron. Let sit in a cool place for 12

hours. Add remaining ingredients to the wine/honey mixture, stirring well

to make sure that the sugar is dissolved. Add wine/honey spice mixture to

cabbage/pear mixture and blend carefully. Store in a cool place and use

as needed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

        Compost

        From Hieatt, Constance B. and Butler, Sharon. Curye on Inglish:

English Culinary Manuscripts of the Fourteenth Century (Including the

Forme of Cury). London: For the Early English Text Society by the Oxford

University Press, 1985. Redaction by Master Ian Damebrigge of Wychwood.

Posted by James L. Matterer (jmattere at weir.net)

        Curye on Inglish, p. 120-121: "Take rote of persel, of pasternak,

of rafens, scape hem and waische hem clene. Take rapes & caboches, ypared

and icorue. Take an erthen panne with clene water & set it on the fire;

cast alle thise therinne. Whan they buth boiled cast therto peeres, &

parboile hem wel. Take alle thise thynges vp & lat it kele on a faire

cloth. Do therto salt; whan it is colde, do hit in a vessel; take vyneger

& powdour & safroun & do therto, & lat alle thise thynges lye therin al

nyyt, other al day. Take wyne greke & hony, clarified togider; take

lumbarde mustard & raisons coraunce, al hoole, & grynde powdour of canel,

powdour douce & aneys hole, & fenell seed. Take alle thise thynges & cast

togyder in a pot of erthe, & take therof whan thou wilt & serue forth."

        The following is a modified (but just as tasty) version of the

medieval recipe, containing only the "pasternak" (carrots- from the

botanical "pastinaca"), "caboches" (cabbage), "peeres" (pears) and

"raisons of courace" (currants). The other medieval ingredients are "rote

of persel" (parsley root), "rafens" (radishes), and "rapes" (white

turnip).

        2 lbs. carrots, sliced

        1/2 head cabbage, in small pieces

        3-4 pears, sliced thin

        1 tsp. salt

        6 tblsp. vinegar

        2 tsp. ginger

        few threads saffron

        1 bottle (750 ml.) white wine

        1/2 c. honey

        1 tblsp. mustard seed

        3/4 c. currants

        1 tsp. cinnamon

        1/2 tblsp. each anise seed & fennel seed

        Boil the carrots and cabbage for several minutes, then add the

pears. Cook until tender; drain well. Lay vegetables and pears in a

large, flat, non-metallic dish. Sprinkle on the salt. Let cool, then

sprinkle on the vinegar, ginger, and saffron. Cover with a cloth and let

stand for several hours or overnight. When ready, mix the vegetables with

the currants and the seeds. Place in a sealable container and set aside.

In a separate pot, bring the honey, cinnamon, and wine to a boil,

skimming off the scum until clear. Remove from heat and pour over the

vegetable mixture. Let cool and seal. May be stored for a week or more.

Serves 12.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Korrin S. DaArdain

Kitchen Steward of Household Port Karr

Kingdom of An Tir in the Society for Creative Anachronism.

Korrin.DaArdain at Juno.com

 

 

Date: Sat, 2 Oct 1999 17:41:19 EDT

From: LrdRas at aol.com

Subject: Re: SC - Need help with "Compost"

 

korrin.daardain at juno.com writes:

<< 3/4 c. currants >>

 

The currants specified in the recipe are NOT regular currants (Ribes) but

rather Zante raisins, otherwise known as raisins of Corinth (raysons of

courance). They are marketed in grocery stores as 'Dried Currants-Zante' or

some such. Their flavor is distinctively different from the acidic fruit of

the genus Ribes.

 

 

Date: Sun, 17 Oct 1999 11:36:15 EDT

From: ChannonM at aol.com

Subject: Re: SC - Preserves & Sauces - recipes wanted

 

An example of a pickled recipe that worked well was a Roman dish using beets,

I pickled it and just ate the last jar this summer. I served the feast 2

years ago.

 

Here is the recipe

Betas/Beets

The recipe I chose to create  is based on two recipes from Apicius:

Book III Section II-4

Beetroot, another method, from Varro. Varro writes:” Take beetroot, rub clean

and cook in mulsum with a little salt and oil, or boil in water and oil with

salt; make a broth, and drink it. It is even better if a chicken has been

cooked in it first.”

and

Section XI-2

Boiled beets, another method- They are good served with a dressing of

mustard, a little oil and vinegar.

 

I chose to preserve the beets using a modern pickling method in order to take

advantage of the early preparation and availability of fresh beets at a good

price. To make the recipe without canning, simply leave out the last step.

Some  variation  was used in the recipe presented, for example ; honey was

used in place of mulsum in the preserving process. Honey is one of the chief

ingredients in mulsum according to Flower & Rosenbaum.

Adapted Recipe

My recipe is based on the ingredients of the Apicius recipes and the pickling

recipes  that my grandmother used.

1 1/2 lbs fresh beets

1 1/2 cups white vinegar

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup honey

1 TB mustard seed

 

Boil the beets until the skins begin to fall off. Rinse and remove skins.

Chop into quarters or leave whole if small enough.

Combine remaining ingredients and boil for 5 minutes. Add beets and heat

through. In prepared canning jars spoon beets to shoulder of the jar, pour

over juice to within * inch of  lip and seal.

Makes 2-3 pints

 

 

Date: Sun, 19 Dec 1999 21:51:31 -0500

From: Christine A Seelye-King <mermayde at juno.com>

Subject: Re: SC - "Old Food"

 

Stefan li Rous <stefan at texas.net> writes:

> Christianna commented:

> > Then there's the compost we made last November...

[ie: Over a year old -Stefan]

> I, for one, would be interested in hearing how well the compost

> has held up or tastes when you get around to trying it. The reports

> that I have in the Florilegium on composts have been from folks who

> ate it much sooner than this.

 

        Well, it has held up its original flavor pretty well.  I actually think

that it was not crisp enough at the beginning, but it certainly isn't

anything like mush now, just not what I'd want from pickles.  My lord has

been eating it right along, and feels that it is getting better as it

ages.  He is gone for one more week (I feel like I'm the only person in

the Nation waiting for Christmas Day to actually start Christmas) and I

will have him taste-test it when he gets home and give you a report.  I

have kept pickled vegetables (both home-made and commercial) for years,

in fact my roommate and I had the most intense pickle experience either

one of us has ever had, with a whole, Kosher Vlassic Dill with garlic.

It was slap-your-mama good, we both stood in the kitchen and made hooting

noises for about 5 minutes.  It was the last one left in the jar, and had

been sitting in the refrigerator for years.  It was just a shame that it

was the last one left.

        Christianna

 

 

Date: Fri, 31 Dec 1999 23:34:17 EST

From: Mordonna22 at aol.com

Subject: SC - OOp - Homemade Sauerkraut

 

BanAvtai at aol.com writes:

<< 

Oh darn, I was hoping the note was the recipe for the homemade sauerkraut.

  >>

 

Here's Auntie Ruth's recipe

 

3 large, firm heads of cabbage

6 handsful of salt

 

Shred cabbage.  In a large crockery churn layer the cabbage with the salt.

Cover with a clean white cloth, weighed down by a stone.  Allow to sit in a

cool, dark spot for three to six weeks.  Bring to a boil and can.

 

Mordonna the Cook,

SunDragon's Western Reaches

Atenveldt

(m.k.a. Buckeye, AZ)

 

 

Date: Sat, 19 Feb 2000 20:17:18 +1100

From: The Cheshire Cat <cheshire at southcom.com.au>

Subject: Re: SC - Pickled Onions and Eggs - Recipes please

 

I don't know about pickled onions, but I have a recipe for pickled shallots

which I am assuming would be similar in techniqe and possibly the same

technique and recipe could be used. I'd recommend small onions.  They taste

fabulous with the spices.

 

First of all the spiced vinegar:

 

30g peppercorns

10g blade mace

10g cloves

6 bay leaves

15g crushed fresh ginger

2.5 tsp mustard seeds

10g whole allspice

10g cinnamon stick

2 tsp celery seed

1 Tbs salt

4C malt vinegar

 

Mix all the spices and salt together in a saucepan and add .5C of the

vinegar.  Bring to the boil.  Boil for two minutes.  Add the rest of the

vinegar and boil for another three minutes then strain and cool.  Make more

than this, you will need it.

 

Pickled Shallots:

 

1kg shallots

3 Tbs coarse salt

5 cups of the spiced vinegar

 

Peel the shallots and stand them in a shallow dish.  Sprinkle with the salt

and stand them overnight.

Put the shallots in a colander and allow to drain thoroghly.

Pack them into jars, arranging so there are no large spaces and fill the

jars with the vinegar making sure there is at least 1cm of the vinegar

covering the top of the shallots.

Put two layers of greaseproof paper and then one layer of aluminium foil on

top of the jars and tie securely.

Keep for four weeks before using.

 

 

Sweet Pickled Shallots

 

1kg shallots

2l water

1.5C coarse salt

5 cups spiced vinegar

1/2C sugar

 

Peel the shallots

Boil the water with the salt and allow to cool.

Pour half the brine over the shallots and allow to stand for two days.  Drain

Pour on the remaining brine and allow to stand for two more days.

Drain and rinse the shallots

Put the shallots in a saucepan with the spiced vinegar and the sugar.

Bring to the boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for ten minutes

Pour the shallots and the vinegar into jars

Cover with two layers of greaseproof and one layer of foil.  When cool tie

securely.

Keep for three weeks before serving.

 

Hope this helps

- -Katerine

 

 

Date: Tue, 04 Apr 2000 13:29:19 -0400

From: Elaine Koogler <ekoogler at chesapeake.net>

Subject: Re: SC - Re: sca-cooks V1 #2090

 

ChannonM at aol.com wrote:

> << The feast sounds fabulous....but I have one concern regarding the third

> dish in the second course....How long had this been sitting around?

>  Balthazar of Blackmoor

>   >>

> I preserved it using modern canning methods, I'm not worried about it's shelf

> life if that's what you mean.

> If you are playing with the name then, here see for yourself the recipe and

> know that eventually, you can add it to your garden if you like! :)

> Compost

> Curye on Inglish, p. 120-121

> "Take rote of persel, of pasternak, of rafens, scape hem and waischehem

> clene. Take rapes & caboches, ypared and icorue. Take an erthenpanne with

> clene water & set it on the fire; cast alle thise therinne.Whan they buth

> boiled cast therto peeres, & parboile hem wel. Take alle thise thynges vp &

> lat it kele on a faire cloth. Do therto salt; whan itis colde, do hit in a

> vessel; take vyneger & powdour & safroun & dotherto, & lat alle thise thynges

> lye therin al nyyt, other al day. Takewyne greke & hony, clarified togider;

> take lumbarde mustard & raisonscoraunce, al hoole, & grynde powdour of canel,

> powdour douce & aneyshole, & fenell seed. Take alle thise thynges & cast

> togyder in a pot oferthe, & take therof whan thou wilt & serue forth."- -

> My own composition of  ìCompostî was devised based on the original recipes,

> however I considered the location and incorporated a more Irish flavour by

> using a honey mead and a cider vinegar in the pickle.

> Compost in Ireland

> 1 .50 lb carrots

> .50 lb parsley root

> 1 lb turnips

> .50 of  white cabbage

> Soaking brine

> .25 cup sea salt

> .5 cups cider vinegar

> Pickle

> 1 quart --mead

> 1 cup honey

> 1 Tbsp crushed mustard seed

> 1 tsp anise seed

> 2 tsp fennel  seed

> Peel wash and core vegetables. Slice thinly.

> Place in non reactive container and add the soaking brine. Let sit overnight

> or several hours.

> Mix mead, honey and spices. Bring the pickle to a boil and add vegetables.

> Put vegetables in sterilized jars and pour over hot pickle juice. Seal and

> store in a cool place. Makes about 6 pints.

> Hauviette

 

I have redacted the same recipe, but came up with something a little different...

 

(makes about 4 cups)

6 radishes                        4 cabbage leaves           1 parsnip

2 turnips                          1 pear                    1 tsp. salt

1 1/2 C. red wine vinegar 1/2 tsp. pepper                   1 pinch saffron

1 1/2 C. Sweet Wine       4 tbsp. honey                      1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

        (Marsala)

1 tsp. fresh ginger root    1/4 tsp. mace                       1/4 tsp. cloves

        finely diced

1/2 tsp. fennel seed          1/4 cup currants                  1 T. Lumbard

Mustard

 

(made from another

 

recipe)

1/2 tsp. whole anise seed

 

1.  Chop root veggies and pear into chunks, cabbage into 2" strips.

2.  Parboil root vegetables and cabbage in water until almost tender

3.  Add pear to vegetables and continue parboiling until tender.  Drain & cool.

4.  Marinate in a cool place overnight.  Drain liquid from mixture.

5.  Heat wine and honey together until clarified.

6.  Add spices and currants to wine/honey mixture, mix thoroughly, then cool.

7.  Gently mix with vegetable/fruit mixture. Store, refrigerated, then serve

chilled.

 

Notes:

1.  Recipe calls for "wyne greke" or Greek Wine, which the glossary in Curye on

Inglysch defines as "...a sweet type of wine which actually came from Italy..."

Marsala fit this description nicely.

 

2.  I omitted the parsley root as it was unavailable at the time.

 

3.  I define "poudre" here to mean pepper.

 

4.  The "...lumbarde mustard..." is taken from another recipe in Forme of Curye.

 

5.  I have found numerous descriptions of "powdre douce" which vary widely, often containing sugar, cinnamon, ginger, mace and cloves.  I have omitted the sugar as I feel the dish is sweet enough with the honey and sweet wine.  I have also used fresh ginger as has Terence Scully in his Early French Cooking in recipes which call for this mixture.  I also believe that it adds more to the sweet-sour contrast that was popular in this period.

 

So you see, mine is a different...but yours is so much simpler.  The result of

what I did is, as noted by others, similar to a chutney.

 

Kiri

 

 

Date: Wed, 20 Sep 2000 08:54:34 -0400 (EDT)

From: Jenne Heise <jenne at tulgey.browser.net>

Subject: Re: SC - pickled melon documentation

 

> I've been wanting to find documentation for pickled fruits in period, for no

> better reason than I am a fan of pickled fruit. If you could tell me where I

> should have been looking all this time, I'd be happy.

 

The pickled Melon _recipe_ in the Domostroi may be postperiod (I don't

have my copy with me, but Yana will know) but mentions of pickled melon

and other fruit are in the period portion of the Domostroi.

 

Jadwiga Zajaczkowa, mka Jennifer Heise         jenne at tulgey.browser.net

 

 

Date: Mon, 23 Oct 2000 15:31:10 -0400 (EDT)

From: Jenne Heise <jenne at mail.browser.net>

Subject: Re: SC - pierogys

 

> If you are adhering to strict historical accuracy, I don't think you can

> truly document sauerkraut or pirogi, although both are probably "period."

 

Dembinska gives part of a sauerkraut recipe:

Mikolaj Reg in "Zywot czlowieka pozciwego" (1568) describes a sauerkraut

method: "Having romoved the outside leaves of some nice

heads of cabbage, cut them in half and fit them neatly into a vat,

spreading beet chards & dill between the layers"

I don't know whether the original specifies the kind of brine to use...

- --

Jadwiga Zajaczkowa, mka Jennifer Heise         jenne at tulgey.browser.net

 

 

Date: Mon, 23 Oct 2000 22:43:33 +0100

From: TG <gloning at Mailer.Uni-Marburg.DE>

Subject: SC - Sauerkraut (was pierogys)

 

<< Does anyone have any documentation regarding ... sour krout >>

 

For Germany, the use of sauerkraut is well attested since the Middle

ages. (...)

 

For Hungary, there is a passage in one of Rumpolt's (1581) menues for a

banquet of the King of Hungary and Bohemia:

"...  Ein saur Kraut gekocht mit einem ger‰ucherten Speck/ vnd d¸rren

W¸rsten/ vnd auch mit ger‰ucherten Capaunen vnd H¸ner"

'... sauerkraut cooked with smoked bacon ...'

(Rumpolt was born in Hungary.)

 

For Prussia, there are inventaries of the German order mentioning vats

or barrels with "kompost", "kompostkol", "suercompist" etc. in the 15th

century, with "sawerkrawt" in the 16th century. [1] However, the earlier

Jeroschin chronicle says that "kol", from which sauerkraut is made, was

unknown to the Prussians in early days ("... gesen die brudre ezzin kol,

des di Pruzin nicht inpflagin nutzin dennoch bi den tagin", roughly '(a

visitor) saw that the brethren were eating cabbage, which the Prussians

themselves did not eat in those early days').

 

TH.

[1] Quotes from these inventories can be found in: Brunhilde Reitz: Die

Kultur von 'brassica oleracea' im Spiegel der deutschen Sprache [The

culture of brassica oleracea/cabbage in the mirror of the German

language]. Diss. Marburg. Giessen 1964.

 

 

Date: Mon, 05 Feb 2001 08:55:46 -0500

From: Philip & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com>

Subject: Re: SC - keeping of saurkraut

 

Stefan li Rous wrote:

> Adamantius replied to me with:

> > > If Saurkraut is pickled cabbage, and it was originally pickled as a

> > > preservative technique, why does it need to be stored in the

> > > refrigerator section today?

> > >

> > > Is this simply overkill and a waste of resouces? Or is today's saurkraut

> > > indeed changed from the way it was done a hundred years ago, before

> > > commercial refrigeration such that it now needs refrigeration?

> > >

> > > They sell jars of pickles (pickled cucumbers), pickled peppers,

> > > pickled carrots and pickled onions on the non-refrigerated shelves.

> >

> > There's a degree of pickling (and remember sauerkraut is a lactic

> > fermentation, not a vinegar pickle) at which things like sauerkraut and

> > dill pickles become, well, nasty and unattractive, while still perfectly

> > safe to eat. Overpickled vegetables lose their crunch and acquire a

> > flavor most people find too strong.

>

> So are you saying that the saurkraut sold in the store today has

> less pickling than that needed when used for preservation without

> refrigeration? In that case, it would appear that the "modern"

> saurkraut is not similar to period saurkraut and may be a poor

> choice for one of our feasts.

 

No, I'm not saying that. The preservation of sauerkraut, like many such

processes including the making of cheese,  is an ongoing process, and

the fermentation can keep up for a long time. If you don't refrigerate

fresh sauerkraut, such as that sold in bags or out of barrels in bulk,

it will get soft and very sour indeed, as does kim chee and several

other fermented cabbage preparations. That doesn't mean, though, that

preferences have changed from a pre-refrigeration society to the

present. Sauerkraut (or various other pickled vegetables) may well have

been preferred fresher and milder in flavor during our period (which is

probably why we seem to prefer it that way, too), but unlike a medieval

farmer, we don't generally depend on our ability to preserve our crop.

We can dump out that soft, sour kraut and get a new batch without

looking back or worrying about starving.

 

Bear in mind also that in the areas where sauerkraut proliferates, it

doesn't tend to get really hot, and that there are methods of keeping

food cool that don't involve evaporating and recompressing freon. I also

suspect that there's a standard time of year when sauerkraut wouldn't be

eaten (probably from, say, July through September), and wherein low

quality happens to coincide with unavailability. In other words, you

make your sauerkraut in late September or so, keep it cool in a stone

crock, possibly in a cellar, and eat it through about July first,

arranging to use up the last of it before it gets unpleasant. Then you

eat other stuff until the first batch of fresh kraut is ready> A food

available even 75% of the year is still plenty enough to characterize

and define a cuisine, no?  

 

So no, I wouldn't say that just because unrefrigerated kraut gets a bit

nasty after a while, that fresh kraut is not a good representation of

period sauerkraut. BTW, have we established the periodicity of

sauerkraut in Europe? I forget. We have so many of these discussions ;)  

 

Adamantius

 

 

Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2001 11:14:12 -0500

From: johnna holloway <johnna at sitka.engin.umich.edu>

To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Meat Preservation Sources

 

There seems to be some talk about meat

preservation so I thought I would mention

these books...

 

Food Conservation. Ethnological Studies.

edited by Riddervold and Ropeid.

24 papers from an international conference

held in 1987. ISBN: 0907325408

Pub. by Prospect Books, 1988.

 

Pickled, Potted, and Canned. How the Art and

Science of Food Preserving Changed the World.

by Sue Shephard. NY: Simon and Schuster, 2001.

This is new. no footnotes but there is a

bibliography. Quite readable.

 

For actual instructions on how to preserve at home

take a look at:

Stillroom Cookery by Grace Firth. McLean, VA: EPM

Publications, 1977.

 

Subject headings in case you want to do some

online exploring through library catalogues are

 

Canning and preservation-History

Food-Preservation-History

 

Johnnae llyn Lewis  Johnna Holloway

 

 

Date: Sun, 11 Nov 2001 08:19:32 -0500

From: Philip & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com>

To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Cabbage Question

 

XvLoverCrimvX at aol.com wrote:

>From what I read about pickling cabbage, all I saw was sauerkraut (which i'm

> guessing is the pickled form of green cabbage). When I ate sauerkraut, it

> seemed to have a slight apple taste. Is this normal and is their a difference

> in pickling red and green cabbage or is it a different brine or is it a

> different process?

> Misha

 

A different process. Sauerkraut is salted and/or compressed to form a liquid conducive to lactic fermentation. Lactobacilli build up in the liquid and in the kraut itself, and produce lactic acid, whose pH is what actually does the preserving. More or less. Red cabbage is traditionally pickled in vinegar, most of the time.

 

Adamantius

 

 

From: lilinah at earthlink.net

Date: Thu, 22 Nov 2001 06:00:34 -0800

To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org

Subject: [Sca-cooks] German Pickles

 

Well, in the next few days i'm going to make the pickles for the Boar

Hunt Feast that's on Dec. 8. I had planned on four kinds: red

cabbage, cucumber, beets, and mushrooms.

 

But now i'm thinking maybe i should only make two of the German

pickles. I'm definitely making my version of Pickled Champignons -

based on recipes by Eleanor Fettiplace and Digbie. So, i have two

problems/questions for your perusal.

 

FIRST QUESTION

I'm trying to decide whether or not to eliminate one of the German

pickles. I have two German recipes for "pickles". I have worked up

two variations on the first, one for cucumbers, one for red cabbage.

The second recipe is for beets with horseradish.

 

Think i should make all four (the German pickles are not much work),

or eliminate one, and if so, which one? I'm cooking for 80 diners, at

10 tables. I'm serving four meat dishes.

 

Here are the original German recipes. Comments in [square brackets] are mine.

 

Ein Buch von Guter Spise, 14th c.

48. Ein condimentlin (A condiment)

Mal k=FCmel und enis mit pfeffer und mit ezzige und mit honige. und

mach ez gel mit saffran. und tu dar zu senf. in disem condimente maht

du sulze persilien, bern und clein cumpost oder r=FCeben, waz du wilt.

 

Translated by Alia Atlas

Flavor [my note: or does "mal" mean "grind"?] caraway seeds and anise

with pepper and with vinegar and with honey. And make it gold with

saffron. And add thereto mustard. In this condiment you may make

sulze (pickled or marinated) parsley, and small preserved fruit and

vegetables [my note: it actually says "compost", and are "bern"

berries?] or beets, which(ever) you want.

 

I have worked up two variations on the first, one for cucumbers with

mustard, one for red cabbage without mustard, each with slightly

different spicing.

 

Marx Rumpolt, Ein New Kochbuch, 1581

3. (in the chapter on accompaniments to fried meat)

Rote Ruben eyngemacht mit klein geschnittenen Merrettich/ Aniss/

Coriander/ und ein wenig Kuemel/ sonderlich wenn die Ruben

geschnitten/ gesotten mit halb Wein und halb Essig.

 

Translated by M. Grasse:

Red beets preserved with small cut horseradish/ anise/ coriander/ and

a little caraway/ special if the beets are cut/ marinated in half

wine and half vinegar.

 

QUESTION NUMBER TWO

 

The "Ein condimentlin" recipe calls for mustard. Is this more likely

to be powdered mustard or a "prepared" mustard, such as Lombard

mustard?

 

BTW, here are the recipes i worked out for the pickles...

 

 

* Marinated Beets with horseradish - Marx Rumpolt, Ein New Kochbuch, 1581

 

10 large red beets, cut into medium-small chunks

2 cups red wine

2 cups red wine vinegar (but white or cider will do)

several cups prepared horseradish - the kind that's just horseradish,

vinegar, and salt

1-1/2 TB salt

1 tsp whole anise seed

1 tsp whole caraway seed

2 tsp whole coriander seed

 

1. Cut up beets.

2. Combine all ingredients except beets in a pot. Bring to a boil,

then lower heat and simmer 5 minutes

3. Add the beets and heat through.

4. Place in non-metallic container and let stand for 24 hours.

5. Taste and adjust seasonings.

6. Keep in refrigerator until serving.

 

=0C* A condiment of Cucumber - Ein Buch von Guter Spise, 14th C.

 

3/4 tsp whole caraway seeds

3/4 tsp whole fennel

3/4 tsp whole dill seed

1 tsp whole peppercorns

2/3 cup honey

2 cup white wine vinegar to cover, more as needed (white will do, but

not cider)

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp saffron

1 tsp mustard powder

5 cucumbers, sliced in circles

 

1. Prepare cucumber.

2. Mix caraway, fennel, and dill seeds with salt, pepper, vinegar,

and honey. Then add saffron..

3. Put in saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring until the honey

melts into the vinegar. Remove from heat.

4. Put cucumbers in warm marinade. Make sure there is enough marinade

to cover. If not, make more.

5. Let stand for at least 1 hour.

6. Taste and adjust seasonings.

7. Keep in refrigerator until serving.

[NOTE: i substituted fennel seed for anise and added dill seed]

 

 

* A condiment of Red Cabbage - Ein Buch von Guter Spise, 14th C.

 

1 TB caraway seeds, whole

2 tsp ground anise

2 tsp ground pepper

1 tsp salt

1 quart red wine vinegar

2 cups honey

3 or 4 heads of Red Cabbage

 

1. Prepare cabbage.

2. Mix caraway seeds, aniseed, pepper, salt, honey and vinegar. Then

add saffron.

3. Put in saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring until the honey

melts into the vinegar. Remove from heat.

4. Put cabbage in warm marinade. Make sure there is enough marinade

to cover. If not, make more.

5. Let stand for at least 1 hour.

6. Taste and adjust seasonings - add more vinegar if needed.

7. Keep in refrigerator until serving.

[NOTE: i left out the mustard from the original recipe so it would

taste different from the cucumbers]

 

Thanks for any ideas,

Anahita

 

 

Date: Thu, 22 Nov 2001 12:27:00 -0700

From: grasse <grasse at mscd.edu>

To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org

Subject: [Sca-cooks] RE: German Pickles, Sca-cooks digest, Vol 1 #996

 

You are correct, I would interpret mal as grind. bern sounds like berries,

the Rueben are roots.. Rote Rueben are red roots (beets) Gelbe Rueben are

yellow roots (carrots) Weisse Rueben are white roots (turnips usually)

so pick a root or 3 (grins)

 

on the rumpolt recipe.. I would probably suggest trying fresh horseradish root

slivers rather than the prpared stuff, the brine would become VERY cloudy from

the prepared horseradish.  (the original speicfies slivers of root.)  I have

made it with slivers of horseradish root in the brine and it adds zip and

flavor but the brine stays beautifully clear.

 

As for if to make all the pickles or not... smaller amounts of all 4 is a

nice variety thing.. but 2 or 3 might be enough too.

I think you are right on target with the 5 cucumbers for 10 tables if you do

all 4, I think 2 cabages should be plenty, on the beets.. it might be more

cost effective to go for canned beets (sliced even or whole for a different

shape and then cut into quarters) I have noticed little difference in the end

results with fresh vs canned beets.  I would bet 3-4 cans (14-16 oz) for 10

tables (enough for those who like beets and those who are curious, and not

much waste).

 

Gwen Cat

 

 

Date: Tue, 26 Feb 2002 10:47:45 -0800

To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org

From: lilinah at earthlink.net

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] recipes re: lots of pickles

 

Arte asked:

>  Would you mind sharing the recipes you have for pickling?  I just got

>  involved in pickling this year (last year I was making jams...yummy),

>  so if you wouldn't mind to share?

 

Well, i didn't make the pickles you're asking about, but, i have

worked out recipes that i made for Boar Hunt 2001 for on my website:

http://witch.drak.net/lilinah/2001Relishes.html

The lemons with pomegranates is a fresh relish. The rest are pickles.

I made several gallons of each for the feast.

 

-- Lemon chopped with sugar and sprinkled with pomegranate seeds -

Marx Rumpolt, Ein New Kochbuch, German, 1581

-- Marinated Beets with horseradish in red wine vinegar and red wine

with spices - Marx Rumpolt

(needed more horseradish, IMO)

-- A condiment of Cucumber - in white wine vinegar with spices,

saffron, and mustard - Ein Buch von Guter Spise, German, 14th c.

-- A condiment of Red Cabbage -in red wine vinegar with honey and

spices - Guter Spise

-- Pickled Button Mushrooms - in white wine vinegar and white wine,

with spices and fresh ginger - "Lady Elinor Fettiplace's Receipt

Book", late 16th century, and "Sir Kenelm Digbie's Closet Unlock'd

(or is it Open'd?)", mid-17th century

 

The whole menu with access to all the recipes is at:

http://witch.drak.net/lilinah/2001Menu.html

 

And there's the Compost recipe i made for Boar Hunt 2000 - 4 gallons

of the stuff. Most of it got eaten.

http://witch.drak.net/lilinah/compost.html

It's really good as a side dish, sort of like a chutney - goes with

chicken, pork, vegetables... I made my own Lombard mustard for this.

It was quite good.

 

The whole menu with access to all the recipes is at:

http://witch.drak.net/lilinah/menu.html

 

Anahita

 

 

Date: Wed, 27 Feb 2002 12:49:59 -0800

To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org

From: lilinah at earthlink.net

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Lots of pickles

 

From: "Olwen the Odd" <olwentheodd at hotmail.com>

>  > > The recipe from Von Guter Spise is my very favorite.  I have found though

>  > > that making it as close as possible to the actual event time is best. It

>  > > tends to get really really really strong and have quite a bite after a

>  > > couple of days.  I have made a couple of modifications to mine from the

>  > > original recipe.  Instead of peppercorns I use cubebs (only

>because I don't

>  > > use pepper at home, I use cubebs, so I didn't have pepper) and

>lacking white

>  > > or wine vinegar I use(d) champaine vinegar although I have made it with

>  > > other kinds.  We served this at Baronial Birthday and it was very well

>  > > recieved.

>  >

>  >Recipe please!!!!!

>  >

>  >Avraham

>Hey, has someone got this?  I don't have the recipe here at work with me

>unless it is in my other email account.  Well, if you don't get it Avraham,

>let me know and I'll get it to you.

>Olwen

 

I already sent a link to it to the list in the [Re: [Sca-cooks]

recipes re: lots of pickles] message i sent Tue, 26 Feb 2002, at

10:47:45. Here it is again. For those who don't have web access, i'll

include the original recipe below.

 

----- Previous Message -----

Arte asked:

>   Would you mind sharing the recipes you have for pickling?  I just got

>   involved in pickling this year (last year I was making jams...yummy),

>   so if you wouldn't mind to share?

 

Well, i didn't make the pickles you're asking about, but, i have

worked out recipes that i made for Boar Hunt 2001 for on my website:

http://witch.drak.net/lilinah/2001Relishes.html

The lemons with pomegranates is a fresh relish. The rest are pickles.

I made several gallons of each for the feast.

 

-- Lemon chopped with sugar and sprinkled with pomegranate seeds -

Marx Rumpolt, Ein New Kochbuch, German, 1581

-- Marinated Beets with horseradish in red wine vinegar and red wine

with spices - Marx Rumpolt

(needed more horseradish, IMO)

-- A condiment of Cucumber - in white wine vinegar with spices,

saffron, and mustard - Ein Buch von Guter Spise, German, 14th c.

-- A condiment of Red Cabbage -in red wine vinegar with honey and

spices - Guter Spise

-- Pickled Button Mushrooms - in white wine vinegar and white wine,

with spices and fresh ginger - "Lady Elinor Fettiplace's Receipt

Book", late 16th century, and "Sir Kenelm Digbie's Closet Unlock'd

(or is it Open'd?)", mid-17th century

 

The whole menu with access to all the recipes is at:

http://witch.drak.net/lilinah/2001Menu.html

 

And there's the Compost recipe i made for Boar Hunt 2000 - 4 gallons

of the stuff. Most of it got eaten.

http://witch.drak.net/lilinah/compost.html

It's really good as a side dish, sort of like a chutney - goes with

chicken, pork, vegetables... I made my own Lombard mustard for this.

It was quite good.

 

The whole menu with access to all the recipes is at:

http://witch.drak.net/lilinah/menu.html

 

----- End Previous Message -----

 

Here are the recipes themselves from my web page:

 

ORIGINAL

37, Marx Rumpolt, Ein New Kochbuch, 1581

Lemon chopped with sugar and sprinkled with pomegranate seeds

 

How I made Lemon-Pomegranate Relish

 

10 medium lemons

5 pomegranates

plenty of granulated sugar

 

1. Peel pomegranates, separating seeds into a large bowl, removing

all pith. Pomegranates contain tannin and will stain clothes and

hands. Be sure to wear an apron - and latex gloves if you wish.

Sprinkle seeds with sugar.

3. Chop lemons up completely and finely, removing only the seeds.

5. Mix with pomegranate seeds.

4. Sprinkle with lots sugar. Let stand. Add more sugar as necessary.

 

 

ORIGINAL

Marx Rumpolt, Ein New Kochbuch, 1581

3. Rote Ruben: Red beets preserved with small cut horseradish/ anise/

coriander/ and a little caraway/ special if the beets are cut/

marinated in half wine and half vinegar.

 

How I made Red Roots (Marinated Beets with Horseradish)

makes about 1 gallon

 

              10 large red beets, cut into medium-small chunks

              2 cup red wine

              2 cup red wine vinegar (white or cider will do)

              1-1/2 feet of fresh horseradish root, peeled and cut into slivers

              1-1/2 TB salt

              1 tsp whole anise seed

              1 tsp whole caraway seed

              2 tsp whole coriander seed

 

1. Cut up beets.

2. Combine all ingredients except beets in a pot. Bring to a boil,

then lower heat and simmer 5 minutes.

3. Add the beets and heat through.

4. Place in jar or crock and let mellow for at least 24 hours, up to

two weeks in a cook place.

 

NOTE: I thought this needed more horseradish. Next time i'll add some

prepared horseradish (the kind made of nothing but horseradish, such

as Bubbie's).

 

 

ORIGNIAL

A condiment

Ein Buch von Guter Spise, 14th century

48. Ein condimentlin. Flavor caraway seeds and anise with pepper and

with vinegar and with honey. And make it gold with saffron. And add

thereto mustard. In this condiment you may make sulze (pickled or

marinated) parsley, and small preserved fruit and vegetables, or

beets, which(ever) you want.

 

 

How I made A Condiment of Cucumber

makes about 1 gallon

 

              5 cucumbers, peeled

              3/4 tsp whole caraway seeds

              3/4 tsp whole fennel seeds

              3/4 tsp whole dill seed

              1 tsp whole peppercorns

              1/2 tsp salt

              2/3 cup honey

              2 cup white wine vinegar to cover, more as needed (white will do)

              1/4 tsp saffron

              1 TB powdered mustard

 

1. Grind caraway, fennel, and dill seeds with salt and pepper.

2. Mix in vinegar and honey.

3. Add saffron and mustard.

4. Put in a saucepan over low heat and stir until the honey melts

into the vinegar. Remove from heat.

5. Put prepared cucumbers in warm marinade and let stand for at least 1 hour.

6. Taste - adjust seasonings as needed. Keep covered in cook place until feast.

 

 

How I made A Condiment of Red Cabbage

makes more than 1 gallon - but i managed to jam it into a one-gallon container

 

              4 heads of Red Cabbage, cored and shredded

              1 TB whole caraway seeds

              2 tsp whole anise seeds

              2 tsp whole peppercorns

              1 tsp salt

              4 cups red wine vinegar

              2 cups honey

 

1. Grind caraway seeds with aniseed, salt, and pepper.

2. Mix in vinegar and honey.

3. Add saffron and mustard.

4. Put in a saucepan over low heat and stir until the honey melts

into the vinegar. Remove from heat.

5. Put prepared cabbage in marinade and let stand for at least 1 hour.

6. Taste - adjust seasonings as needed. Keep covered in cook place until feast.

 

                      NOTE: I made the pickling liquids different,

                      so they wouldn't taste the same.

 

Pickled Button Mushrooms

 

To Pickle Mushrooms

Lady Elinor Fettiplace's Receipt Book, 16th century

 

Take your Buttons, clean ym with a sponge & put ym in cold water as

you clean ym, then put ym dry in a stewpan & shake a handful of salt

over ym, yn stew ym in their own liquor till they are a little

tender; then strain ym from ye liquor & put ym upon a cloath to dry

till they are quite cold. Make your Pickle before you do your

mushrooms, yt may be quite cold before you put ym in. The Pickle must

be made with White-Wine, White-Pepper, quarter's Nutmeg, a Blade of

Mace & a Race of ginger.

 

Pickled Champignons

Sir Kenelm Digbie's The Closet Open'd, 17th century

 

Cut the great ones into halves or quarters, seeing carefully there be

no worms in them; and peel off their upper skin on the tips: the

little ones, peel whole. As you peel them, throw them into a basin of

fair-water, which preserves them white.

 

Then put them into a pipkin or possnet of Copper (no Iron) and put a

very little water to them, and a large proportion of Salt. If you

have a pottle of Mushrooms, you may put to them ten or twelve

spoonfuls of water, and two or three of Salt. Boil them with a pretty

quick-fire, and scum them well all the while, taking away a great

deal of foulness, that will rise. They will shrink into a very little

room. When they are sufficiently parboiled to be tender, and well

cleansed of their scum, (which will be in about a quarter of an

hour,) take them out, and put them into a Colander, that all the

moisture may drain from them.

 

In the mean time make your pickle thus: Take a quart of pure sharp

white Wine Vinegar (elder-Vinegar is best) put two or threee

spoonfuls of whole Pepper to it, twenty or thirty Cloves, one Nutmeg

quartered, two or three flakes of Mace, three Bay-leaves; (some like

Lemon-Thyme and Rosemary; but then it must be a very little of each)

boil all these together, till the Vinegar be well impregnated with

the Ingredients, which will be in about half an hour. Then take it

from the fire, and let it cool.

 

When the pickle is quite cold, and the Mushrooms also quite cold, and

drained from all moisture: put them into the Liquor (with all the

Ingredients in it) which you must be sure, be enough to cover them.

In ten or twelve days, they will have taken into them the full taste

of the pickle, and will keep very good half a year. If you have much

supernatant Liquor, you may parboil more Mushrooms the next day, and

put them to the first. If you have not gathered at once enough for a

dressing, you may keep them all night in water to preserve them

white, and gather more the next day, to joyn to them.

 

How I made Pickled Champignons

makes about 1-1/2 gallons

 

A. Make pickle

 

              3-1/2 quarts white wine Vinegar

              3-1/2 quarts white Wine

              3/4 cup plus 2 TB whole peppercorns

              1/2 oz. whole Cloves

              7 Nutmegs, quartered

              14 flakes of Mace

              21 Bay-leaves

              7" fresh ginger

 

1. Mix vinegar with Pepper, Cloves, Nutmeg, Mace, Bay-leaves and sliced Ginger.

2. Bring to boil and simmer until Vinegar is well impregnated with

the Ingredients, about half an hour. Add a few spoonfuls of water if

the liquid shows signs of evaporating.

3. Remove from fire, and let cool, leaving all spices in it.

 

B. Prepare Mushrooms

 

              14 quarts Button Mushrooms, well cleaned and halved or quartered

              4 cups water

              7 TB Salt

 

1. Clean mushrooms just before cooking.

2. Put mushrooms in a non-iron pot with water and salt.

3. Bring to boil, then simmer. They will shrink into a very little

room. Parboil until tender, about 15 minutes.

4. Drain, and let cool.

 

C. Pickle the Mushrooms

 

1. When both pickle and mushrooms are cold, put mushrooms in spiced

liquid (with spices). If there isn't enough liquid to cover, make

more pickling liquid.

2. Keep in a cool place for 10 or 12 days.

3. If you have too much liquid, parboil more mushrooms the next day,

and add them.

4. Keep covered in cool place until feast.

5. If for immediate consumption, pour pickling liquid on mushrooms

while they're hot. Cool before eating.

 

----- End Recipes from my web site -----

 

Anahita

 

 

From: "Lorenz Wieland" <lorenz_wieland at earthlink.net>

To: <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Keeping color of red cabbage

Date: Mon, 2 Jun 2003 12:09:42 -0700

 

Cera Chonaill wrote:

> Quick question. How does one maintain the nice deep red color of the

> red cabbage when pickling it? Mine, while the taste is still there,

> losses it's color and ends up pinkish.

 

Red cabbage is, frankly, a pain in the butt.  I'm hardly a pickle-master,

but I did learn a few things about red cabbage when experiementing with

German cooking.

 

First off, use only stainless steel or anodized aluminum for any metal

implement that will come in contact with the cabbage, or anything that will

later come in contact with the cabbage like your pickling liquid.  Red

cabbage is highly reactive with iron, and the slightest bit will cause it to

become pink (or, in more extreme cases, blue).  I'd also check your water if

it's not purified -- tap water tends to have a fair bit of iron in many

places.

 

Second, blanch the cut leaves for a few seconds before further cooking.

This fixes the color better in most brightly colored veggies.  I'm not

Sure how this would affect pickling, but it may be worth a try.

 

Finally, acid is your friend.  I assume this isn't a problem with most

pickles, but other forms of cooked red cabbage really, really want lots

of acid to avoid the veggies turning into pink-grey goop.

 

-Lorenz

 

 

Date: Sat, 12 Jul 2003 11:09:25 EDT

From: UrthMomma at aol.com

Subject: [Sca-cooks] Sca-cooks  Help with documenting pickles

To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org

 

I am probably having an attack of the stupids, but I am having trouble

finding early documentation of pickled foods, vegetable or dairy,  I'm looking for brined or vinegar based pickles, not sugar preserves.

 

For mid and late period documentation, The English Housewife gives

directions for making pickled sallats, cucumbers, purslane and samphire. The English Housewife has sausage recipes, Sabina Welserin gives pickled tongue recipes and good sausage recipes, preserving veal with salt and vinegar, smoked beef, smoked tongue. Le Menagier de Paris speaks of salting beef, mutton , coot, hams, bacon, beef tongue, goose, hare, eel, herring, and sausages,  but I am not

finding documentation of fermented pickles such as sauerkraut or cucumbers nor

brined cheeses.

 

What obvious place am I not looking ?

 

Olwen Bucklond

 

 

Date: Sun, 13 Jul 2003 11:56:14 EDT

From: Devra at aol.com

Subject: [Sca-cooks] Re Pickling

To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org

 

'The whole Body of Cookery Dissected' by William Rabisha (1661) has just

become available via Prospect Books at $45.  The entire first chapter is pickling recipes.

 

     Devra (beginning to get Pennsic frenzies)

 

Devra Langsam

www.poisonpenpress.com

 

 

Date: Sat, 9 Apr 2005 14:31:14 -0400

From: Barbara Benson <voxeight at gmail.com>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Fermented/Pickled Food

To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>

 

> In honor of Roguszys I'm collecting pre 1600 recipes for fermented and

> pickled food. Any and all contributions would be appreciated.  My intent is

> to compile them, prepare representitive examples and do a display

> entry at a winter A/S in Trimaris.

 

I too have been recently pondering pickles and contemplating an A&S

thereof. Pickling is one of those things that have always resided in

my mind as an "Of course" they did it. But on thinking on it I can

bring to mind very few specific instructions on how to go about it.

Now, it is quite amazing what new things can jump out at you when

re-reading (for the bajillionth time) a familiar text with a different

goal in mind. I have not yet began said rereading process, but I will

include below the items that I have, to date, played with in this

area. They all hover around the 1600 date, give or take a decade or

so. (Beginning with the most iffy of provenance - Mme. Fettiplace)

 

I look forward to seeing what others come up with!

 

Glad Tidings,

Serena da Riva

 

To Pickle Mushrooms

Lady Elinor Fettiplace's Receipt Book, 16th century.

Take your Buttons, clean ym with a sponge & put ym in cold water as

you clean ym, then put ym dry in a stewpan & shake a handful of salt

over ym, yn stew ym in their own liquor till they are a little tender;

then strain ym from ye liquor & put ym upon a cloath to dry till they

are quite cold. Make your Pickle before you do your mushrooms, yt may

be quite cold before you put ym in. The Pickle must be made with

White-Wine, White-Pepper, quarter's Nutmeg, a Blade of Mace & a Race

of ginger.

     

16 oz Mushrooms

1 T Kosher Salt

1 1/4 C White Wine

1 t White Pepper

1/4 Nutmeg

1 t Mace

2 thumbnail sized pieces of Fresh Ginger

Wash and dry mushrooms, place in large bowl and toss with salt. Place

into large saucepan and add just enough water to avoid scorching. Cook

covered until tender, stirring occasionally. When done strain out of

juices and allow to cool completely. Combine remaining ingredients in

a saucepan and bring to a low boil. Allow to simmer awhile, then

remove from heat. Allow to cool completely. Place cool mushrooms into

jar and pour cool pickle over them. Keep in refrigerator; it will take

at least a week to meld the flavors. After a week, fish out the ginger

or it will become overpowering.

 

Preserved Artichokes

> From Eleanor Fettiplace's Receipt Book

 

TO KEEP HARTICHOCKS ALL THE YEARE first take a gallon of faire water,

& another of the strongest veriuce, & a good handfull of salt, put

them together on the fire & boile them, & scum them cleane, take half

an handfull of fennel, & half a handfull of hyssope cleane washed, &

put into the brine, then throw in the artichocks & scald them, & pluck

them out againe, then let the artichocks & the brine bee throwe cold

before you put them up, then put the bottoms downards & the herbs on

the top, & let brine always cover them. Even so I use the Cowcumbers.

           

8 oz Artichoke Hearts

1 C Water

1 C Verjuice

1 t Fennel Seeds

1 t Dried Hyssop

1/2 T Kosher Salt

           

Combine water, verjuice and salt in a non reactive saucepan. Bring to

boil and add herbs. Boil slightly and add artichokes. Boil for three

minutes and then remove from fire. Remove artichokes from brine and

allow both to cool. After cool place artichokes in a jar and put a

pinch of both herbs on top. Add brine until full and cap. Refrigerate

just to be safe.

 

Pickled Cowcumbers

Delights for Ladies by Sir Hugh Platt, 1609.

To preserve cowcumbers all the yeere: Take a gallon of faire water and

a pottle of verjuice, and a pint of bay salt, and a handful of greene

fennel or Dill; boile it a little, and when it is cold put it into a

barrel, and then put your cowcumbers into that pickle, and you shall

keep all the yeere.

     

1 Gal Water

4 pints Verjuice

2 C Kosher Salt

1 big handfull chopped Dill

Wash and slice cucumbers. Make pickle and allow to cool completely.

Place cucumbers into a jar and pour in liquid. Keep refrigerated.

 

Cucummern

Ein New Kochbuch. Marx Rumpolt. 1581, Transcribed by Dr. Thomas

Gloning; Translated by Gwen Catrin von Berlin.

 

20. Schel die Murcken/ vnd schneidt sie breit vnnd duenn/ mach sie an

mit Oel/ Pfeffer vnd Saltz. Seind sie aber eyngesaltzen/ so seind sie

auch nit boeß/ seind besser als roh/ denn man kans eynsaltzen mit

Fenchel vnd mit Kuemel/ daß man sie vber ein Jar kan behalten. Vnnd am

Rheinstrom nennet man es Cucummern.

20. Peel the Cucumbers/ and cut them broad and thin/ season them with

oil/ pepper and salt. But if they are salt-preserved/ they are also

not bad/ are better than raw/ because one can salt it with Fennel and

with caraway/ that both can be kept over one year. And near the

Rhine-stream one calls it Cucummern.

     

Cucumbers to fill jar

4 T Canning Salt

3 t Fennel Seeds

3 t Caraway Seeds

Oil

Black Pepper

Clean cucumbers. Mix salt, fennel, and caraway with water. Place

cucumbers in glass canning jar and pour brine over. Weight to ensure

that all cucumbers stay below the water. Allow to sit unsealed,

covered with a towel, in a "room temperature" location for two to

three days. Check to see if a scum forms on the top of the water. If

if does, remove with a paper towel or spoon. After they have reached

desired sourness remove weight and seal jar. Keep in the refrigerator

for several weeks before serving, shaking jar occasionally to

distribute seasoning.

 

On day of service, peel and thinly slice the cucumbers. Dress lightly

with olive oil and a small amount of pepper. Place in a sealed

container and hold in refrigerator for several hours before service.

 

To Make Pickled Cabbage

Ein Kochbuch aus dem Archiv des Deutschen Ordens, 15th Century.

Transcribed by Dr. Thomas Gloning; Translated by Volker Bach.

 

31. Wilthu machenn eynngemacht Crautt: so seudt weysse Heuptt und ein

zweythell Sennffs und das dritthell Hoengs und die selbing mach

undereinander mitt Wein und thu darein Koemel und einß des genug und

leg dan des gesotten Kraut darein und [[nnd_Ed.]] gibe es kalt. also

magst auch priesen die Seudt mitt Würczenn und gyb sy hin.

31. If you want to make pickled cabbage Boil white cabbage heads, take

two parts mustard and one part honey, mix them with wine and add

caraway /einß/ (?) it enough, put the boiled cabbage into it and serve

it cold. You can also season the broth and serve it.

           

1 Head Cabbage

1/2 C Yellow Mustard Seeds

1/4 C Wildflower Honey

1 1/8 C Trollinger Wine

1 1/2 T Ground Caraway

           

Cut head of cabbage in quarters and remove core, then cut each quarter

in half. Bring a pot of water to boil and then add cabbage. Boil for

ten minutes, drain well. Measure mustard seeds into a coffee grinder

and process until as fine as desired. Transfer mustard to a food

processor and add honey and caraway. Process mixture until combined

and then add Wine. Combine cabbage and mustard and place in sealed

container. Allow to sit and serve cold. (And frankly, I do not advise

eating it in the first place - unless you have a large number of fans

of Kim - Chee type foods)

 

 

Date: Sun, 10 Apr 2005 17:37:09 EDT

From: Devra at aol.com

Subject: [Sca-cooks] Re: pickles

To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org

 

There are a lot of preserving recipes in Rabisha's the Whole Body of

Cookery, and he's right around 1600.

 

Devra Langsam

www.poisonpenpress.com

 

 

Date: Sat, 11 Jun 2005 00:46:50 -0400

From: Jadwiga Zajaczkowa / Jenne Heise <jenne at fiedlerfamily.net>

Subject: [Sca-cooks] another question... marinated beets

To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>

 

Using Rumpolt's marinated beets recipe, should it be ok to do these a

week ahead of time? (Recipe below)

 

     3. Rote Ruben eyngemacht mit klein geschnittenen Merrettich/ Aniss/

Coriander/ und ein wenig Kuemel/ sonderlich wenn die Ruben geschnitten/

gesotten mit halb Wein und halb Essig

 

         Pickled Beets - 3. Red beets preserved with small cut

horseradish/ anise/ coriander/ and a little caraway/ especially if the

beets are cut/ marinated in half wine and half vinegar.

--  

-- Jadwiga Zajaczkowa, Knowledge Pika jenne at fiedlerfamily.net  

 

 

Date: Sat, 11 Jun 2005 23:08:21 +0200

From: Volker Bach <carlton_bach at yahoo.de>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] another question... marinated beets

To: jenne at fiedlerfamily.net, Cooks within the SCA

      <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>

 

Am Samstag, 11. Juni 2005 06:46 schrieb Jadwiga Zajaczkowa / Jenne

Heise:

> Using Rumpolt's marinated beets recipe, should it be ok to do these a

> week ahead of time? (Recipe below)

>     3. Rote Ruben eyngemacht mit klein geschnittenen Merrettich/ Aniss/

> Coriander/ und ein wenig Kuemel/ sonderlich wenn die Ruben geschnitten/

> gesotten mit halb Wein und halb Essig

>         Pickled Beets - 3. Red beets preserved with small cut

> horseradish/ anise/ coriander/ and a little caraway/ especially if the

> beets are cut/ marinated in half wine and half vinegar.

 

Depends how thin you slice them. I made it last year and found it a bit

disappointing on first trying, though it improved with age.

 

From my experience: don't overdo the anise, and add salt. It really needs

salt. I would also recommend a strong vinegar, especially if you're only

resting it for a week.

 

Giano

 

 

Date: Sat, 11 Jun 2005 14:22:41 -0700

From: lilinah at earthlink.net

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] another question... marinated beets

To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org

 

Jadwiga wrote:

> Using Rumpolt's marinated beets recipe, should it be ok to do these a

> week ahead of time? (Recipe below)

>     3. Rote Ruben eyngemacht mit klein geschnittenen Merrettich/ Aniss/

> Coriander/ und ein wenig Kuemel/ sonderlich wenn die Ruben geschnitten/

> gesotten mit halb Wein und halb Essig

>         Pickled Beets - 3. Red beets preserved with small cut

> horseradish/ anise/ coriander/ and a little caraway/ especially if the

> beets are cut/ marinated in half wine and half vinegar.

 

I'd think so, as long as they are kept covered and cold. I made them

about 3 or 4 days before the feast at which i served them. Since the

horseradish mellows over time, you might want to add some more on the

day of serving, depending how zingy you like them.

--

Urtatim (that's err-tah-TEEM)

the persona formerly known as Anahita

 

 

Date: Wed, 07 Sep 2005 20:02:02 -0400

From: Elaine Koogler <ekoogler1 at comcast.net>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] A Challenge to Find a Dish

To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>

 

iasmin at comcast.net wrote:

 

> Every year, my laurel's SCA family hosts a dinner around  

> Thanksgiving time for all of her dependents and those of her  

> husband. The themes have varied from year to year, with topics  

> ranging far and wide from different countries to actual feast test  

> runs. This year's theme is a little different and I thought people  

> might find it an interesting challenge; I'd like to see what they  

> come up with.

> For an SCA "family" potluck, find a dish using these guidelines:

> -- The name of the dish must start with the first initial of your  

> first name or the first initial of your last name. You cannot use  

> your middle name if you have one.

> -- You must use your SCA name.

> -- You must make enough of this dish to feed 20 people.

> What's your dish?

> Iasmin de Cordoba, kicked out of the nest a few years back OL

 

OK....my SCA name is Minowara Kiritsubo...and, in true Japanese fashion,

my first name is the second in the order, and my "last name" is the

first. Going with "M" is no real problem...I did Mirausto at a feast a

year or so back:

 

*37. **Catalan-Style Mirausto** (**/The Neapolitan Recipe Collection/

(/Cuoco Napoletano)/*/ /by Terence Scully

 

<snip. See birds-recipes-msg – Stefan>

 

******]

Now, for Kiri, there's a problem...there are not that many recipes

around that start with "K"...but here goes. I used this one in an

oriental feast I cooked several years back...while I can't prove it's

period, I've run across similar things as we've been working on the

Ryori Monogotari...and I've found references to pickles of various sorts

from period Japan:

 

*Quick Turnip Pickles//*

 

*/Kabu no Sokuseki-zuke/*

 

*/ /*Also appropriate for cucumbers, sliced in thin wafers. Peel and

seed large cucumbers.

 

12 medium turnips

5 heaping tbsp salt

4-inch piece giant /konbu/

1-inch square /yuzu /citron or lemon peel

Cut off greens from turnips and reserve. Wash turnips, peel, then cut

into very fine julienne strips. Wash greens, dry, then chop finely.

 

Put turnip strips with finely chopped greens into a bowl and sprinkle

with salt. Knead with your hands and mix thoroughly to draw water out of

vegetable. In less than a minutes, a fair amount of liquid will be

produced. Discard liquid.

 

Add dry /konbu/ and citron or lemon rind. Let stand, lidded and with a

light weight, 1 hour at room temperature.

 

To serve: pick out a portion from the bowl and shake off liquid. Arrange

in a mound and season with a few drops of soy sauce, if desired.

 

Tsuji Shizuo (/Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art)/, Tokyo: Kodansha

International, 1980. p. 323-24.

 

Kiri

 

 

Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2007 16:16:31 -0500

From: Johnna Holloway <johnna at sitka.engin.umich.edu>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] beet-pickled eggs

To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

 

Here's a recipe for pickled beets anyway.

Johnnae

 

       Pickled beets

 

(Ein New Kochbuch, Marxen Rumpolt, 1581) */3. Rote Ruben eyngemacht mit

klein geschnittenen Merrettich/ Aniss/ Coriander/ und ein wenig Kuemel/

sonderlich wenn die Ruben geschnitten/ gesotten mit halb Wein und halb

Essig /* /Pickled Beets - 3. Red beets preserved with small cut

horseradish/ anise/ coriander/ and a little caraway/ especially if the

beets are cut/ marinated in half wine and half vinegar./

 

/[Translation by Gwen Catrin von Berlin (Martina Grasse)]/

 

20 lbs beets

6 heaping tbsp prepared horseradish (because I couldn't get fresh)

1/2 gal vinegar

1/2 gal red wine

3 tsp aniseed

6 tbsp coriander

5 tbsp caraway

 

Cook and peel beets, slice and quarter. put into jars and cover with

half vinegar/half wine. Add horseradish, aniseed, coriander and caraway.

Allow to marinate 24 hours or more.

 

 

Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2007 19:05:49 -0800 (PST)

From: "Cat ." <tgrcat2001 at yahoo.com>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Sca-cooks Digest, Vol 10, Issue 37

To: sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org

 

> Here's a recipe for pickled beets anyway.

> Johnnae

>       Pickled beets

> (Ein New Kochbuch, Marxen Rumpolt, 1581) */3. Rote Ruben eyngemacht mit

> klein geschnittenen Merrettich/ Aniss/ Coriander/ und ein wenig Kuemel/

> sonderlich wenn die Ruben geschnitten/ gesotten mit halb Wein und halb

> Essig /* /Pickled Beets - 3. Red beets preserved with small cut

> horseradish/ anise/ coriander/ and a little caraway/ especially if the

> beets are cut/ marinated in half wine and half vinegar./

> /[Translation by Gwen Catrin von Berlin (Martina

> Grasse)]/

 

To give credit where it is due, while the

transcription and translation are mine I think that

interpretation is actually Urtatims (or Anahita at

that time) I have never made it with 'prepared

horseradish.'  I prefer matchsticks of fresh real

horseradish root in amongst the whole or sliced beets,

though they can be a bit of a surprise when folks bite

them thinking they are more beet bits (the white root

picks up beet color quite well.)

As an aside, fresh beets are great, but, at least

locally, canned are usually lower priced, and for a

feast much less labor intensive for very similar

quality after a week in the pickle.

 

My interpretation is webbed at:

http://clem.mscd.edu/~grasse/GK_ASsp99_beet.htm

 

In Service

Gwen Cat

who looked at the date and just realized how LONG she

has been at this ~.~

 

 

Date: Thu, 15 Feb 2007 13:15:46 -0800

From: Lilinah <lilinah at earthlink.net>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] beet-pickled eggs

To: sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org

 

Gwen Cat wrote:

> To give credit where it is due, while the

> transcription and translation are mine I think that

> interpretation is actually Urtatims (or Anahita at

> that time) I have never made it with 'prepared

> horseradish.'(SNIP)

 

Must be someone else's version, 'cuz it isn't mine. Below is my

version. It's pretty much Gwen Cat's recipe doubled, but using fresh

beets, less horseradish, and with the addition of salt.

 

To tell the truth, i'd have liked more horseradish, but i had a

horseradish sauce elsewhere in the feast and i didn't want to subject

the diners to too much :-)

 

Marinated Beets with horseradish

Marx Rumpolt, Ein New Kochbuch

 

3. Rote Ruben:

Red beets preserved with small cut horseradish/

anise/ coriander/ and a little caraway/

special if the beets are cut/ marinated in half wine and half vinegar.

 

makes about 1 gallon

 

10 large red beets, cut into medium-small chunks

2 cup red wine

2 cup red wine vinegar (white or cider will do)

1-1/2 foot long fresh horseradish root, peeled and cut into slivers

1-1/2 TB salt

1 tsp whole anise seed

1 tsp whole caraway seed

2 tsp whole coriander seed

 

1. Cut up beets.

2. Combine all ingredients except beets in a pot. Bring to a boil,

then lower heat and simmer 5 minutes.

3. Add the beets and heat through.4. Place in jar or crock and let

mellow for at least 24 hours, up to two weeks in a cool place.

--

Urtatim (that's err-tah-TEEM)

the persona formerly known as Anahita

 

 

Date: Mon, 9 Jul 2007 00:03:04 -0400

From: Jadwiga Zajaczkowa / Jenne Heise <jenne at fiedlerfamily.net>

Subject: [Sca-cooks] help with a preserving recipe

To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>

 

This one is period-- Thomas Hyll, The Gardener's Labyrinth

 

"And to preserve the Rape or Turnup roots to serve the winter and Lent

time, the owner may work after this manner, by washing first the roots,

and these raw, bestow in ranks one upon another, and in each rank strew

salt, fennel seeds and sauerie [savory], or onely cover them with salt,

close couched, and on such wise letting these remain for eight days,

powre so much fair water on them as will cover them, which done, let the

vessel stand in some vault, or seller, to serve for the above said

times, or longer if the owner will, if so be he fill up the vessell,

when these lie bare and drie." p. 171.

 

Now, here's the question: when I do this, do I use whole or sliced

turnips? I'd think whole ones. Also, should I top and tail them, or

leave them with the stub end of the greens and the root end?

 

Yes, I'm getting ready for my Pennsic class. :)

--  

-- Jadwiga Zajaczkowa, Knowledge Pika jenne at fiedlerfamily.net  

 

 

Date: Mon, 09 Jul 2007 01:03:48 -0400

From: "Phil Troy / G. Tacitus Adamantius" <adamantius1 at verizon.net>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] help with a preserving recipe

To: jenne at fiedlerfamily.net,     Cooks within the SCA

      <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

 

On Jul 9, 2007, at 12:03 AM, Jadwiga Zajaczkowa / Jenne Heise wrote:

 

> This one is period-- Thomas Hyll, The Gardener's Labyrinth

> "And to preserve the Rape or Turnup roots to serve the winter and Lent

> time, the owner may work after this manner, by washing first the roots,

> and these raw, bestow in ranks one upon another, and in each rank strew

> salt, fennel seeds and sauerie [savory], or onely cover them with salt,

> close couched, and on such wise letting these remain for eight days,

> powre so much fair water on them as will cover them, which done, let the

> vessel stand in some vault, or seller, to serve for the above said

> times, or longer if the owner will, if so be he fill up the vessell,

> when these lie bare and drie." p. 171.

> Now, here's the question: when I do this, do I use whole or sliced

> turnips? I'd think whole ones. Also, should I top and tail them, or

> leave them with the stub end of the greens and the root end?

 

Probably whole, with stubs of both the stem and root ends, is the way

to go (consults jar of half-sours in the fridge). I'm not sure if the

theory involves excessive moisture loss, or minimizing entry points

for undesirable microbes, but unless they're really large, I suspect

this rule would apply.

 

Umm... you may find that some of the rules for things like kraut

apply... you may want to make sure you've got a well-ventilated place

to work and store them...

 

Adamantius

 

 

Date: Mon, 21 Jul 2008 08:57:30 -0700

From: Dragon <dragon at crimson-dragon.com>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Pickles (was Re:  Weird food)

To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

 

David Walddon wrote:

Did you make the pickled figs?

They sound great.

If so can you share the recipe.

---------------- End original message. ---------------------

 

Yup, sure did, and yes, I can share the recipe too.

 

1 lb. of dried figs

1 cup water

1 cup cider vinegar

1/3 cup salt

1 cinnamon stick

1 tsp. whole cloves

1 tsp. whole coriander seed

1 tbsp. dried bitter orange peel

 

In a dry pan, toast the spices until they are very fragrant then turn

out onto a cool plate or pan. Do not burn the spices, the spices are

left whole, do not grind them.

 

Put the water, vinegar, salt and the whole spices in a saucepan and

bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Put the figs in the brine

and let simmer for about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover and let

cool. Refrigerate and serve.

 

Dragon

 

 

Date: Wed, 3 Sep 2008 18:41:40 -0700

From: Lilinah <lilinah at earthlink.net>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] period pickles and preserves

To: sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org

 

> The recipe for Na'an Mukhallal in "In

> a Caliph's Kitchen"

 

That's Na'na', which is Arabic for mint.

 

> which consists of period recipes edited/translated by

> David Waine might be useful.

 

Alas, "In a Caliph's Kitchen" is long out of print and very difficult

to locate. However, this recipe is from al-Baghdadi' book of recipes

- and although not credited, all the al-Baghdadi recipes in the book

by David Waines appear to be taken directly from A.J. Arberry's

groundbreaking 1937 translation.

 

> It is a vinegar mint sauce which also appears

> to have been used to pickle garlic?

 

As this recipe is in al-Baghdadi's cookbook, one can refer to (1)

A.J. Arberry's original ground breaking but problematic version from

the 1930s, (2) the version in "Medieval Arab Cookery" annotated by

Charles Perry, or (3) Charles Perry's completely new translation.

 

There are also recipes for pickled cucumbers, pickled turnips,

pickled raisins, etc. in the Arabic language cookbooks.

 

Some of these recipes first salt the vegetables, let them stand for

an allotted period of time, then rinse them and put them in vinegar.

 

I've also used a mix of brine and vinegar to pickle cucumbers with

mint - period Arabic language recipes suggest other possible herbs as

well, such as tarragon.

 

There are more recipes for pickled things in European cookbooks.

 

I've made pickled mushrooms by combining these two recipes:

 

Lady Elinor Fettiplace's Receipt Book, 16th century

To Pickle Mushrooms. Take your Buttons, clean ym with a sponge & put

ym in cold water as you clean ym, then put ym dry in a stewpan &

shake a handful of salt over ym, yn stew ym in their own liquor till

they are a little tender; then strain ym from ye liquor & put ym upon

a cloath to dry till they are quite cold. Make your Pickle before you

do your mushrooms, yt may be quite cold before you put ym in. The

Pickle must be made with White-Wine, White-Pepper, quarter's Nutmeg,

a Blade of Mace & a Race of ginger.

 

Sir Kenelme Digbie's The Closet Opened, 17th century

Pickled Champignons. Cut the great ones into halves or quarters,

seeing carefully there be no worms in them; and peel off their upper

skin on the tips: the little ones, peel whole. As you peel them,

throw them into a basin of fair-water, which preserves them white.

 

      Then put them into a pipkin or possnet of Copper (no Iron) and

put a very little water to them, and a large proportion of Salt. If

you have a pottle of Mushrooms, you may put to them ten or twelve

spoonfuls of water, and two or three of Salt. Boil them with a pretty

quick-fire, and scum them well all the while, taking away a great

deal of foulness, that will rise. They will shrink into a very little

room. When they are sufficiently parboiled to be tender, and well

cleansed of their scum, (which will be in about a quarter of an

hour,) take them out, and put them into a Colander, that all the

moisture may drain from them.

 

      In the mean time make your pickle thus: Take a quart of pure

sharp white Wine Vinegar (elder-Vinegar is best) put two or three

spoonfuls of whole Pepper to it, twenty or thirty Cloves, one Nutmeg

quartered, two or three flakes of Mace, three Bay-leaves; (some like

Lemon-Thyme and Rosemary; but then it must be a very little of each)

boil all these together, till the Vinegar be well impregnated with

the Ingredients, which will be in about half an hour. Then take it

from the fire, and let it cool.

 

      When the pickle is quite cold, and the Mushrooms also quite

cold, and drained from all moisture: put them into the Liquor (with

all the Ingredients in it) which you must be sure, be enough to cover

them. In ten or twelve days, they will have taken into them the full

taste of the pickle, and will keep very good half a year. If you have

much supernatant Liquor, you may parboil more Mushrooms the next day,

and put them to the first. If you have not gathered at once enough

for a dressing, you may keep them all night in water to preserve them

white, and gather more the next day, to joyn to them.

 

There's also this in Marx Rumpolt, Ein New Kochbuch, 1581

Rote Ruben [Red Roots]:

Red beets preserved with finely cut horseradish, anise, coriander,

and a little caraway, special if the beets are marinated in half wine

and half vinegar.

 

Ein Buch von Guter Spise, mid-14th C.

48. Ein condimentlin

A condiment. Flavor with caraway seeds and anise, with pepper and

with vinegar and with honey. And make it gold with saffron. And add

thereto mustard. In this condiment you may make sulze (pickled or

marinated) parsley, and small preserved fruit and vegetables, or

beets, which(ever) you want.

 

I used two variations to prepare cucumbers and cabbage. I altered the

seasonings so they wouldn't taste the same.

-- For the cucumbers: whole caraway seeds, whole fennel seeds, whole

dill seed, whole peppercorns, ground mustard seeds, salt, saffron,

honey, white wine vinegar

-- For the cabbage: whole caraway seeds, whole anise, whole

peppercorns, salt, honey, red wine vinegar

 

For more fun and games with pickles:

http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD/pickled-foods-msg.html

 

And, of course, there's "Compost" which is a relish rather like

"chutney" (for some definition of chutney - but not the mango kind

:-) It contains pears, carrots, turnips, home-made mustard, lots of

spices, vinegar, etc. When made right it's really yummy.

See Stefan's Florilegium again:

http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD/compost-msg.html

--

Urtatim (that's err-tah-TEEM)

the persona formerly known as Anahita

 

 

Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2008 17:08:50 -0400

From: tudorpot at gmail.com

Subject: [Sca-cooks] (no subject)

To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

 

I found this intriguing message- alas no recipe, I haven't access to  

Curye. any hints on how I can find Master Ian Damebrigge of Wychwood?

 

Freda

 

<<< Master Ian Damebrigge of Wychwood wrote about a sweet pickle from

Curye on Inglish, p. 120-121

 

This is a wonderful sweet pickle.  It is the one Cossette and I used  

in the last feast we did.  It was the Janeltis feast held in the honor of the

Dowager Princess of An Tir at the An Tir Kingdom Kingdom A&S Championship.

 

We put up about 24 jars of it.  Because this was a visual as well as yummy

feast we did the Pears and green and red cabbage separately so that we

would have different colors on the plate and garnished it with fresh

violets and pansies (edible). It was a pickling extravaganza, and the

kitchen was quite sticky afterward!

 

We did it the weekend before the feast, it was part of the first course

which was all cold as we had the kitchen for a very limited time.

 

Maeve >>>

 

 

Date: Mon, 08 Sep 2008 17:42:42 -0400

From: "Phil Troy / G. Tacitus Adamantius" <adamantius1 at verizon.net>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] (no subject)

To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

 

On Sep 8, 2008, at 5:08 PM, tudorpot at gmail.com wrote:

 

<<< I found this intriguing message- alas no recipe, I haven't access to  

Curye. any hints on how I can find Master Ian Damebrigge of Wychwood?

 

Freda >>>

 

You might try going to http://www.florilegium.org and searching for  

"compost". I'll bet the recipe, with lots of commentary, is in there.  

I believe it's from The Forme of Cury". I believe there is also at  

least one edition of The Forme of Cury webbed someplace.

 

Adamantius

 

 

Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2008 17:51:28 -0400

From: "Elaine Koogler" <kiridono at gmail.com>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] (no subject)

To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

 

On Sep 8, 2008, at 5:08 PM, tudorpot at gmail.com wrote:

<<< I found this intriguing message- alas no recipe, I haven't access to

Curye. any hints on how I can find Master Ian Damebrigge of Wychwood?

 

Freda >>>

 

I'm not Master Ian Damebrigge, nor do I play him on TV...but here is my

redaction, along with the original recipe.  I served it several years back

at a Coronation:

 

103.  Compost.  *Take rote of persel, of pasternak, of rafens, scrape hem

and waische hem clene.  Take rapes and caboches, ypared and icorue.  Take an

erthen panne with clene water & set it on the fire; cast alle thise

therinne.  Whan they buth boiled cast thereto peeres, & perboile hem wel.  Take

all thise thynges up and lat it kele on a faire cloth.  Do thereto salt;

whan it is colde, do hit in a vessel; take vyneger & powdour & safroun & &

do thereto, & lat alle thise thynges lye therein al nyght, other al day.  Take

wyne greke and hony, clarified togider; take lumbarde mustard & raisouns

coraunce, al hoole, & trynde powdour of canel, powdour douce & aneys hole,

& fenell seed.  Take alle thise thynges & cast togyder in a pot of erthe, &

take thereof whan thou wilt & serue forthe.

 

103.  *Compost*.  Take parsley root, parsnips, radish, scrape them and wash

them clean.  Take turnips and cabbages, pared and cleaned.  Take an pottery

pan with clean water and set it on the fire.  Put all of these in the pot. .

When they have boiled, add pears and parboil them well.  Take all these

things up and let it cool on a fair cloth.  Add salt; when it is cold, put

it in a vessel; take vinegar and poudre and saffron and add it, and let all

these things lie therein all night or all day. Take Greek wine (sweet) and

honey, clarified together; take Lumbard mustard and currents all whole, and

grind cinnamon, poudre douce and anise whole and fennel seed.  Take all

these things and cast together in an earthen pot and take thereof when you

will and serve it forth. (Forme of Cury from *Curye on Inglysch*)

 

Redaction:  (Makes about 4 cups)

 

6 radishes                             4 T. Honey

4 cabbage leaves                       1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

1 parsnip                              1 tsp. fresh ginger root, diced finely

2 turnips                                         1/4 tsp. mace

1 pear                                           1/4 tsp. cloves

1 tsp. Salt                                       1/2 tsp. fennel seed

1 1/2 C. red wine vinegar                         1/2 cup currants

1/2 tsp. Pepper                                   1 Tbsp. Lumbard mustard

1 pinch saffron                                   1/2 tsp whole anise seed

1 1/2 C. Sweet wine (Marsala)

 

1.  Parboil root vegetables, cabbage in water until almost tender

 

2. Add to vegetables and continue parboiling until tender.  Drain and cool.

 

3.  Mix vinegar, pepper and saffron and pour over veggies.

 

4. Marinate in a cool place overnight.  Then drain liquid from mixture

 

5. Heat wine and honey together until clarified.

 

6. Add to wine/honey mixture, mix thoroughly, then cool.

 

7. Gently mix with vegetable/fruit mixture. Store, refrigerated, then serve

chilled.

 

Notes:

 

1.  Recipe calls for "wyne greke" or Greek Wine, which the glossary in *Curye

on Inglysch *defines as "?a sweet type of wine which actually came from

Italy?"  Marsala seemed to fit this description nicely.

 

2.  I omitted the parsley root, as it was unavailable.

 

3.  I define "poudre" here to mean pepper.

 

4.  The "?lumbarde mustard?" is taken from a recipe further on in *Forme of

Cury*, which I have redacted below.

 

5.  I have found numerous descriptions of "powdour douce" which vary widely,

often containing sugar, cinnamon, ginger, mace and cloves.  I have omitted

the sugar as I feel it is sweet enough with the honey and sweet wine.  I

have also used fresh ginger, as have the authors of *Early French

Cooking *(Terence

Scully) and *To the King's Taste *(Lorna J. Sass) in other recipes which

called for powdour douce.  I believe that it adds more to the sweet-sour

contrast that was so popular in this period.

And this is the recipe for the Lumbard Mustard:

 

*150.  Lumbard Mustard.  *Take mustard seed and waisshe it, & drye it in an

ovene.  Grynde it drye; sarse it thurgh a sarse. Clarifie hony with wyne &

vyneger, & stere it wel togedre and make it thikke ynowgh; and whan though

wilt spende thereof make it tnynne with wyne.

 

*150*.  *Lumbard Mustard*.  Take mustard seed and wash it and dry it in an

oven.  Grind it dry, sieve it through a sieve. Clarify honey with wine and

vinegar, and stir it well together and make it thick enough, and when you

will use it, thin it with wine. (Forme of Cury from *Curye on Inglysch*)

 

Redaction:  (makes about  2 1/2  cups)

 

2 Cups Mustard Seed.                                     

1 1/4 Cups Red wine Vinegar

1 1/4 Cups Burgundy Wine

3/4 Cups Honey

 

1. Toast in the oven, then grind it with a little of the vinegar

 

2. Heat the honey with the wine and vinegar until it is clear.

 

3.  Mix ground mustard seeds and honey/wine/vinegar mixture.  Allow to age.

 

Notes:

1.  I used Burgundy wine and Red Wine Vinegar as they are compatible with

each other, and also enhance the sweet/sour contrast.  Also, most recipes in

this collection seem to specify when they want a sweet wine rather than a

dry one.  This one makes no such specification

 

Kiri

 

 

Date: Sun, 15 Jul 2012 17:27:34 -0400 (EDT)

From: Daniel And elizabeth phelps  <dephelps at embarqmail.com>

To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] pickling

 

<<< what container would pickling have been done in?  and for a period recipe, should I use kirbys, or regular?  I figure it's not the egyptian hairy (cucumis chate).  Might it be the "burpless" English ones I see sometimes in stores?

--

Ian of Oertha >>>

 

My guess would be a ceramic/stone ware crock with a close fitting lid the outer rim of which would extend beyond the barrel of the crock?  The sort of thing that Korean farmers make kimchi in come to mind.

 

Daniel

 

 

Date: Sun, 15 Jul 2012 17:58:50 -0500

From: "Terry Decker" <t.d.decker at att.net>

To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] pickling

 

<<< what container would pickling have been done in?  and for a period recipe, should I use kirbys, or regular?  I figure it's not the egyptian hairy (cucumis chate).  Might it be the "burpless" English ones I see sometimes in stores?

--

Ian of Oertha >>>

 

Depending on how long you planned to store them, a stoneware crock or a

barrel would be the appropriate choices.

 

As for the types of cucumbers, check the Florilegium

http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD-VEGETABLES/Cucumbers-Hst-art.html and

for drawings check out Fuchs Herbal pg 401 at

http://www.med.yale.edu/library/historical-old/fuchs/400-1.gif for Cucumis

sativus vulgaris (looks like a plain ole warty cucumber to me).

 

There are a few more things labelled Cucumis on the following pages but they

are melons, New World squash, etc. with the exception of Cucumis sylvestris

(wild cucumber) which may be your Egyptian hairy cucumber.

 

Bear

 

 

Date: Sun, 15 Jul 2012 16:15:41 -0700

From: David Walddon <david at vastrepast.com>

To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] pickling

 

There is quite a long and interesting entry in De Honesta regarding cucumbers and melons BK 1 #21 De Cucumeribus. Here is the start of it (Milham's translation except for the parenthesis)  - "Pliny avers (asserts in the Latin Text) that cucumbers of excessive size are called melons. I must confess my error, that the delight I get from eating a melon led me astray, for I not only place them above cucumbers but any other sort of food. There are three kids of cucumbers. The largest is blueish and less harmful, for it moves the bowes and seems especially helpful to the stomach in summer because of it's coolnes . . ."

I goes on and covers almost a full page.

 

Besides Fuchs Gerard and other herbals will be helpful and a quick search on LEME (mentioned today in a previous message) gives you tons of useful information.

 

Eduardo

 

 

Date: Mon, 16 Jul 2012 08:45:04 -0700 (PDT)

From: Donna Green <donnaegreen at yahoo.com>

To: sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org

Subject: [Sca-cooks] PIckling

 

Brighid's translation of Nola's recipe for pickled eggplants is very tasty ...

 

120. for Pickled Eggplants

 

You will take small eggplants, and make four quarters as if for casting them in a pot, and cast them in water and salt in something which should be of earthenware and not of iron; and let them be there until the third day; and empty out that water and cast in other water and salt, and let them be [in it] another three days; and empty out this water and cast them into clear water for another three days, and after the three days have passed, cast them to cook, covered with vine leaves; and cast into them a handful of cumin and cook them [until they are] well-cooked; and cast them in a basket, and cover them with cloth; and when all of the vapor has gone, put them on a board to chill; and grind cloves, and cinnamon, and ginger.  When it is very well-ground, cast it in, as they cast salt on the eggplants for the pot; and place them in a jar until it is full; and for a hundred eggplants, take two pounds of honey, and cast very strong vinegar on them, and give it a boil; and then set it to cool in something of earthenware, and not of iron; and when it is cold, cast it on top of the eggplants until they are covered; and put a lid on them, and keep them for a whole year.

 

Juana Isabella

 

 

Date: Tue, 17 Jul 2012 09:21:44 -0500

From: "Terry Decker" <t.d.decker at att.net>

To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] pickling

 

Curiously about the wooden pickling vats, I actually remember seeing some

around 1970 in Wiggins, MS.  There was an old, still operating pickle

factory there.  The vats as I remember them were about five feet high and

seven feet in diameter built like barrels.  They were old then and looked

it.  The factory couldn't compete with newer facilities and went out of

business later in the '70s.  The wood was salvaged from the factory and

showed up on This Old House in the mid-80s.

 

Bear

 

 

Date: Tue, 17 Jul 2012 07:26:37 -0700

From: Susan Fox <selene at earthlink.net>

To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] pickling

 

On 7/16/2012 9:24 PM, Stefan li Rous wrote:

<<<Tannins are desirable in pickling. Keeps the pickles crisp, that's why

we put grape leaves in, right?

 

Selene Colfox >>>

 

We do?

 

Stefan

============

Well, I do.  I learned it from Sandor Ellix Katz in his excellent work,

WILD FERMENTATION, the very primer on pickle and other fermented foods.  

He's rewritten it into a larger version but I have not read that fully yet.

 

Selene

 

 

From: Russ Myrick <russ.l.o.the.bushes at GMAIL.COM>

Subject: Re: [CALONTIR] pickles

Date: July 21, 2013 1:03:33 AM CDT

To: CALONTIR at listserv.unl.edu

 

I just saw a thing about pickled/salted fruits from the Mid-East not to long ago on the LWN channel.

 

Soak fresh citrus fruit (Oranges, Limes, Lemons, Grapefruit, etc.) in fresh, or distilled water, over night.

Cut the fruit into cross sectioned halves, then cut each half, most of the way through, into quarters so that the halves can be laid out into 4 petal stars.

Pack a layer of fruit halves into the bottom of a 1 gallon, or 1/2 gallon, jar. They used clay ones in the beginning of the show, but used glass ones later on, so either should work just fine.

Cover the fruit and any empty spaces with pickling/canning salt.

Repeat until the jar is mostly full (No more than 1 inch below the neck of the jar), the closer to the neck the better.

Make sure the contents are tightly packed.

Cover the contents with at least 1/4 inch of olive oil. They did not completely fill the jars with olive oil.

 

Store in a cool, dry place for a minimum of 6 weeks before consuming/using the contents. This renders the fruit pulp/meat, producing the pickle juice. The rinds will settle to the bottom of the jar, and can be used for snacking, or for cooking later on. The pulp & juice mix is used for drinking, or flavoring.

Be sure to draw off the oil before consuming the juice or rinds.

 

According  to the show's hosts, this method was capable of storing the fruit for up to 10 years without spoilage.

 

 

From: Ségnat ingen Fháeláin <iron.age.celts at GMAIL.COM>

Subject: Re: [CALONTIR] pickles

Date: July 21, 2013 2:49:04 PM CDT

To: CALONTIR at listserv.unl.edu

 

Lacto-fermentation which  uses no vinegar, just a salt and spice brine,   is

the oldest method of pickling cucumbers.     During this process,

lactic-acid bacteria preserve the food by converting carbohydrates present

to acetic acid which preserves the food and accounts for the sour taste.

These bacteria are  health-producing, somewhat akin to the live cultures in

yogurts and things like that.  They aren't toxic like I saw someone mention

earlier.  

 

If you are looking for a pickle juice comparable to modern pickle juice you

don't want to use lacto-fermentation even though that might be more period.

The liquid leftover from the lacto-fermentation process is not the same as

the pickle-juice from modern pickles which is full of vinegar.  It is more

similar to the whey solution leftover when making cheese and it has a lot of

lactic acid in it.  I don't think that it would have  the same health

benefits to the fighters and it certainly doesn’t taste the same.  

 

If you are looking for a source for documentation:  In 1577, Thomas Hyll

detailed a method of vinegar pickling  purslane using verjuice and salt in

The Gardeners Labyrinth.  I should note though that when  it came to

cucumbers and turnips, he still  recommended the salt and water

lacto-fermentation method.     In 1699, you see John Evelyn detailing a

vinegar process for pickling cucumbers  in Acetaria, that starts with Beer

Vinegar which is an interesting thing to make, also.

 

Just as a note, the vinegar you buy in the store now is pretty routinely

distilled.  The raw vinegars like Braggs are the equivalent of what would

have been being used in the Middle Ages.  So you would want to use something

like this  or homemade verjuice or wine vinegar to achieve  period results.

I tried Evelyn's method using the modern vinegar once and it was not as

good.

 

Ségnat

 

 

From: Gary and Virginia Phillips <Faramach at CHARTER.NET>

Subject: Re: [CALONTIR] pickles

Date: July 21, 2013 8:02:03 PM CDT

To: CALONTIR at listserv.unl.edu

 

Your local food safety person chiming in, here:

 

The biggest risk with pickled foods comes from the anaerobic environment, not one in which oxygen gets in.

Clostridium botulinum, the bacterium that causes botulism, grows only in an anaerobic environment.

 

Pickling depends on acids (whether lactic acid from fermentation or added in the form of vinegar [acetic acid] or citric acid or the like) to inhibit the growth of C. botulinum in the anaerobic environment of the jar. As long as your final product pH is below 4.6 at equilibrium (the point at which the acids have thoroughly penetrated all of the foods and the pH is constant throughout the product), C. botulinum cannot grow.

 

Pickling solutions are usually added to the fruits or vegetables hot, to kill any vegetative cells of C. botulinum that might be present on the food. The bacterium is ubiquitous in our environment in soil and other places, and must be assumed to be on the product.

 

Once the vegetative cells have been killed, all that remains are the C. botulinum cells that have formed a protective spore coat. These are inert, but will come out of the spore coat and form vegetative cells, which produce the deadly toxin, if the environment allows. That environment would be warmer than 45 degrees F (5C), anaerobic (like in a jar) and low-acid (above 4.6 pH.)

 

Properly acidified foods will be shelf-stable. Acidified foods in hermetically sealed containers for service or sale to the general public must come from an approved processing plant.

 

I recommend that folks who want to make pickles for service to large groups of people depend on refrigeration for bacterial control, rather than acidification through fermentation or addition of food acids.

 

Botulism is a deadly disease. Incidence is rare, but it is among the most fatal of foodborne illnesses.

 

Let me know if folks need more details.

 

Mistress Gillian Warrender

mka Virginia Phillips, Environmental Public Health Specialist.

 

-----Original Message-----

From: Ségnat ingen Fháeláin

Sent: Sunday, July 21, 2013 11:05 AM

To: CALONTIR at listserv.unl.edu

Subject: Re: [CALONTIR] pickles

 

Fermentation is supposed to occur in an anaerobic environment.  When you use

a method that might allow oxygen into the mix, other bacteria can occur

that are really unhealthy.     In the past they used oil or sometimes made

a paste of flour and water and sealed the tops of the ferments that way,

too.  If you look in  lot of the old still room books there are instructions

on how to do it.

 

I know that this isn't a period practice and it might be frowned upon but

they make fermentation jars for such things now that use jars that seal

tightly and brewers airlocks.  While I am all about learning how they did

things in period,  a lot of people died  from exposure to foodborn bacteria

in the Middle Ages.    Maybe in this case, using the  more modern method to

make your period ingredient, would be prudent.   You could use all the same

ingredients and just put them in one of these jars.

 

I made jars that resemble the Pickl-it jars they sell online by getting

ahold of some of the fido canning jars and drilling 1/2 inch holes in the

lids and  putting a rubber grommet in the hole to insert the airlock into.

 

I have pickled key limes and lemons and they are amazing.  I am sure they

would last for a very long time, if we didn't like them so much.     I just

like to be safe.

 

Ségnat

 

 

From: Jerry Harder <geraldgoodwine at YAHOO.COM>

Subject: [CALONTIR] Pickles and food preserving

Date: July 25, 2013 3:56:26 AM CDT

To: CALONTIR at listserv.unl.edu

 

For those interested in pickles and other food preserving, I recommend getting a good modern book and reading it first.  The one our family uses is:

Stocking Up III

The All New Edition of America's Classic Preserving Guide

by Carol Hupping and the staff of the Rodale Food Center    copy rite 1986

ISBN   0-87857-613-4

 

These books are updated from time to time with the intent to make food processing safer and the food better tasting and retain more of the nutrients.

 

The book I have often takes the time to tell the why of why one process should or should not be used.  Get the latest version you can.  As mentioned in  earlier post  botulism cells can't grow in environments with pH lower than 4.6.  Anything without these acid levels must be pressure canned.  Pressure canning allows for temperatures to be higher that 212 deg F. so that botulism spores can be killed.  Also these books have charts so that different foods are processed for different amounts of time and pressures depending on food density and can size so that essentially a piece of food in the center of the can gets hot enough at its center to be safe.  I have seen instances where home caned tomatoes (an acid fruit that doesn't necessarily need to be pressure canned ) that have been water-bath canned have gone bad.  This spoilage is usually obvious.  One just throws it away.  What is important is that food spoiled by botulism doesn't fizz or stink or taste bad and the toxins produced by it can kill you.  SO:  Get a good book with sound recipes and stick to it.  You can change up the spices, but don't muck with the proportions of vinegar and lemon juice as these are the sources of acid.   Also don't take a water bath canned tomato recipe and add a bunch of something like zucchini to it.  Tomatoes are an acid fruit and zucchini is not so half zucchini would cut the acid in half. You could however pressure can as if it were straight zucchini to error on the safe side.  Lemon juice or citric acid is often added to tomatoes in more modern books as some of the more modern tomato varieties are being bread for lower acid and are unsafe to water bath can without a little extra acid.

 

Now say your a brewer and accidentally made vinegar.  That's ok for flavoring fresh food but don't use it for canning because it's acid content may not be sufficient to work properly in preserving. Use store bought vinegar that is regulated to a specific strength.  Medieval recipes: cross reference with similar modern ones.  Make sure that the quantities of things that keep things safe are maintained. A pH meter might even be a good idea. If you ain't willing and haven't tested it on yourself first, don't test it on your friends!

 

For the brine cured (fermented) pickles the Euell Gibbons Dill crock given in the book uses 3/4 measure salt and 10 measures water and 1/4 cup  cider vinegar to a gallon.

 

Note the salt should be canning salt which does not contain iodide and is a specific grain size.  Sea salt may not contain iodide but is usually larger crystals and has a mixture of various salt types which may through a recipe off.  Use of tested recipes is important till you have a good understanding of what your doing and know how the process should go, taste and so forth.

 

It is my understanding that the salt prevents the growth of many organisms while providing a good environment for lactic acid producing bacteria to grow.  This in turn produces an acid environment that is unfavorable to botulism.  I don't know what effect the salt has if any, specifically on botulism.

 

So how about wine and beer.

 

Beer? can some of you all grainers refresh my memory on what wart wart  and mash pH is?

Mead (honey water mixes) can get has high as 4.2 or 4.3 but is usually lower and wine is usually 3.5 or lower. so no botulism there since pH is well below 4.6

 

<the end>



Formatting copyright © Mark S. Harris (THLord Stefan li Rous).
All other copyrights are property of the original article and message authors.

Comments to the Editor: stefan at florilegium.org