[Northkeep] period fruit

[marc-carlson at utulsa.edu]

Quoting Carl Chipman <cchipman at nomadics.com>:
> Dried fruits do still carry vitamin C, yes?
> Did they carried fresh fruit on voyages or dried fruit?
> I'm curious... they knew how to make jerky and preserve meat...
>>> Cherry/Orange yes if there is some form of trade with the location
>>> with the Asiatic's.
>> Assuming they don't rot on the way.

I have no idea (hey, it happens).  OTOH, could you keep dehydrated fruit dry enough to keep from rotting on a ship (all the water in the air, and all).  They kept the meat from rotting on board by salting the, er, salting it rather extensively -- didn't they?

The problem is that just because something was possible, doesn't mean that it was done.  Conversely, just because we don't know about it, or it doesn't seem very likely, doesn't mean it -wasn't- done.  But we really should be careful with that latter argument.

M/D