SC - An Introduction and a question.

[Philip E Cutone]

The domestroi mentions various ways fruits are preserved/cooked.

It mentions that Jellies may be given to the servents on sundays. (51)

preserve apples, pears, cherries, and berries in brine (63)

(66)it talks also of watermelons, melons, Kuzmin apples (seeming to be the
origin of candied apples, pour honey  syrup over whole apples),
quinces and appls (fermented in a bucket with honey syrup), Mozhaisk
cream (not mashed. soak apples and pears in a blended syrup, without
water. (not sure what they mean)) 

berry candy (66)(bilberries, rasberries, currants, strawberries,
cranberries, "or any other kind of berry". here is a quick rundown of
the instructions:
	Boil and strain through a fine sieve add honey and then steam
	the mixture till VERY thick, stiring so as not to burn. pour
	onto a board. smear the board repeatedly with honey. as
	mixture sets, add a second and third layer and twirl it around
	a tube. dry it opposite the stove.
my quick interpretation:
	cook the berries (use minimal water, or reserve the juice for
	mead/drinking later) Puree them and strain to remove
	seeds.(opt) add honey to your taste.  simmer on very low heat
	till thick. then pour onto a honeyed marble pastry board. 
	let dry a bit (perhaps in oven, not sure if this is good for
	marble) then add a second and third layer, letting set up some
	between layers.  dry in oven on lowest setting. cut as is or
	roll it and then cut it. die of sugar shock.

apple candy(66): about the same as berry candy, but it appears to be left
	"softer" (don't dry out in oven)


just to throw one more point toward butter in period: it talks of
croutons fried in butter(67)

the parenthesized numbers are chapters, for the interested.

please note this was from a very quick browse through.... and typed
rather quickly as well... 

BTW it also mentions that pears and apples may be preserved in syrup
or kvass. (45) 


In Service to never letting the kvass thread die :)
Filip of the Marche