SC - Turnsole?

[Cindy Renfrow]

Hello Alys!  Sorry for delay in replying - been busy.  See my other post
regarding turnsole.

Cindy

>Greetings!  I was hoping that Cindy Renfrow would toss in the material
>from the article on period food colors we have been struggling with.
>Here are my pre-Cindy-contribution notes.  Turnsole might actually
>refer to several plants.  Take your pick!
>
> Heliotrope.  This would be the French flower, not the modern one
>according to one SCA cook. I have not found a period reference except
>by the name "turnsole".  See the next entry.
>
> Turnsole.  See _Du Fait de Cuisine_.  It recommends a good deal of
>turnsole and soak it in milk.  _The French Cook_ by Varenne (1653)
>mentions turnsole grated in water with a little powder of Iris.
>Turnsole must be used with an alkali to produce blue rather than red.
>
>Alkanet and orchil.  See Scully's _The Viandier of Taillevent_ and
>_Forme of Cury_.  Alkanet's color isn't as pronounced as orchil.
>Prescott's version of Taillevent calls "orchil" as "turnsole".  _Du
>Fait de Cuisine_ says to clarify oil, add lots of alkanet, boil well
>and not much; strain it.  Scully in _Chiquart's 'On Cookery'_
>identifies orchil as a lichen, "Gozophora (sic) tinctoria" which
>changes color:  red with acids, blue with alkalies.  Chiquart also
>calls orchil "tornesaut" or "tornesautz."  See "turnsole" below and
>note similarity of scientific plant name.  Chemist: Alkanet is also
>"anchusa tinctoria L." in Brunello's book.  It is also listed as
>"alkanna tinctoria" and used for coloring wines, cosmetics,
>confectionery.  Orchil is a name for a French dye derived from lichens
>"ochrolechia tartarea L." and "lecanoraceae"; used as a coloring agent
>for syrups and  elixirs; listed in Merck index.  The chemist continues
>that turnsole is listed by Thompson as "crozophora tinctoria"; it is
>red with an acid; violet with a neutral substance; blue with an alkali
>
>Aly7s Katharine, always glad to muddy the waters!
>
>
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