SC - Bounced message from Vika

[Michael F. Gunter]

F
Andrea Pionek wrote:
> 	Here are my questions/requests.
> 	Would any of you be willing to share pickled food recipes that fit
> these descriptions or that you know work and go over really well?
> 	Please include with the recipe an approximate shelf life or shelf
> time required before the pickles are worth eating.  I have found several
> recipes but they seem to leave out this most important information.

The following recipe is from Cariadoc's Miscellany on the web, the
"Camping Without a Cooler" article; it's Icelandic, believed to be
13th cen.  I tried it last week for the Laurel vigil of a friend with
an Icelandic persona.  It's, er, pungent, but flavorful.  

As far as going over well, the initial whiff of VINEGAR! seemed to
turn off some people; others avoided it in favor of more recognizable
foodstuffs (like short- bread and dried fruit); but those who actually
tried it seemed to like it.  One can also rinse off the meat (we had a
dunking bowl on the table next to the pot-o-beef) to make the flavor
more mild.

Everything between the "cut here" lines is from: *deep breath*

http://www.best.com/~ddfr/Medieval/Articles/Camping%20without%20a%20cooler.html

My notes are at the bottom.

- ------------cut here-----------
Lord's Salt

(Icelandic p. 215/D1): One shall take cloves and mace, cardamom,
pepper, cinnamon, ginger an equal weight of each except cinnamon, of
which there shall be just as much as of all the others, and as much
baked bread as all that has been said above. And he shall cut it all
together and grind it in strong vinegar; and put it in a cask. That is
their salt and it is good for half a year.

How to Make Use of the Salt Spoken of Above

(Icelandic p. 215/D1): When a man wants to use of this salt, he shall
boil it in a pan over coals without flame. Then he shall take venison
of hart or roe and carefully garnish with fat and roast it. And cut it
up well burned; and when the salt is cold than the meat shall be cut
up therein with a little salt. Then it can lie for three weeks. So a
man may long keep geese, ducks, and other game if he cuts them
thin. This is the best salt the gentry have. [end of original]

1 t cloves
1 T + 2 t cinnamon
1 1/8 t mace
2 T + 2 t breadcrumbs
1/2 T cardamom (measured whole)
2 c strong vinegar
1 3/16 t pepper
1 t salt
1 1/2 t ginger

Grind cardamom and mix all spices together. (This quantity is 2 g of
all spices except the cinnamon, of which there is 10 g; it adds up to
3 1/2 T total.) To use, add 1 t of salt to the spice mixture, the
breadcrumbs and the vinegar, simmer it briefly, cool it, then mix it
in with your meat and close up the container. This quantity will
preserve a 2 c container of cooked, sliced meat or fowl (1 to 1 1/2
lb).

- ---------cut here---------

My notes:

I could only find pre-ground cardamom.  
Didn't have any mace, so substituted allspice.
The meat I used was London broil, which I just left to cook in the crock-pot
  while at work, and then chopped up and threw in the Salt when I got home.
Strong (i.e. above 5% acidity) vinegar cost an arm and a leg for a small
  bottle, so I used half reg. red-wine vinegar and half cider vinegar.
As the recipe says, this is supposed to keep meat for up to three weeks
  unrefrigerated.  I made it on, I think, Sunday, tried a bit Tuesday,
  and served it Saturday.  The flavors were a bit better blended on Sat.,
  I think, but it was perfectly acceptable on Tues.  

Hoping this is of use,

Vika


- -- 
      Victoria Swann * tori at panix.com * http://www.panix.com/~tori
LNH: Lurking Girl * SCA: Vika (Ostgardr) * WB: miri * work: vf at panix.com
   "Commit a little mortal sin, it's good for the soul."  -J. Buffett
     If you spam me, you will be procmailed out of 10,000 mailboxes.

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