SC - Pickles, Pickles, Pickles

[James L. Matterer]

Andrea Pionek wrote:
> 
> Once again I come to this list with a request.  I am feast steward for the
> May 8 Death and Taxes event in the Shire of Deodar, Calontir.  The setting
> is an English inn approximately middle period.  I am trying to select foods
> that are not only appropriate to the region, but also to the season of the
> year.  I am a novice feast steward, so if the foods do not fit these
> descriptions completely, I will not be too distressed.  I would like to
> serve pickles of various types because they would probably be available in
> the remains of the winter stores, maybe.
>         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.
> 


Compost. Take rote of persel, of pasternak, of 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 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

Pickled Salad. Take parsley, carrots, radishes; scrape and clean them.
Take white radishes & cabbages, pared and cored. Take an earthen pan
with clean water & set it on the fire; and put all these in. When
they've boiled, add pears and parboil well. Take all these things out
and let cool on a clean cloth. Add salt. When cooled, place in a
container; add vinegar, powder, and saffron, and let sit overnight. Take
Greek wine & honey, clarified together; take "lumbarde" mustard and
whole currants, and cinnamon, "powdour douce" & whole anise seed, &
fennel seed. Take all these things and place together in an earthen pot,
and take from it when you need to, and serve.

     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. ground mustard 
     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 on a clean
cloth. Sprinkle on the salt. Let cool, then place in a large dish or
container and add the vinegar, ginger, and saffron. Cover (the cloth
works fine for this) and let stand for several hours or overnight. When
ready, mix the vegetables with the currants and the seeds. Place in a
non-metallic 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. 

The modern recipe is a modified version of the medieval receipt,
containing only the "pasternak" (carrots - from the Latin "pastinaca"),
"caboches" (cabbage), "raisons of courace" (currants), and "peeres"
(pears). The other medieval ingredients are "rote of persel" (parsley
root), "rafens" (radishes), and "rapes" (white turnip).

"Lumbarde" (or "Lumbard") mustard was a mixture of ground mustard seed
mixed with honey, wine, & vinegar. "Pouder douce" was a mild concoction
of ground spices, often containing suger, though not always; in general,
pouder douce usually included cinnamon but not pepper.

Hieatt, Constance B. and Sharon Butler. Curye on Inglysch. New York:
Oxford University Press for The Early English Text Society, 1985.

Huen 
- -- 
A Boke of Gode Cookery
http://www.labs.net/dmccormick/huen.htm
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