SC - A Recipe for Lent

[LrdRas@aol.com]

Magistery is a term taken from alchemy.  It may describe the residue of a
percipitation, refer to a concentrated essence, or be a transmuting agent
like the philospher's stone.  The OED records the first recorded appearance
of magistery of pearl in 1602 in F. Hering's Anatomyes.  Magistery alone
appears as early as 1566.

Magistery of pearl might be considered to be all three, but the OED places
it as percipitate of dissolved pearl.  I believe the percipitate will be
calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2), but I'd recommend talking to someone who is a
little more current on chemistry.  The last time I worked out chemical
changes was 30 years ago.

For the benefit of anyone who wishes to work out the chemical reactions, the
pearl is mostly calcium carbonate (CaCO3).  The distilled vinegar is almost
pure acetic acid (CH3COOH).  Oil of tartar is a supersaturated solution of
potassium carbonate (K2CO3), probably dissolved in water (H2O).

I did not find any information about the uses for magistery of pearl.  I
suspect the use is as a medicine or a cosmetic.  

I regret to say, I failed to check out cream of tartar while at the State
Library.

Bear




> > > Is cream of tartar period?
> > >
> > > Luveday
> > >
> > To my knowledge, it was not used in SCA period.  I have a number of
> recipes
> > from the 19th Century, some of them early enough to suggest that it was
> used
> > in the 18th Century.
> > 
> > Cream or tartar (potassium bitartrate), pearl ash (potassium carbonate)
> and
> > baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) were used as chemical leavening agents.
> In
> > combination with pearl ash or baking soda, cream of tartar, being
> acidic,
> > boosts the production of carbon dioxide.  Modern baking powder is a
> blend of
> > starch, baking soda and cream of tartar.
> > 
> > If it were used in period cooking, I would expect to find it used in
> > combination with hartshorn
> > 
> > Bear
> 
> Now I confused (more?). Bear, I thought you said this recently:
> > From:   Decker, Terry D. [SMTP:TerryD at Health.State.OK.US]
> > Sent:   Tuesday, January 06, 1998 3:30 PM
> > To:     'sca-cooks at Ansteorra.ORG'
> > Subject:        RE: SC - FW: "Majistery of Pearl"
> > 
> > >- What is oil of Tartar?
> > >-Margritte
> > 
> > Tartar in this case is probably potassium bitartrate or cream of tartar.
> >  It is used in baking powder, tinning metals, and laxatives.  Oil of
> > tartar is likely cream of tartar dissolved in an oil base.
> > 
> > Bear
> 
> Which was in referance to this original recipe. Perhaps this recipe is not
> in period as I had assumed it was?
> 
> > Date: Tue, 6 Jan 1998 14:53:32 -0500
> > From: Margritte <margritt at mindspring.com>
> > To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
> > Subject: "Majistery of Pearl"
> > 
> > I've been reading through my newly-acquired copies of "A Queen's
> Delight"
> > and came across the following "recipe":
> > 
> > To make a true Majistery of Pearl.
> > Dissolve two or three ounces of fine seed Pearl in distilled Vinegar, &
> > when it is perfectly dissolved, and all taken up, pour the Vinegar into
> a
> > clean glass bason; then drop some few drops of Oyl of Tartar upon it, &
> it
> > will cast down the Pearl into fine Powder, then pour the Vinegar clean
> off
> > softly, then put to the Pearl clear Conduit or Spring water, pour that
> off,
> > and do so often untill the taste of the Vinegar and Tartar be clean
> gone,
> > then dry the powder of Pearl upon warm embers, and keep it for your use.
> > 
> > This is toward the back of the book, in a section entitled "Choice
> Secrets
> > made known", not in the food sections.
> > 
> > - What exactly is a Majistery? What was the pearl dust used for?
> > 
> > - What is oil of Tartar?
> > 
> > - Does anyone know what chemical reaction is taking place here? What is
> it
> > about the oil of tartar that makes the pearl dust precipitate back out
> of
> > the vinegar solution? Is it really still pearl dust at this point, or
> > something entirely different?
> > 
> > Looking forward to using those leftover seed pearls from my last
> embroidery
> > project  :-)
> > 
> > Thanks for the help.
> > 
> > -Margritte
> 
> For those who might be interested in most of the thread of this
> conversation,
> see my pearl-msg file.
> 
> -- 
> Lord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
> 
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