SC - OT-OOP but I gotta RANT!!!

[James F. Johnson]

On Sun, 5 Mar 2000, RANDALL DIAMOND wrote:

> discussion of cranberries (of which a lingonberry is a species) a few
> months ago.  I believe Stefan has put a lot of the posts in the florigieum
> files under fruits? or berries?  I have seen lingonberry preserves available
> ocassionally but never in any other  form in the US.  In answer to your
> specific question, yes, absolutely period.  They have been a food in
> Northern Europe since Neolithic ages.  

Earlier than that. People (hunter-gatherers) followed the Ice and the
animals back north, so it is paleolithic...

> For matters of practicality, I
> suggest you use fresh cranberries and prepare them as you would
> lingonberries.  The main difference is mainly size and the location
> of the plants perferred habitats.  

I have eaten both, even if the cranberries was a few years ago, and the
taste is not the same. Can you find a source for the real thing? 

> This is probably why lingonberry preserves taste
> somewhat different from cranberry sauce.   It was my impression
> that the lingonberries were cooked and served IN the sauce, not
> the sauce made of lingonberry puree so to speak.  I have also
> seem data for just eating meats with fresh uncooked berries as
> well.

Lingonberries have in them something (an acid of some sort, the name of
which escape me at this moment) that means that if you just boil them in
a pot with perhaps a slight amount of water the result will last. You
can even make what is refered to as water-lingonberries ("vattlingon" in
- -- dialectal -- Swedish). This is an extremely simple dish to make:
place lingonberries in a container. Add water to cover. It will last for
years (litterally, I have a bottle on a shelf that is 2-3 years old),
and is not a bad dessert or snack, if a bit tart for some people. No
idea if it is period, though.

If you buy lingonberries in preserved form (e.g. jam) look at the
contents list. Lots of sugar, and often adulterated with other things
(apples are common) to make the berries go further. 

And as to the topic, there isn't more than a few recipies that are
period for viking age scandinavia, and they are all based on
archaeological finds; one or two breads and a porridge made with sheeps
milk and barley. Of course, there are lots of finds of food ingredients,
as well as cooking implements, but so far the elusive "Queen Emmas
Cookbook" has failed to be rediscovered.

/UlfR
 And if anyone asks me if King Canutes wife *actually* published a
cookbook I will do something annoying

- -- 
Par Leijonhufvud                                      parlei at algonet.se
What is a magician but a practicing theorist?  
		-- Obi-Wan Kenobi, 'Return of the Jedi'