SC - Pleyn Delit et al-vinegar

[LrdRas@aol.com]

Two things here:  1) "in tyme of yere" seems to refer to "in season" as in the strawberry season so they are fresh and not preserved; 2) "graynys of Pome-garnad" is pomegranate, but it does say 'grains', and may not include the fleshy parts, only the seed itself.  The same word, graynys, is used in reference grains of paradise as well in the same text.

BTW, what was the season for the medieval strain of strawberry? And from whence was it acquired?  Do pomegranates keep long in a 'root cellar' to last into early spring?
niccolo difrancesco

sca-cooks at ansteorra.org wrote:
> > From Harleian MS. 279 - Potage Dyvers 15th century
> 
> Cxxiij. Strawberye. Take Strawberys, & waysshe hem
> in tyme of yere in gode red
> wyne; ...
 plante it with Þe
> graynys of Pome-garnad, & Þan serue it forth.
> 
> Translation
> Take strawberries and wash them in time of year in
> good red wine (a good vintage
> year?); ...
 place pomegranate seeds on it
> and serve it forth.
>...
> Notes
> There were a few difficulties working out this
> recipe, the major problem being
> the phrase "in tyme of yere in gode red wyne." 
...
On the basis of absolutely no knowledge whatsoever: 
any chance that this could refer to a preservation
method?  Something along the lines of "cover them, in
season, with red wine" so that they'll keep until
you've got the pomegranate seeds to sprinkle on top? 
I tend to think of pomegranates as a winter thing and
strawberries as summer (or spring when imported).  
Just a passing thought.
Dana/Ximena
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Dana Huffman