OT, OOP Re: SC - Boiled Peanuts

[Huette von Ahrens]

sca-cooks at ansteorra.org wrote:

 >> Do pomegranates keep long in a 'root cellar' to last into early 
 spring?<< 
 <<<SNIP>>> That's a very protective shell the pomegranite uses. 
 I would question the idea of the 'grain' being the pomegranite seed 
 without its red juice. That part never seems edible, and it doesn't look  pretty, either. 
 Also, the pomegranites would be imported. If the strawberries in the 
 recipe were growing in England, given the source of the recipe, June or  July would make a good guess. Wouldn't that be autumn in North Africa?  I wonder if the pomegranites were ever oiled or waxed to keep them fresh over long journies? >>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Thanks for your good information and thoughts.  My thinking in the seed only hypothesis was that the seeds would 'simulate' strawberry seeds. Also, I have a reference called _Medieval Trade in the Mediterranean World_ that gives a cargo manifest for a ship landing in Naples that has pomegranates from Spain.  the year was late 1400's . . . maybe 1460's.  That would suggest that pomegranates were available fresh in Southern Europe as well as imports.  Just more information to cloud the issue :o)

I agree with you about the seasonal shift south of the equator, though.  Not that there is so much seasonal difference in Northern Africa, but it could explain how the two fruits could be foound fresh concurrently.

niccolo difrancesco