[Sca-cooks] "sweetened earth bowl"

[Cindy M. Renfrow]

><snip>
>
>Historically pottery was fired very low temperature, making it very
>pourous.  Honey or pitch was often used to both seal the cups/bowls from
>being pourous, as well as to slightly flavor the contents. Pitch was
>strongly flavored and they would tend to prefer honey for food dishes.
>Also, honey was anti-bacterial-- it would retard mildew and microbial
>growth,. So it would not only seal the vessal, but help prevent mildew,
>etc from forming in the clay from organic residue (like buttermil) that
>would soak into it.
<snip>

Documentation please? I know pitch was used to seal wooden casks and the
hulls of boats, and I have heard of oatmeal being used to seal the seams of
iron cauldrons, but I've never heard of honey being used to seal unglazed
pottery. Probably something to do with it's being water-soluble.

I believe the word "sweet" in this case refers to a very clean and
sweet-smelling vessel, as opposed to one which is foul and sour-smelling.

"Then Tun it up in a strong and sweet cask,"

"then let the tubs, that the honey must be wrought in, be cleansed very
clean with scalding water, so that it may not prove sowre;"

" Observe that your cask be sweet and clean."

"then tun it up in a sweet Cask."

Just my .02 worth.

Cindy