[Sca-cooks] pickled lemons

[Stefan li Rous]

Alban said:
> This question was asked on the Calontir list; forwarded with
> permission, because I thought there are more of you who might
> be able to answer:
>
> ........text begins.......
>
> i have often heard that the Scandinavians made and ate pickled lemons (an
> absolute horrid thing IMO) on long voyages across the sea to prevent Scurvy
> (sp?), ie the lemons provided the vitamin C (i think, possibly others)
> needed to fight of the affliction.
>
> I remember at some event that someone in Calontir made pickled lemons for a
> competition (KA&S maybe) and was wondering if anyone knew/remembered this
> project or the person that did it.
>
>  Ive heard the story of picked lemons to prevent
> Scurvy many times but have never actually followed up on the idea and was
> wondering if anyone knew off the top of there heads if it was true or an
> "urban legend"
>
> .........text ends.......

There are many, many referances and recipes, both period and modern
for pickled lemons in this file in the FOOD section of the Florilegium
from the Romans onward. They are also commonly sold in Middle Eastern
groceries today.
pickled-food-msg  (95K)  5/ 7/01    Medieval pickled food. recipes.
http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD/pickled-foods-msg.html

There is no mention of the pickled lemons being used on long voyages
during our period to prevent scurvy. Most evidence points to the fact
that they did not know that such foods could prevent scurvy until
well past 1600. Scurvy was not a problem for the Vikings if that is
what you meant by Scandinavians. They were not at sea that long.
Scurvy only became a problem when ships began to sail for extended
time periods without making landfall such as the trips of the
East Indian Trading Company.

Well past period, the British started supplying their sailors with
limes, not lemons, specifically to prevent scurvy. This is the
reason that these sailors came to be known as "Limeys".

You can also find out more about limes and lemons in period in
this file in the FOOD-FRUITS section:
fruit-citrus-msg  (45K)  3/26/01    Period citrus fruits. Recipes.
http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD-FRUITS/fruit-citrus-msg.html
--
THLord  Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
Mark S. Harris             Austin, Texas         stefan at texas.net
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****