[Sca-cooks] period sugars and sweeteners

[Stefan li Rous]

Nichola (sounding a bit like someone else on this list) asked several

questions:

> Would Brown Rice Syrup be period?

Not that I've seen any mention of. I suspect, that like sugar beets, the
extraction of sugar from rice requires fairly intricate industrial
processes which weren't known nor developed by 1600 CE. The extraction
of sugar from sugar beets was not known until the 18th century and really
didn't get started until the French under Napoleon got themselves blockaded
from the regular sugar supplies and needed it.

>I know that Corn Syrup isn't as it is
> (I think I am right here....) a New World Food.

Correct. As well as needing processes not known then.


> But Brown Rice was around and thus I would think Brown Rice Syrup would
> be possible.  If it wasn't around then what would they have used for a
> clearish syrup? Just not sure of documentation...

honey and sugar syrup. Depending upon the century, sugar was available
just often very expensive. It's availabilty also depended upon what
region you are speaking of.

> For that matter would
> the Sugar used back in period be closer to Turbinado Sugar (or for those
> who like commercial names "Sugar in the Raw").  I mean they didn't
> bleach it like they do now did they?

Yes, they did. However, since it was worth a lot more the whiter it was,
it often was purified before shipping. Shipping was a big part of the
cost, so why buy the cheap stuff such as the molasses and ship that. Or
ship unpurified sugar and then extract the molasses from that. I don't
think we see the importation of molasses until the sugar glut occurred
past 1600.
As to what modern sugars come closest to period sugars, we've had
innumerable discussions on this. I'm not sure there is a definative
answer. In some cases it depends upon what is available in your area.
For more info, see these files in the FOOD-SWEETS section of the
Florilegium:
sugar-msg        (107K)  6/13/01    Sugar and other medieval sweeteners.
http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD-SWEETS/sugar-msg.html
sugar-sources-msg (16K)  6/13/01    Modern sugar sources. Sugar types.
http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD-SWEETS/sugar-sources-msg.html

Some other files which might also be of interest:
Roses-a-Sugar-art (21K)  7/15/98    "Divers Pretty Things Made Of Roses &
Sugar" by Mistress Renata Kestryl of Highwynds.
Sgr-a-Cnftns-art  (20K) 12/26/00    "Of Sugar and Confections" by Alys
                                        Katharine, O.L., O.P. (Elise Fleming).
suckets-msg        (7K)  4/ 1/02    Spices, fruit or fruit peel in a sugar syrup
Sugar-Icing-art   (36K) 11/10/01    "Sugar Icing" by Johnnae llyn Lewis. Some
                                        notes on sugar icing in late period.
Sugarplums-art    (19K)  7/15/98    "Visions of Sugarplums" by Mistress
                                        Renata Kestryl of Highwynds.


> Same question with rice as well?
> How about fruits to sweeten things?  Did they have the ability to either
> extract the sugar from Fruit (Thus Fructose) or did they just use the
> fruit or juices if they used it at all?

The problem with using fruit juices is the same reason you don't see
much drinking of fresh fruit juices in period. They don't stay fresh
very long. Very quickly they start fermenting. Thus you see alcoholic apple
cider, not apple juice.

Unfortunately it is very difficult to find good tasting, non sugar,
non-alcoholic period beverages.

You do see reduced (boiled down) wine being used as a sweetener.


> I mean the one sweeting fruit that I know is Pineapple but I can't tell
> you if it is period or not... I have always assumed NOT but have never
> researched it.
Pineapple was one of the New World items that was very quickly adopted.

Off the top of my head I can't remember if this was before or just
after 1600 CE. Check this file:

pineapples-msg    (12K)  5/21/02    Pineapples and their introduction to Europe.

http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD-FRUITS/pineapples-msg.html
--
THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
    Mark S. Harris            Austin, Texas         StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****