[Sca-cooks] Jams and Jellies in period

[franiccolo]

It is fairly widely held among these parts that canel is basically 'cassia'
(Cassia cinnamomum) of modern spice.  Americans use it as their powdered
'Cinnamon' in grocery stores around the country.  (It's all about
English/Dutch trade around the time of the Revolution).

Synamon would probably been closer to Zeylanicum cinnamomum, or Ceylon
Cinnamon.  It is almost papery, sweeter, a little spicier in its qualities.
English recipes often use Cassia and cinnamon together in the 13th to 15th
centuries from what I have cooked from sources.  I do the same thing myself
since I have learned the differences some years back.  Cinnamon rolls aren't
the same anymore :o)

maestro niccolo difrancesco


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Daniel Phelps" <phelpsd at gate.net>
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
Sent: Sunday, May 16, 2004 10:01 AM
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Jams and Jellies in period


Was written:
>
> >From "A Proper Newe Booke of Cokerye" [circa
> 1557-1558]:

I've translated this line by line as follows:

> ¶. For to make wardens in Conserue.
    For to make pears in a conserve
> Fyrste make the syrope in this wyse,
First make a syrup in this wise
> take a quarte of good romney and putte a
take a quart of good romney and put a
> pynte of claryfyed honey, and a pounde or a
a pint of clarified honey and a pound or a
> halfe of suger, and myngle all those
half pound of sugar, and mingle all those
> together over the fyre, till tyme they
togeather over the fire, until they
> seeth, and then set it to cole. And thys
Seeth (boil?) and then set to cool.  And this
> is a good sirope for manye thinges, and
is a good syrup for many things, and
> wyll be kepte a yere or two. Then take
will keep a year or two.  Then take
> thy warden and scrape cleane awaye the
the pears and scrape away their
> barke, but pare them not, and seeth
peel, but leave them whole and seeth (boil?)
> them in good redde wyne so that they
them in good red wine so that they
> be wel soked and tender, that the wyne be
are well permeated and tender, the wine is
> nere hande soked into them, then take and
permeated in to the pears, then take and
> strayne them throughe a cloth or through
strain the pears through a cloth or through
> a strayner into a vessell, then put to them
a strainer into a vessel, then put over them
> of this syrope aforesayde tyll it be almost
the syrup previously mentioned until the almost
> fylled, and then caste in the pouders, as
full and then put in as powders
> fyne canel, synamon, pouder of gynger
fine canel, cinnamon, powder of ginger
> and such other, and put it in a boxes and
and such other, and put it in boxes and
> kepe it yf thou wylt and make thy
keep it if as you will and make the
> syrope as thou wylt worke in
syrup as you would to work in
> quantyte, as if thou wylt
in quantity so that if you would
> worke twenty wardens
work 20 pears
> or more or lesse as
or more or less
> by experience.
by experience

I've a few questions:

It does not seem as if the syrup is reduced very much but just brought to a
boil?

"good romney"
I think that this is a wine but is it red or white, sweet or dry? What would
be a good modern reasonable substitution?

"fyne canel, synamon, pouder of gynger and such other"
I thought that canel and cinamon were essentially the same spice?  What
other spices might be added?  I can think of clove, nutmeg and/or mace and
cardamon but I'm not sure if cardamon is period.

Daniel
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