[Sca-cooks] Jams and Jellies in period

[Carol Eskesen Smith]

Cassia is slightly harsher, with more of what we today would consider "cinnamon" notes.  Real cinnamon has a clove note as well as the "cinnamon" notes, and is milder and, as noted, sweeter.

Regards,
Brekke
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: franiccolo 
  To: Cooks within the SCA 
  Sent: Sunday, May 16, 2004 10:48 AM
  Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Jams and Jellies in period


  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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