[Sca-cooks] Documentation for vinegar

[Robin Carroll-Mann]

-----Original Message-----
From: The Borg <The_Borg1 at comcast.net>
I have a recipe for vinegar. What I need is some way to document my recipe.
Basically I use the put wine in a bottle formerly holding vinegar and set in
the sun. 
[snip]

Elewyiss

_____________________________________________

Okay, here's documentation for this method, taken from a 16th c. Spanish agricultural manual.  A facsimile is online at:
http://alfama.sim.ucm.es/dioscorides/consulta_libro.asp?ref=X533701960

Below I have transcribed and translated the relevant section.  The spelling of the original Spanish is slightly modernized, as I cannot reproduce some of the abbreviations and special characters.  If you want to print out the page from the facsimile, go to the above URL, and type 104 in the little search window labelled "Ir a", and click the arrow to the right of it.


Capi. XXXIII  Del vinagre y de muchas maneras de lo saber hazer

El vinagre se haze de dos maneras.  Una de si mismo que el vino se corronpe y se haze vinagre.  Otro hazen: y desto hemos de dezir, como se ha de hazer, y hemenciar, porque en algunas partes es de tanto precio: y aun mas que el vino y poresso quieren hazer de vino vinagre: y aun si vino no ay, aun se pude hazer de otros materiales: y hazese delas maneras siguentes.  Una es poner el vino al sol en alguna vasija que aya tenido vinagre, y sino lo ponen al sol sea en algun lugar caliente: o cerca del fuego.  Otra es o pasar lo por cascas azedas, o echar un poco de vinagre o vino o agua enlas cascas: y este algunos dias enlas cascas.  Hazese tambien y presto de vino vinagre: callentando bien al fuego unas vergas del hazero y meterlas enel vino y esto se haga muchas vezes y cubran la vasija que no salga aquel calor...

Gabriel Alonso de Herrera
Libro de agricultura que es de la labraça y criança y de muchas otras particularidades del campo
Toledo [Spain], 1551


Chapter XXXIII   

Of vinegar and of many ways to know how to make it

Vinegar is made in two ways.  The first is by itself, when wine spoils and becomes vinegar.  The other is that they make it, and it is of this that we must speak, how one has to make it, and manufacture it, because in some places it is of such value, and even more than wine, and because of this they wish to make vinegar out of wine.  And even if there is no wine, it can be made from other materials: and they make it in the following ways.  One is to put the wine in the sun in a vessel that has contained vinegar, and if they don't put it in the sun it should be in some hot place, or near the fire.  Another is to pass it through sour grapeskins, or to cast a little vinegar or wine or water on the grapeskins: and it should be on the grapeskins for several days.  They also swiftly make vinegar from wine, heating several rods of steel quite well on the fire, and placing them in the wine, and this is done many times, and they cover the vessel so that the heat does not escape...


[The rest of the chapter discusses verjus and other kinds of vinegar, such as rose vinegar, elder-flower vinegar, etc.)  I don't have time to transcribe and translate all of it.  As a point of interest -- after the mention of elder-flower vinegar, the book says that one can use other things which are fragrant and stimulating/warming.  So herb vinegar is quite period, if you choose the right herbs.]

Hope this helps.



Lady Brighid ni Chiarain
Barony of Settmour Swamp, East Kingdom