[Sca-cooks] Fermented/Pickled Food

[Barbara Benson]

> In honor of Roguszys I'm collecting pre1600 recipes for fermented and
> pickled food. Any and all contributions would be appreciated.  My intent is
> to compile them, prepare representitive examples and do a display entry at a
> winter A/S in Trimaris.

Greetings,

I too have been recently pondering pickles and contemplating an A&S
thereof. Pickling is one of those things that have always resided in
my mind as an "Of course" they did it. But on thinking on it I can
bring to mind very few specific instructions on how to go about it.
Now, it is quite amazing what new things can jump out at you when
re-reading (for the bajillionth time) a familiar text with a different
goal in mind. I have not yet began said rereading process, but I will
include below the items that I have, to date, played with in this
area. They all hover around the 1600 date, give or take a decade or
so. (Beginning with the most iffy of provenance - Mme. Fettiplace)

I look forward to seeing what others come up with!

Glad Tidings,
Serena da Riva

To Pickle Mushrooms
Lady Elinor Fettiplace's Receipt Book, 16th century.
Take your Buttons, clean ym with a sponge & put ym in cold water as
you clean ym, then put ym dry in a stewpan & shake a handful of salt
over ym, yn stew ym in their own liquor till they are a little tender;
then strain ym from ye liquor & put ym upon a cloath to dry till they
are quite cold. Make your Pickle before you do your mushrooms, yt may
be quite cold before you put ym in. The Pickle must be made with
White-Wine, White-Pepper, quarter's Nutmeg, a Blade of Mace & a Race
of ginger.
	
16 oz Mushrooms
1 T Kosher Salt
1 1/4 C White Wine
1 t White Pepper
1/4 Nutmeg
1 t Mace
2 thumbnail sized pieces of Fresh Ginger
Wash and dry mushrooms, place in large bowl and toss with salt. Place
into large saucepan and add just enough water to avoid scorching. Cook
covered until tender, stirring occasionally. When done strain out of
juices and allow to cool completely. Combine remaining ingredients in
a saucepan and bring to a low boil. Allow to simmer awhile, then
remove from heat. Allow to cool completely. Place cool mushrooms into
jar and pour cool pickle over them. Keep in refrigerator; it will take
at least a week to meld the flavors. After a week, fish out the ginger
or it will become overpowering.

Preserved Artichokes
>From Eleanor Fettiplace's Receipt Book

TO KEEP HARTICHOCKS ALL THE YEARE first take a gallon of faire water,
& another of the strongest veriuce, & a good handfull of salt, put
them together on the fire & boile them, & scum them cleane, take half
an handfull of fennel, & half a handfull of hyssope cleane washed, &
put into the brine, then throw in the artichocks & scald them, & pluck
them out againe, then let the artichocks & the brine bee throwe cold
before you put them up, then put the bottoms downards & the herbs on
the top, & let brine always cover them. Even so I use the Cowcumbers.
		
8 oz Artichoke Hearts
1 C Water
1 C Verjuice
1 t Fennel Seeds
1 t Dried Hyssop
1/2 T Kosher Salt
		
Combine water, verjuice and salt in a non reactive saucepan. Bring to
boil and add herbs. Boil slightly and add artichokes. Boil for three
minutes and then remove from fire. Remove artichokes from brine and
allow both to cool. After cool place artichokes in a jar and put a
pinch of both herbs on top. Add brine until full and cap. Refrigerate
just to be safe.

Pickled Cowcumbers
Delights for Ladies by Sir Hugh Platt, 1609.
To preserve cowcumbers all the yeere: Take a gallon of faire water and
a pottle of verjuice, and a pint of bay salt, and a handful of greene
fennel or Dill; boile it a little, and when it is cold put it into a
barrel, and then put your cowcumbers into that pickle, and you shall
keep all the yeere.
	
1 Gal Water
4 pints Verjuice
2 C Kosher Salt
1 big handfull chopped Dill
Wash and slice cucumbers. Make pickle and allow to cool completely.
Place cucumbers into a jar and pour in liquid. Keep refrigerated.

Cucummern
Ein New Kochbuch. Marx Rumpolt. 1581, Transcribed by Dr. Thomas
Gloning; Translated by Gwen Catrin von Berlin.

20. Schel die Murcken/ vnd schneidt sie breit vnnd duenn/ mach sie an
mit Oel/ Pfeffer vnd Saltz. Seind sie aber eyngesaltzen/ so seind sie
auch nit boeß/ seind besser als roh/ denn man kans eynsaltzen mit
Fenchel vnd mit Kuemel/ daß man sie vber ein Jar kan behalten. Vnnd am
Rheinstrom nennet man es Cucummern.
20. Peel the Cucumbers/ and cut them broad and thin/ season them with
oil/ pepper and salt. But if they are salt-preserved/ they are also
not bad/ are better than raw/ because one can salt it with Fennel and
with caraway/ that both can be kept over one year. And near the
Rhine-stream one calls it Cucummern.
	
Cucumbers to fill jar
4 T Canning Salt
3 t Fennel Seeds
3 t Caraway Seeds
Oil
Black Pepper
Clean cucumbers. Mix salt, fennel, and caraway with water. Place
cucumbers in glass canning jar and pour brine over. Weight to ensure
that all cucumbers stay below the water. Allow to sit unsealed,
covered with a towel, in a "room temperature" location for two to
three days. Check to see if a scum forms on the top of the water. If
if does, remove with a paper towel or spoon. After they have reached
desired sourness remove weight and seal jar. Keep in the refrigerator
for several weeks before serving, shaking jar occasionally to
distribute seasoning.

On day of service, peel and thinly slice the cucumbers. Dress lightly
with olive oil and a small amount of pepper. Place in a sealed
container and hold in refrigerator for several hours before service.

To Make Pickled Cabbage
Ein Kochbuch aus dem Archiv des Deutschen Ordens, 15th Century.
Transcribed by Dr. Thomas Gloning; Translated by Volker Bach.

31. Wilthu machenn eynngemacht Crautt: so seudt weysse Heuptt und ein
zweythell Sennffs und das dritthell Hoengs und die selbing mach
undereinander mitt Wein und thu darein Koemel und einß des genug und
leg dan des gesotten Kraut darein und [[nnd_Ed.]] gibe es kalt. also
magst auch priesen die Seudt mitt Würczenn und gyb sy hin.
31. If you want to make pickled cabbage Boil white cabbage heads, take
two parts mustard and one part honey, mix them with wine and add
caraway /einß/ (?) it enough, put the boiled cabbage into it and serve
it cold. You can also season the broth and serve it.
		
1 Head Cabbage
1/2 C Yellow Mustard Seeds
1/4 C Wildflower Honey
1 1/8 C Trollinger Wine
1 1/2 T Ground Caraway
		
Cut head of cabbage in quarters and remove core, then cut each quarter
in half. Bring a pot of water to boil and then add cabbage. Boil for
ten minutes, drain well. Measure mustard seeds into a coffee grinder
and process until as fine as desired. Transfer mustard to a food
processor and add honey and caraway. Process mixture until combined
and then add Wine. Combine cabbage and mustard and place in sealed
container. Allow to sit and serve cold. (And frankly, I do not advise
eating it in the first place - unless you have a large number of fans
of Kim - Chee type foods)