[Sca-cooks] Use of fresh juices in period?

[Volker Bach]

>It has been my contention that yes, fresh fruit
juices were drunk in  
>the Middle Ages, but because they won't stay fresh
without  
>refrigeration for very long, that they were fermented
or drunk very  
>quickly. However, I've not got much evidence to back
this viewpoint up.

>So this recipe would be of interest to me, IF the
translation is  
>correct. The recipe might have actually specified a
fermented grape  
>juice and the translation is wrong or the
fermentation might have  
>been assumed.

We have some evidence for fresh juices in cooking -
lemon in the Liber de Coquina, apple in IIRC the
Königsberg MS, and I dimly remember others. Richard
Fletcher also mentions taxes paid by Christian wine
growers to Muslim authorities in the for of
unfermented must, though the purpose is nmot
explained. However, unless we find good evidence for
non-citrus juices being drunk, I am unconvinced for
the simple reason that making fresh juice is a lot of
*work*, compared to cooking out the juice, grinding up
the fruit to a pulp, or just eating it. If you were
going to do it anyway, I could see people drinking
must from the cider, perry or wine presses, but with
the freshness needed I can't envision anyone pressing
fruit fresh so someone can have a litre or two of
drinkable juice. Except as an idiosyncrasy, of course,
if you had the money, why not? 


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