[Sca-cooks] Birch Tree recipes was Tree Saps: Was New World Food

[Johnna Holloway]

There is of course a recipe for Birch Wine that starts out by tapping 
birch trees
in the Tudor Jacobean manuscript A Booke of Sweetmeats as published
in Martha Washington's Booke of Cookery, edited by Karen Hess.
See recipe S257 To Make Birch Wine.
(It turns up quite frequently and is even mentioned as being a product 
of Scotland in Mason and Brown's
Traditional Foods of Britain. They even refer one to a recipe by John 
Evelyn.)
I found that
Birch Wine is also mentioned in Vinetum Britannicum; Or, A Treatise of 
Cider and Other Wines and Drinks ...
 By John Worlidge in the edition from 1691.
Also it's in Hannah Glasse The Art of Cookery and also in Raffald.

I turned up numerous records tonight in terms of mentions in Early 
English printed books. Here are a few:

The 1692 Medicina practica, or, Practical physick  offers this recipe:

 

XXXIV. Brannerus de Calculo commends the fol|lowing Syrup as an 
excel|lent Remedy, leaving no calculous Matter behind in the Kidnies, if 
after Pur|ging, two Spoonfuls of it be taken at a time in the Mor|ning 
Fasting: Take Juice of Speedwell one Pound, Juice of Ground Ivy six 
Ounces, of Purslane three Ounces; mix, and make a Syrup with Ho|ney one 
Pound and a half. Both Helmont and Faber com|mend the Liquor of the 
Birch  -Tree, which we call  Birch   wine, as a Remedy that does not 
only expel the Stone and Gravel, but also prevents the Bleeding thereof.

The 1675 The Accomplish'd lady's delight in preserving calls for birch 
sap here:

36. To take away Spots and Freckles from the Face and Hands.

The Sap that issueth out of a Birch-Tree in great abundance, being 
opened in March or April, and a Glass Receiver set under it to Receive 
it: This cleanseth the Skin Excellently, and maketh it very clear, being 
washed therewith. This Sap will dissolve Pearl, a Secret not known to many.

 

The 1616 Maison rustique, or The countrey farme that Gervase Markham 
worked on says:

Birch tree yeeldeth twigs, which serue to make rods for the punishing of 
theeues withall, as also to make baskets, little maunds, beesomes, and 
couerings for earthen bottles. Of the stocke is made charcoale, seruing 
for the melting of mettall: And of the rinde are made links to giue 
light in the night season: for to such end doe country people vse them. 
The iuice of the leaues mixt amongst the runnet of a Calfe, doth keepe 
cheese from wormes and rottennesse. If you pierce the stock of the 
 Birch-tree, there will come forth a water, which being drunke a long 
time, is of power to breake the stone of the reines and bladder: being 
taken in a gargarisme, it drieth the vlcers of the mouth: and being vsed 
in lotions, it cleanseth and taketh away the filthinesse and infections 
of the skin. Page 661

This  work of course is based on the  work of the French author  
Estienne, Charles, [1504-ca. 1564] so it dates from before 1564.

Hope this helps

Johnnae




Elise Fleming asked:
> The comment was made regarding maple syrup as New World:
>  
>   
>> maple syrup perhaps... but a lot of different trees have sap that i 
>> find hard to believe no one would have tried to do something with. 
>>     
>   Now, let us ask ourselves... Have we ever seen depictions of tapping trees
> in medieval illustrations? Can we recall any mention of using a tree syrup
> for sweetener? Honey, yes. Sugar, yes. Are there any references to
> people doing this as a seasonal job? If using a tree sap for some type of
> syrup or sweetener had been done, would there not be some visual or written
> reference? Can anyone think of any such? That might be a confirmation
> more than extrapolating that if we do it now, it could have been done prior
> to 1600.
>  
> Alys K.
>