[Sca-cooks] Period dutch ovens

[Huette von Ahrens]

Here is something interesting that I found.  See below.

Huette

Because cast iron is comparatively brittle, it is not suitable for purposes where a sharp edge or flexibility is required. It is strong under compression, but not under tension. Cast Iron was first invented in China (see also: Du Shi), and poured into molds to make weapons and figurines. Historically, its earliest uses included cannon and shot. Henry VIII initiated the casting of cannon in England. Soon English iron workers using blast furnaces developed the technique of producing cast iron cannons which while heavier than the prevailing bronze cannons were much cheaper and enabled England to arm her navy better. The ironmasters of the Weald continued producing these until the 1760s, and this was the main function of the iron industry there after the Restoration.

Cast iron pots were made at many English blast furnaces at that period. In 1707, Abraham Darby patented a method of making pots (and kettles) thinner, and hence cheaper than his rivals could. This meant that his Coalbrookdale Furnaces became dominant as suppliers of pots, an activity in which they were joined in the 1720s and 1730s by a small number of other coke-fired blast furnaces.





--- On Wed, 12/9/09, Michael Gunter <countgunthar at hotmail.com> wrote:

> From: Michael Gunter <countgunthar at hotmail.com>
> Subject: [Sca-cooks] Period dutch ovens
> To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
> Date: Wednesday, December 9, 2009, 12:54 PM
> 
> > BTW I have been told "Dutch ovens are not period" I
> can tell those that do not know
> 
> >that cast Dutch ovens with legs have been used since
> 5000 BC by the Chinese and are
> 
> >called "Ding" The Spanish also have used them since
> "the dawn of time" and called them 
> 
> >"marmetta" roughtly translated "tripod pot" meaning
> they had 3 legs forming the tripod in
> 
> >which to put the fire under the pot. 
> 
>  
> 
> Cooking pots similar to our Dutch ovens are ancient. The
> reason modern Dutch ovens
> 
> aren't correct is because they are cast iron, which wasn't
> really perfected until the
> 
> very late 1600's. Earlier cooking pots were usually made
> from clay, tin, steel, bronze,
> 
> etc....
> 
> 
> > Bakus the Crockist of the house Klemend Holdt in the
> Kingdom of Antir
> 
> 
> Yers,
> 
>  
> 
> Gunthar
>     
>         
>           
>   
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