[Sca-cooks] Vinegar Making Instructions - England (or other countries) 1500

[Stefan li Rous]

Eduardo asked:

<<< I am looking for instructions on making vinegar in 1500 England.
Anyone have a source? >>>

Yes. Several manuscript sources are given in this file in the FOOD section of the Florilegium:

vinegar-msg (110K) 12/ 5/09 Vinegar in period. Making vinegar.
http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD/vinegar-msg.html

Here is one message from that file:
=======
Date: Fri, 23 May 2003 23:12:17 -0400
To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org
From: "Cindy M. Renfrow" <cindy at thousandeggs.com>
Subject: RE: [Sca-cooks] Sekanjabin

> I was looking for a period recipe for vinegar yes. I make my own and am
> having problems documenting it.
>
> Elewyiss

This is from my new transcription & translation of Liber cure Cocorum, a
15th c. cookery book in dialect & verse, from Sloane MS 1986. This is 2
recipes in one for making vinegar in a hurry. The first method uses a red
hot poker dunked 9 times in strong vinegar & then in wine to sour the wine.
The second method uses roasted beans, steeped in vinegar, to sour good 
wine.

4.  To make venegur in a nede,
Take a gad of stele, I wot indede;
In strong venegur [th]ou schalt hit fele
ix sythes in venegur, [th]er-of [th]ou rek,
A-bere with [th]e hete hit [th]ou may,
And in goode wyne sleck hit I say;
Hit shalle be venegur, I wot hit wele,
To serue at a tyme at fest or mele.
And rosted benes, [th]at steped hau[e] ben,
Goode wyne schalle turne to venegur bedene.

4.  To make vinegar in a need,
Take a goad of steel, I know indeed;
In strong vinegar you shall it defile
9 times in vinegar, thereof you take care,
[Make] it scream  with the heat you may,
And in good wine slake it I say;
It shall be vinegar, I know it well,
To serve at a time at feast or meal.
And roasted beans, that have been steeped,
Good wine shall turn to vinegar anon.

(Tr. copyright 2003, Cindy Renfrow.)

Cindy
========

At least two other manuscripts are mentioned.

Stefan
--------
THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
   Mark S. Harris           Austin, Texas          StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****