[Sca-cooks] serving fresh fruit

Stefan li Rous StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
Thu Sep 2 00:50:54 PDT 2010


Euriol explained:
<<< As to the fruit... Melons are cold & wet by the humoral theory. I thought this
would be very appropriate to the conditions expected at Pennsic (which were,
since the heat index was 100F-110F most days I was there). The berries also
played a role for providing someone with fruit that could not have melon. I
believe that Strawberries are considered cold & dry. >>>

Find evidence for serving fresh, raw fruits and vegetables at medieval foods has been rather difficult to document for various reasons. 

Such items could only be served for a few weeks or months each year, even less for fresh fruit juices. It wasn't that long ago that a question on the serving of fresh fruit or juices would be met with "it wasn't done" or "juices would ferment before they could be used". Folks have dug up evidence of both of these being served, but we still don't have enough evidence to say yes or no for specific cultures and times. 

Fresh fruits and juices would often have come from private gardens and manor stocks, so they don't show up in purchasing records.

Here is what I do have in the Florilegium on the use of fresh fruit and juices. I'm afraid I can't remember if any of this covers Spain.

fresh-juices-msg (8K) 11/17/07 Evidence for fresh fruit juices being used in period for drinking and for cooking.
http://www.florilegium.org/files/BEVERAGES/fresh-juices-msg.html

raw-fruit-vg-msg (18K) 10/23/06 Evidence that raw fruits and vegetables were eaten in period.
http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD/raw-fruit-vg-msg.html

Always looking for further examples or comments, though.

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 ****




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