[Sca-cooks] I Tried a Medieval Diet, and also watered wine

[Richenda du Jardin]

Actually, I doubt that most water was boiled before use. Fuel for fires 
was expensive so you didn't use it for something that didn't immediately 
have a use - food, heat, laundry, etc.  In addition, we don't find 
instructions to boil water before using it for parts of recipes - but we 
have accounts of people buying and selling water that was presumably 
potable.

Richenda

On 6/20/2016 10:17 PM, Terry Decker wrote:
> Not all water was equally bad.  Remember the instructions to "take 
> fair water?"  As long as you don't have seriously toxic water, the 
> alcohol in wine should handle much of the bacteria.  And there is the 
> fact that people tend to develop immunity to local bacteria.  I also 
> suspect water was often boiled before use.
>
> That aside, aged wine would tend to oxidize and thicken.  Cutting it 
> with water will thin it, making it less cloying and brighten the 
> taste.  In particular, I'm thinking of the Roman Falernian which was 
> aged in amphorae as much as 20 years.  It was also one of the highest 
> alcohol wines being noted as the only wine that would burn.
>
> Bear
>
>
>
> Beer was safer than water because you had to boil the water to make 
> the beer, which killed a lot of the possible nasties.
>
> But how is watering wine safe?  Is the alcoholic level of wine really 
> high enough to kill off the same possible nasties?
>
> Like small beer, watered wine might prevent you from getting drunk, 
> but would it be safe to drink?
>
> Thanks,
>   Stefan
>
>
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