ixed Pickled Vegetable Compost: A Compilation Most Ready at Hand (II 1390)

After many years of watching my grandmother can food for my family I took an interest in the history of food preservation, starting somewhere in ancient Egypt where honey was used as a preservative. Preservation has roots in not only food stuffs but burial practice as well, it is also essential in aiding populations in settling down in one area instead of moving around in hunter gatherer or nomadic fashion.1 I began a quest to make delicious preserved delicacies in the style of the 14th century and my personal preferencepickles! The recipe I chose to attempt comes from the Forme of Cury, a compilation of recipes from around 1390 by the master cooks of Richard II.2 Preserving foodstuffs is an ancient art that can be found in the recipes of many medieval manuscripts. It is easy to imagine the importance of items that tasted great and that could be kept for long periods of time. Preserving meat caked in salt, and vegetables and fruits in salt brine was very common. In the text, Food and Drink in Medieval Poland reference is made to pickling cabbage, turnips and other items by adding salt.3 The theory behind using brine to pickle vegetables and fruits can sound very much like a science experiment. Essentially what happens is the following: Adding salt to water and immersing vegetables and fruit in it, prevents organisms (bacteria, mold etc.) from growing. Adding vinegar and in some cases alcohols, such as wine, strengthens the growth inhibiting properties of the brine solution further keeping food from spoiling. (J. T. Etschells 1943). In the 14th century recipe I
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(Shepard 2000) (II 1390) 3 (Maria Dembioska n.d.)

ixed Pickled Vegetable Compost: A Compilation Most Ready at Hand (II 1390)
chose to recreate, two preservatives are used: salt and vinegar brine, and honey. Honey is a component that can also resist and lesson bacteria growth.4 The following is the recipe from the Forme of Cury:

My personal redaction is as follows; some aspects of the recipe I was unable to translate without aid, those parts are underlined with the proper citation as to source. Take roots of parsley, carrots5, and radishes6, scrape them and wash them clean. Take turnips7 and cabbage pare and core. Take an earthen pan with clean water and set it on the fire. Cast all (put all in the pot)8when they both boil cast in pears, parboil them well. Take all these things up and let it cool on a fair cloth. Do thereto salt when it is cold in a vessel. Take vinegar and powder, saffron and do thereto, and let all these things lie then all night or all day, take wine Greek and honey clarified togid (together?), take Lombard mustard, raisin currants al hool? Grind powder of canal (cinnamon) , (Matterer 2000) powder douce and anise whole and fennel seed, take all these thing cast together in a pot of earth and take of it when you need to, and serve. (Matterer 2000) Now to detail the process of creation! As mentioned above the process of preserving food is like performing a science experiment, what with all the reactions and changes the foodstuff and

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(Alcock 2006) (Matterer 2000) 6 (Matterer 2000) 7 (Matterer 2000) 8 (Matterer 2000)

ixed Pickled Vegetable Compost: A Compilation Most Ready at Hand (II 1390)
mixture go through. In general I am a cook who relies on sight, smell, taste and touch to create dishes, however as the reader may wish to recreate this recipe I will be following the portions found in The Medieval Cookbook9 Also, I can only imagine what a trial and error period it must have been for a medieval cook to make sure she had enough of each ingredient to ensure proper preservation. One should note, all vegetables in my compost are organic and local. Because the environment in not that of medieval England, France, or other such location I feel it is impossible to absolutely recreate this dish. After all the very soils and farming methods have changed over the years. So to be as close as possible to the original, I have done what someone living in the past would have, harvested locally. All of the food stuffs used are local items, farmed organically. Some exceptions apply to items I was fortunately able to import from France (wine, mustard, pepper) unfortunately; my garden is yet in season, though I will be attempting this same recipe when it is! Ingredients: 2lbs mixed organic carrots, organic radishes, organic turnips ( I was unable to find parsley root locally, it was the only omitted ingredient) 1lb Organic pears 6 tablespoons salt (sea salt is my preference, ground fine) 1lb head of organic cabbage 1 teaspoon ground organic ginger (Zingiber officinale) teaspoon dried saffron (Crocus sativus) 2 cups fruity white wine vineger 2 oz organic currants 2 cups fruity white wine (French White) 6 tablespoons Kentucky local honey, as clear as possible

(Black 1992)

ixed Pickled Vegetable Compost: A Compilation Most Ready at Hand (II 1390)
1 teaspoon french mustard (French Import) (Brassica Nigra, B.juncea, B.hirta/Sinapis) 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon stick grated fine (Cinnamomum verum) teaspoon organic Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) teaspoon organic Anise (Pimpinella anisum) 1/8 teaspoon black pepper (Imported from Merey sous Montrand, France located in North Eastern France near Dijon) (Piper nigrum) 2 oz white sugar To make mixed pickled vegetables you will first need to clean, wash and cut your vegetables (The carrots, turnips, cabbage, radishes)To leave more vegetable I dont peel the vegetables but use the sharp blade of a knife to remove skins, which I feel is more accurate as the original recipe says to scrape them. I generally cut the differing vegetables into different shapes so they are easily identifiable by the consumer. These vegetables are placed in a pot of water that is then brought to a boil slowly. When the pot reaches full boil toss in the pears. As soon as the pears start to become soft (not mushy which from experience can be quick to happen if a close eye is not kept), about 8 minutes in, remove the pot from the heat. The next step is to strain the water from the vegetables and lay them on a towel or shallow pan where you will cover them with the salt. I have experimented with both the towel and shallow pan and I feel having them in a pan is more efficient because of cleanup, the towels ( I used linen towels) also tends to leave some small fibers behind, which I dont find particularly palatable. I do personally cover the pan with a towel as the vegetables sit out for a long period. At this time sprinkle the ginger and saffron over the vegetables as evenly as you can. This process leaves them spotted with beautiful bright yellow and orange hues. Sprinkle about a half cup of white wine vinegar over the vegetables, cover and leave them for 8-12 hours. After letting them soak rinse the salt away using cool water. Rinse them several times as tasting one that is un-rinsed will reveal an unpalatable and intense salt flavor. You may add the currants to your mixture at this time. Place the combined mix of vegetables into jars or earthen dishes. In my trials an earthen dish with lid will keep the mix clear and not foggy for 1 month, a glass container or jar for up to 3 month

ixed Pickled Vegetable Compost: A Compilation Most Ready at Hand (II 1390)
or longer. For my pickled mix I use a mason jar which can be sealed tightly and allows me to check the mixture for fogginess or bacteria growth, being that many people sample this fare I felt it was the safer way to create this dish. Also, one should note, when pickling/preserving with vinegar it is recommended not to use a glazed or earthenware vessel, stoneware or glass is the best. Earthenware vessels can slowly be dissolved because of the high acid contents found in the brining mixture.10 As you fill your vegetable mixture make sure to leave enough room for your liquid to fully cover them, about an inch and a half of space below the rim of the vessel should be plenty. To make the preserving brine, begin by heating a mixture of wine and honey. You have to make an amount of liquid congruent with the amount of vegetables you intend to pickle and the size of your vessels. In my first attempts I tended to have more vegetables and needed more liquid. When they combine and begin boiling, skim off the skin that forms on the top. Use a wooden spoon to trap the foam and debris that forms by scooping it towards the edge, trying not to remove large amounts of the liquid. This step is very much like clarifying butter. Now, add the remaining vinegar to the simmering honeyed wine. Add the white sugar and cook on a low heat until all the sugar is blended well. When the sugar is dissolved, turn up the heat and get the mixture boiling again. Now pour the hot liquid into your jars covering the vegetables completely. Seal and enjoy. In the text Pleyn Delit it is suggested that this particular mix be served with cold meat.11 I have provided a cooled pork roast as well as loaf of bread for sampling. What started out as an interest in my grandmothers ways turned quickly into one of practicality. No longer are the fighters on my block eating gauche modern pickles to restore their electrolytes, my fancier mixed pickles have become well loved and well eaten in a variety of ways! Please do enjoy!

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(Shepard 2000) (Constance B. Hieatt reprinted 2004)

ixed Pickled Vegetable Compost: A Compilation Most Ready at Hand (II 1390)

First picture shows finished product, second picture shows product before being put into vessel.

Bibliography
Alcock, Joan P. Food in the Ancient World. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2006. Black, Maggie. The Medieval Cook Book. London: British Museum Press, 1992. Constance B. Hieatt, Brenda Hosington, Sharon Butler. Pleyn Delit: Medieval Cookery for Modern Cooks. Toranto, Buffalo, London: University of Toranto Press, reprinted 2004. II, Master-Cooks of King Richard. Forme of Cury. 1390. J. T. Etschells, I. D. Jones, and M. A. Hoffman. Brine Preservation of Vegatables. Raleigh: Department of Horticulure, 1943. Maria Dembioska, William Woys Weaver. Food and Drink in Medieval Poland. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. Matterer, James L. A Boke of Gode Cookery Recipes. 2000. (accessed March 3, 2012). Shepard, Sue. Pickeld , Potted and Canned: The Story of Preserving Food. London: Headline Book Publishing, 2000.

ixed Pickled Vegetable Compost: A Compilation Most Ready at Hand (II 1390)

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