Lemon and Ginger Syrup

Tacuinum Sanitatis: Medieval Horticulture and Health

Drink syrups are an easy way to bring flavor to the feast. They are easily portable and do not require refrigeration. They can also be diluted "to taste". I am uncertain where I found the ginger syrup recipe but would like to give the attribution to the author. If someone knows where this is located, please let me know.

If you are interested in other kinds of drinks that have been served at past events, please consider visiting the following link:

What to Drink? Four Drink Syrups for Recreation Feasts 

Lemon Syrup courtesy of   David Friedman

Take lemon, after peeling its outer skin, press it and take a ratl of juice, and add as much of sugar. Cook it until it takes the form of a syrup. Its advantages are for the heat of bile; it cuts the thirst and binds the bowels. [Translation from the Miscellany:http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/cariadoc/drinks.html]

Ingredients:

1 quart lemon juice
4 1/2 cups sugar

Heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Simmer for about 15 minutes-half an hour. Refrigerate. To use, dilute about 8 to 1 with water.

Ginger Syrup:

Ingredients

Approximately 2/3 cup Ginger
2 1/2 cups water
1 cup lemon juice
4 cups sugar

Peel a big hunk of ginger and mince. (About 2/3 c. per batch) Mix 2.5 cups water with 4 cups sugar. Bring to a boil. Add 1 cup lemon juice and reduce heat. Add several spoonful's of the ginger. Simmer until reduced by 1/6. Add rest of ginger. Simmer until reduced by about 1/3 from start. Cool. Strain & bottle. To use, dilute about 8 to 1 with water.

Note: if you cut the ginger into chunks rather than mincing, you can use the strained out chunks, put them in sugar syrup at the soft ball stage, and roll them in sugar to candy them.

GTOD Vigil Recipe - Kirschen - Cherries Stewed in Wine

Original German (Ein New Kochbuch by Marx Rumpolt)

Kirschen/ die dürr seinn/ seß zu mit halb Wasser unnd halb Wein/ magst sie kalt oder warm geben.

Cherries/ that are dried/ set to (cook? Or soak) with half water and half wine/ (you) may serve them cold or warm.

Recipe:

1 pound frozen cherries
1½ cups red wine
1½ cups water
½ c sugar

Dried cherries are a bit more expensive then the frozen cherries, s I opted to use frozen cherries for this particular recipe.  However, at some point in the future I would like to try this with cherries thtat have been dried. 

To make, simply combine all ingredients in a pot, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until the sauce has reduced and cherries begin to break down.  

Sources: 

Bayerische Staatsbibliothek - Digitale Bibliothek, M. (2022). Rumpolt, Marx: Rumpolt, Marx:Ein new Kochbuch ( 1587) - Digitised Book from the copyright-free holdings of the Bavarian State Library Munich [Germany] 2007-2022 Image-based Similarity Search. Retrieved 20 April 2022, from https://bildsuche.digitale-sammlungen.de/index.html?c=viewer&bandnummer=bsb00090475&pimage=1&v=2p&nav=&l=en

DFG-Viewer: Ein new Kochbuch
"DFG-Viewer: Ein New Kochbuch". Dfg-Viewer.De, 2022, http://dfg-viewer.de/show?tx_dlf%5Bdouble%5D=0&tx_dlf%5Bid%5D=http%3A%2F%2Fdaten.digitale-sammlungen.de%2F~db%2Fmets%2Fbsb00090475_mets.xml&tx_dlf%5Bpage%5D=394&cHash=fe888b8427aa3211b8dbd29c1f6ded66. Accessed 25 Apr 2022.

Finalized Recipe - Eine Sauce aus Sauerkirschen - Sauce of Cherries - Cod Pal Germ 551

Here is another tried and true, well respected recipe that was located in two separate books. The first "Hienach volgt vonn dem kochenn vnd hat gemacht meyster Eberhart ein koch herczog Heinrichs zu Landshut." translated to "Hereafter follows (a text) about cooking,and Master Eberhart, a cook of Duke Henry of Landshut made it".  The second book, "Cod Pal Germ 551".  This is very similar to a cherry pudding recipe that I made often in the past so I find no need to test the recipe in advance.  The methodology is simple, with the exception of keeping it saucier then a pudding, the recipe is the same. 

Here is the finalized recipe that will be part of the "desserts" served in the second course of the 12th Night Feast

Zum ein salsenn von weichselnn zu machen.

Item wiltu machen ein gutte salsenn von weichselnn,
so thue die weichsell in einen hafen vnd
secz die auff ein glut vnd laß sie siedenn vnd
laß dann wider erkaltenn vnd streich sie durch ein
tuch vnd thue sie dann wider in den hafenn vnd
secz sie auff ein glut vnd laß sie wol sieden
vnd rurr sie, piß sie dick wirt, vnd thue dann
honig dar an vnd geribens prot vnd negellein vnd
gut gestu:ep vnd thue sie in ein feßlein. Sie
pleibt dir gut drew oder vier iar.

1 A sauce of tart cherries

If you would make a good sauce of tart cherries, put the cherries into a pot, set it on the embers and let them boil. Cool them, pass them through a cloth, put them into a pot again, set it on the embers again and let them boil well. Stir it until it grows thick and add honey and grated bread and cloves and good spices enough. Put it into a small cask and it stays good for a year etc.

Ingredients

Tart Cherries
Honey
Grated Bread
Cloves
Good Spices - "Common Spice Powder"

Recipe

1 pound cherries
~ 1/4 cup honey
~ 1/4 cup bread crumbs
Pinch of cloves
1- 2 tsp. Good Spices - "Common Spice Powder"

**Pinch of salt for modern taste

I plan on using frozen cherries that have already been cleaned and stoned.  Place these in a pot on the stove and bring to a boil.  As they are frozen they should create their own "juice" but if you are afraid that it may burn add a tablespoon or so of water to get the process started.  Once the cherries have cooked until they are soft, remove them from the fire and allow them to cool.  Place them in a blender and blend, then strain through a sieve back into the pot and set them to boil again.  Add honey, and bread crumbs, pinch of salt and spices until you get the desired thickness.  This sauce can be made ahead of time, heated and served at the event. 

GTOD Vigil Recipe - A delicious marcipan with quinces and almonds - Recipes from Anna Wecker’s Köstlich New Kochbuch (1598)

Marzipan of Quince and Almond

Found in Recipes from Anna Wecker’s Köstlich New Kochbuch (1598) this recipe for a marchpane made with quince sounds divine, and so it must be tested.  I have made marchpanes previously for a 12th Night feast, and was eager to try something a little different for this one. 

Ein köstlich Marcipan von Quitten und Mandeln in hefftigem Durchlauff von schwachem Magen (p. 49)

A delicious marcipan with quinces and almonds for strong diarrhea and weak stomachs Take nice quinces and steam them with quince juice in a tightly closed pot, or if you do it right they can produce the broth themselves (i.e. can be cooked without adding liquid). When they are nicely soft, remove their skin and take the best of their marrow or flesh so that no stone is added to it. Then take finely ground almonds and clean, bolted sugar as much as there are quinces and almonds. Take the half part of this and boil it into a syrup with rosewater or cinnamon water. Add the flesh of the quinces to this and let it dry or roast in a brass pan together. Then stir it well in a dish and the almonds with it, then place it on a clean table, work in the remaining sugar, and when it is like a gingerbread dough (ein teig zu Lebkuchen), shape it as you like, press in moulds, dry it in a baking oven or a stove (roehrofen). The same way, you may make pears or various kinds from pure quince flesh, or make krapfen (filled fried pastries) of this stuff, but do not work it so it becomes too stiff, leave it nicely soft. You can also fill wafers with it (for fritters).

Ingredients

Quince
Ground Almonds
Sugar
Rose or cinnamon water

I will use my previous recipe for Marchpane with the addition of quince paste.  With that thought in mind, I am trying a new method with my quinces.  I have cut three quinces in half and have placed them into a crockpot with enough apple juice to cover the bottom (about 2 ounces), and have set the crock pot on low.  I will allow the quinces to cook until they are soft. The idea to cook the quince in a crockpot came from a blog post I had found from well fed, flat broke "crock pot membrillo".

NOTE: I did not add sugar at this point because I want to follow the recipe as exactly as possible and I amnot making quince paste.  If this does not work as expected to cook the quinces to a pulp that can be put into marchpane, then it will become quince paste ;-) it will not be wasted. 

let the experimentation begin!

A short while later....

Quinces smell very good and are starting to soften but all of the apple juice has been absorbed or cooked off :-/ added more juice and water to come about halfway up the fruit--some of them were getting a bit brown. Still cooking on low and planning on continuing to do so for several more hours.

DAY 2

Pictured below are the lovely cooked quinces.  They cooked in the slow cooker for about six hours yesterday and are just now starting to get a reddish color.  Curiosity is prompting me to clean them of their skin and cores and return them to the crock pot for a bit longer.   I must have done it right, because the pot is full of "juice".  There is more there then what I put in yesterday and the fruit is nearly covered with it.  My next step is to remove seeds and cores, remove skins and remove most of the juice, return the fruit to the crock pot and continue to cook it.  There will not be any additional  sugar added to the fruit. 

Also, a small correction from yesterday--it was fresh pressed cloudy apple cider that was added yesterday--not apple juice.  It's the only "apple juice" I drink--sorry for the confusion for those who are following along.  Aren't they lovely?? Heavy,  glossy, and starting to break down!?

Day Three-- Complete!!

Today I finished the marzipan and ohmygoodness! It is delicious!.  The quinces cooked down to a beautiful maroon color which is offset by the almond flour. 

Finalized Recipe

3 tbsp. quince 

3/4 cup + almond flour

9 tbps. + confectioner sugar

Mix all ingrediants together until you get a dough that is similar to medieval gingerbread.  Mix two tbsp. almond flour with 1-2 tbsp. confectioner sugar and sprinkle it on your countertop.  Roll to approximately 1/4" and cut into shapes.  Allow to dry in a very low oven. 

As you can see I tried to decorate with edible gold stars but they do not show up well on the dough. I wish I could have gotten a better picture of it for you, it is a lovely orangy-pink in color and probably does not need any further decoration.  It is a lovely taste! You taste the quince, then the almonds, and towards the end of the bite, the flavors mix together and it tastes -almost- like cherries.  This is a go for FEAST!

To make a Peasecod Dish, in a Puff Paste, Two Ways, The Accomplisht Cook, Robert May

To Make a Peasecod Dish in Puff Paste, Two Ways

Take a pound of almonds, and a quarter of a pound of sugar, beat the almonds finely to a paste with some rose-water, then beat the sugar amongst them, mingle some sweet butter with it, and make this stuff up in puff paste like peasecods, bake them upon papers, and being baked, ice it with rose-water, butter, and fine sugar.

In this fashion you may make peasecod stuff of preserved quinces, pippins, pears, or preserved plums in puff paste.

For the Almond Filling

1 1/2 cups almond flour
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. rosewater
1/4 cup butter

Mix together all the ingredients , cover and set aside until needed. When ready to cook, place filling into puff paste, shape like a peas cod and bake until browned.

For the Icing:

2 cups powdered sugar
2 tbsp. rosewater (or to taste)
1 tbsp. butter
Water

Mix together butter and sugar, add rosewater. Add additional water until you get the desired consistency. Drizzle over peascods or serve on the side.

For the fruit filling:

To make a slic’t Tart of Quinces, Wardens, Pears, Pippins, in slices raw of divers Compounds.The foresaid fruits being finely pared, and slic’t in very thine slices; season them with beaten cinamon, and candied citron minced, candied orange, or both, or raw orange peel, raw lemon peel, fennil-seed, or caraway-seed or without any of these compounds or spices, but the fruits alone one amongst the other; put to ten pippins six quinces, six wardens, eight pears, and two pound of sugar; close it up, bake it; and ice it as the former tarts.

Thus you may also bake it in patty-pan, or dish, with cold butter paste.

For the Fruit Filling

4 apples
3 quinces
3 cooking pears (wardens)
4 pears
2 cups of sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
Opt. Candied citron or orange peel

Peel, core and slice your fruit thinly, mix it with the sugar and spices (note you may want to add a tablespoonful of flour to the mixture to thicken it as it cooks). Arrange the fruit in the pastry and close it. Bake at 375 degrees until fruit is tender and crust is browned. Let cool before serving.

Puff Paste, the Third Way

Break two eggs into three pints of flour, make it with cold water and roul it out pretty thick and square, then take so much butter as paste, lay it in ranks, and divide your butter in five pieces, that you may lay it on at five several times, roul your paste very broad, and stick one part of the butter in little pieces all over your paste, then throw a handful of flour slightly on, fold up your paste and beat it with a rowling-pin, so roul it out again, thus do five times, and make it up.

Puff Paste

6 cups flour
2 eggs
1 pound of butter, frozen
1 tsp.
Ice Water

Put your flour and salt into a bowl, and add eggs, add water until it becomes a dough. Roll your pastry dough out till it is about ¼” thick.

Grate 1 stick of butter and strew it over your dough. Fold the dough into thirds and roll it out again. You will need to work quickly so the dough does not get too warm. Continue to do this until all of the butter has been incorporated into the dough. Being sure to fold it and roll it up at least five times. Refrigerate overnight.

To Pickle Grapes The whole Body of Cookery Dissected, William Rabisha

 

To Pickle Grapes

Let not your grapes be fully ripe; their pickle is white wine and sugar

Interpreted Recipe  

Pickled Grapes

2 pounds seedless grapes
1 1/2  cups water
2 cups white wine
½ tsp salt
1 cup sugar (or to taste)

Make syrup by combining sugar and water together and simmering until dissolved. Let cool.

Wash and dry the grapes, cutting into small bundles of grapes and removing bad grapes. Place grapes into sterilized jars filling them about ¾ full.

Add wine to syrup and fill each jar with liquid. Additional spices can be added at this point. Leave to steep, shaking jars once or twice a week.

Similar Recipe From Accomplish't Cook

To pickle Capers, Gooseberries, Barberries, red and white Currans. Pick them and put them in the juyce of crab-cherries, grape-verjuyce, or other verjuyce, and then barel them up.

Interpreted Recipe

2 pounds seedless grapes

2 cups verjuice (or apple cider vinegar)

1/2 cup water

*opt for modern taste  up to 2 cups sugar  

Wash grapes, and cut into small bunches. Combine verjuice, water and sugar and bring to a boil, put grapes into a clean and sterilized jar and pour the hot verjuice over them. Let sit until cool.  Allow to marinate at least 24 hours, but longer is better. 

Baronial 12th Night - Spiced apples and pears Chiquart's 'On Cookery’, 1420

                                    

Spiced apples and pears Chiquart's 'On Cookery’, 1420 Again, pears cooked without coals or water: to instruct the person who will be cooking them, he should get a good new earthenware pot, then get the number of pears he will be wanting to cook and put them into that pot; when they are in it, stop it up with clean little sticks of wood in such a way that when the pot is upside down on the hot coals it does not touch them at all; then turn it upside down on the hot coals and keep it covered over with coals and leave it to cook for an hour or more. Then uncover them and check whether they have cooked enough, and leave them there until they are cooked enough. When they are cooked, put them out into fine silver dishes; then they are borne to the sick person. Chiquart's 'On Cookery, 1420

Spiced apples and pears

Approximately 2 pound apples and pears
¼ cup sugar (I used brown)
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp. anise seeds (opt)
1/4 cup water

Peel and core your fruit and slice into even slices. Mix well with spices and sugars and place into a baking dish. Add water and bake in a 400 degree oven until tender. Alternatively, you can place in a crockpot and cook on low overnight.

Baronial 12th Night - Cheese & Nuts

Cheese & Nuts 

While researching dietary theory, specifically 15th century England, and brainstorming ways that the theory could be applied to modern day feasts specifically for SCA events, I learned that it was customary to serve later in the meal ripened or hardened cheeses (especially after meat) and nuts (after fish). Since I had served both at this event, I put together a "dessert" plate of cheeses, dried fruits and nuts.

For the nuts I used a mixture of walnut, almond, hazel and pistachio nuts. The cheeses included mild cheddar in slices, white cheddar curds, gouda, blue cheese and brie. I also added dried fruit to the tray including raisins and currants mixed together, dried cherries, dried apricots, dates and figs.

Of the Quince it's Nature and Virtues and How To Make Chardequince

What is Quince? The quince is a member of the Rosaceae family, which also includes apples, pears, apricots, plums and roses. It is one of the earliest known cultivated fruits and appears in many medieval recipes.

Recipes for quince can be found as early as the first century. Dioscorides suggests that quinces which have been peeled and have had their pips removed should be placed into a container as tightly as possible. The container should then be filled with honey and allowed to sit. After approximately a year the fruit will become soft. This was called melomeli, or apple in honey (Wilson, 1985).

The Greeks referred to quinces as Cydonian Apples. In the fourth century, recipes for cidonitum appear. To make this thick spiced jellyish preserve quinces are either peeled and boiled in honey, seasoned with ginger and pepper or they are boiled in a mixture of vinegar and the aforementioned spices and then cooked to the consistency of honey (Wilson, 1985). It is most likely these earliest forms of preserved quinces that became the Elizabethan Chardequynce.

Also loke ye haue in all seasons butter, chese, apples, peres,notes, plommes, grapes, dates, fygges, & raysyns, compost, grene ginger and chardequynce (Furnivall, 1868).

Excerpt from: A nievve herball, or historie of plantes wherin is contayned the vvhole discourse and perfect description of all sortes of herbes and plantes: their diuers [and] sundry kindes: their straunge figures, fashions, and shapes: their names, natures, operations, and vertues: and that not onely of those whiche are here growyng in this our countrie of Englande, but of all others also of forrayne realmes, commonly vsed in physicke. First set foorth in the Doutche or Almaigne tongue, by that learned D. Rembert Dodoens, physition to the Emperour: and nowe first translated out of French into English, by Henry Lyte Esquyer.

Of the Quince tree. Chap. xxxix.

¶ The Kyndes.

THere be two sortes of Quinces: ye one is rounde & called the Apple Quince : the other is greater, and fashioned lyke a Peare, and is called the Peare Quince.

❀ The Description.

THE Quince tree neuer groweth very high, but it bringeth foorth many brāches as other trees do. The leaues be roundishe, greene vppon the vpper side, and white and soft vnder, the rest of the proportion, is lyke to the leaues of the common Apple tree. The flower changeth vpon purple mixed with white: after the flowers cōmeth the fruite of a pleasant smel, in proportion somtimes rounde as an Apple thruste togither, and sometimes long lyke a Peare, with cer∣tayne embowed or swellyng diuisions, somewhat resembing the fashion of a gar∣lyke head, and when the hearie cotton or downe is rubbed of, they appeare as yel∣low as golde. In the middest of the fruite is the seede or kernelles lyke to other Apples.

❀ The Place.

Quince trees are planted in gardens, and they loue shadowy moyst places.

❀ The Tyme.

The Quince is ripe in September and October.

❀ The Names.

The Quince tree is called in Greeke κυδώνι (kythoni or kydoni): in Latine, Malus cotonea: in high Douche Quittenbaum, oder Kuttenbaum: in base Almaigne, Queap∣pelboom: in Frenche, Coingnaciere.

The fruite is called in Greeke κυδώνι (kythoni or kydoni): in Latine, Malum Cotoneum: in Shoppes, Cytonium: in Frenche, Coing: in high Douch, Quitten opffel, and Kutten opffel: in base Almaigne, Queappel: in English, a Quince , & an Apple, or Peare Quince.

Some call the rounde fruite, Poma Citonia: in Englishe, Apples Quinces: in Frenche, Pomme de Coing or Coing in base Almaigne, Queappelen.

The other fruite whiche hath the likenes of a Peare, Galen calleth Struthia: and it is called in Englishe, the Peare Quince : in Frenche, Pomme de Coing, Coignasse: in base Almaigne, Quepeeren, of some Pyra Cytonia.

❀ The Nature.

The Quince is colde in the first degree, and drie in the second, and astringent or binding.

❀ The Vertues.

The Quince stoppeth the laske or common fluxe of the belly, the Dysenterie, & all fluxes of blood, and is good against the spitting of blood, especially when it is rawe: for when it is either boyled or rosted, it stoppeth not so muche, but it is than fitter to be eaten, and more pleasant to the taste.

The woman with childe that eateth of Quinces oftentimes, either in meate or otherwayes, shal bring foorth wise children of good vnderstanding, as Simeon Sethy writeth.

The Codignac, or Marmelade made with honie (as it was wonte to be made in times past) or with sugar, as they vse to make it nowe a dayes, is very good and profitable for the stomacke to strengthen the same, and to retaine and keepe the meates in the same, vntill they be perfectly digested.

Being taken before meate, it stoppeth the laske: and after meate it loseth the belly, and closeth the mouth of the stomacke so fast, that no vapours can come foorth, nor ascende vp to the brayne: also it cureth the headache springing of suche vapours.

The decoction or broth of Quinces, hath the lyke vertue, and stoppeth the belly and all fluxe of blood, with the violent running foorth of womens sicke∣nesse.

With the same they vse to bathe the loose fundement, and falling downe of the mother, to make them returne into their natural places.

They do very profitably mixe them with emplaysters, that be made to stop the laske and vomiting. They be also layde vpon the inflammations, and hoate swellinges of the breastes and other partes.

The downe or heare Cotton that is founde vppon the Quinces, sodden in wine, and layde therevnto healeth Carbuncles, as Plinie writeth.

The oyle of Quinces stayeth vomitinges, gripings in the belly or stomacke with the casting vp of blood, if the stomacke be annoynted therewith.

The flowers of the Quince tree do stoppe the fluxe of the belly, the spetting of blood, and the menstruall flowers. To conclude, it hath the same vertue as the Quinces them selues.

Chardequince – Take quinces and divide in four pieces with a knife, and take the flesh separated from the pips and boil it in a pan with clear water until it is very soft, then remove from the fire and strain through the middle of a strainer or sieve; and if there are 8 pounds of flesh, add 6 pounds of clarified honey, and put it over the fire and let it boil stirring continuously until it is completely cooked, and test it in this way: take a knife, and take some of the mixture on the point of the knife and let it cool, if it is stiff, then it is cooked enough. Then remove from the fire and stir well until it begins to turn white; then add two pounds of eringo powder (Eryngium maritimum, Sea Holly. "A “venereal” plant, “hot and moist” in character. Served Candied and in Marmalades), 3 ounces of ginger, very finely chopped, and 6 ounces of ground ginger, and put all this combined into boxes and keep until needed.

And this way you can make Chardewardon (pear paste), Chardecrab (crab apple paste) and Chardedate, but the dates shall be ground in a mortar and not cooked, and the honey shall be cooked until it sticks hard between the fingers, and then put in the dates, and if you want to prepare it with sugar, put to one pound of pulp 2 pounds of clarified sugar, 2 ounces of spices as stated above, except that you do not put in eringo powder (Hieatt, C. B. (2013). The Culinary Recipes of Medieval England. Blackawton, Totnes, Devon: Prospect Books.)

Recipe

Ingredients

1 Pound Quince - cut in quarters, pared and seeds removed

12 Ounces Honey (Note: Sugar can be substituted. If you are using honey, make sure stabilizers have not been added)

1/4 pound Eringo Powder(opt. I cannot find it in my area)

2 1/4 tsp. Ginger Chopped

1 1/2 tbsp. Ground Ginger

Place quince in a pot and add enough water to cover quince and bring to a simmer. Cook until fruit is very soft and easy to mash. Strain fruit (Water can be saved along with peels and seeds to make quince jelly), and either mash with a potato masher or place in a blender, and process until smooth. Strain through a strainer and add the honey and cook over low heat, stirring often until the paste has thickened to the point a spoon run through it leaves a furrough behind. This can take up to forty-five minutes.

Remove from fire and stir until the past begins to cool and lightens in color (Note: I usually skip this step). Add Eringo, chopped ginger and ground ginger, mix thoroughly, and pour the quince paste into a parchment lined pan and allow to dry. Full flavor should be developed in 3-4 weeks.

To serve, turn paste out onto a board and slice. Can be stored in a cool, dry location pretty much forever.