Title: peaches-msg
Subject: Medieval peaches and peach recipes.
Author: Edited by Mark S. Harris
Last saved by: Mark S. Harris
Keywords: fruit, peach, pit, recipe, history, cook, pie

peaches-msg - 11/7/15

Medieval peaches and peach recipes.

NOTE: See also the files: fruits-msg, apples-msg, berries-msg, grapes-msg, plums-msg, strawberries-msg, cherries-msg, figs-msg, fruit-pears-msg, fruit-quinces-msg.

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This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org

I have done a limited amount of editing. Messages having to do with separate topics were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the message IDs were removed to save space and remove clutter.

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    Mark S. Harris                  AKA:  THLord Stefan li Rous
                                          Stefan at florilegium.org
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From: Gretchen M Beck <grm+ at andrew.cmu.edu>
Date: Fri,  6 Jun 1997 10:35:45 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: SC - Period Recipes

Excerpts from internet.listserv.sca-cooks: 5-Jun-97 Re: SC - Period
Recipes by rebecca tants at servtech.c 
> Just a thought - I can't imagine there not being something like this
> somewhere in all of period cooking.  Aluminum foil is out, but what
> else might have been used.  (My mind went straight to mexican and 
> american indian cooking in corn husks and mediterranian cooking in
> grape leaves, btu I'm at a consulting job in another state and won't
> see my cookbooks again until at LEAST Sunday...)

In the Fruit, Herbs and Vegetables of Italy, Castelvetro mentions
roasting peaches in the coals wrapped in damp paper--"Some people eat
peaches cooked, wrapped in damp paper, and roasted in the ashes--These
really are very nice".

toodles, margaret 

Date: Fri, 12 Dec 1997 08:55:07 -0600
From: "Decker, Terry D." <TerryD at Health.State.OK.US>
Subject: RE: SC - A bit bland...

Peaches (Prunis persica) were being cultivated in China before 500 B.C.
They were traded into the Middle East after Jang Qian's diplomatic
mission (to find allies against the Huns) into Central Asia in 140 B.C.
In 65 B.C., Pompey had peaches transplanted to Rome from Persia.
Apparently, peaches spread with the Roman advance to everywhere they
could be grown in Europe.

In 1513 C.E., the Spanish planted peaches in Florida and in 1618 C.E.,
English gardeners were warned not to prune peaches in England's cold
climate.

So, I would say peaches were available and eaten in much of Europe
during period.

Bear

Date: Sun, 10 May 1998 22:24:04 +1000
From: "Glenda Robinson" <glendar at compassnet.com.au>
Subject: SC - Roman world - Apricots or Peaches

Niccolo wrote:
> I'm not aware of any sources I have of peaches, but Apicius has
> apricots in the ancient Roman cuisine.  That should mean they came up
> north at some point thereafter, at least in dried form.  No certianty,
> but those Romans shared their cultures with so many others that you
> never can tell which way stuff went.  Then there is the Hansiatic
> trade league shooting all over the north European trade ways......they
> proliferated many foodstuffs as well.  Apricots would be a great taste
> idea to go with a semi dry mead of final gravity around 1.035-1.040.

The way my version of Apicius reads is that they had peaches in ancient Rome
and not apricots (checked the latin recipe name with the dictionary -
there's no mistranslation).

There is also an extant fresco from Pompeii with peaches (p 104 - Still Life
with Peaches - Pompeii - Lessing/Varone 1996 ISBN 2-87939-007-9) this book
also has a lot of mosaics with fruit. Some of these fruits are easily
identifiable, and others aren't. Some could possibly be apricots, but are
not clear enough to positively identify. These yellow fruits are also much
bigger (by comparison with other fruits in the same fresco) than the
apricots we now get, so are unlikely to be them.

That's not to say that this proves the Romans didn't have Apricots, but does
prove they did have peaches.

Glenda.

Date: Sun, 10 May 1998 09:23:16 -0500
From: "Decker, Terry D." <TerryD at Health.State.OK.US>
Subject: RE: SC - Roman world - Apricots or Peaches

> The way my version of Apicius reads is that they had peaches in ancient Rome
> and not apricots (checked the latin recipe name with the dictionary -
> there's no mistranslation).
>
> Glenda Robinson

According to Trager's The Food Chronology, about 140 B.C. apricots and
peaches were brought out of China into the Near East.  About 65 B.C., Pompey
introduced apricots, peaches and plums into the Roman orchards.

The source is a questionable, but it gives a starting point for finding
meatier information.

Bear

Date: Mon, 11 May 1998 11:59:44 -0700
From: david friedman <ddfr at best.com>
Subject: SC - Peaches in Northen Europe

Brokk asked about peaches in Scandinavia or northern Europe.

C. Anne Wilson, in Food and Drink in Britain, mentions peaches being
planted in the royal gardens at Westminster in the 13th c.  It sounds from
the context as if they might have been somewhat unusual in England at that
time.  By the end of our period (actually, 1629) someone in England listed
22 varieties of peaches.  I don't have any information for Scandinavia,
though.

Elizabeth/Betty Cook

Date: Sun, 4 Feb 2001 10:59:02 -0500
From: rcmann4 at earthlink.net
Subject: Re: SC - peaches

And it came to pass on 4 Feb 01, , that Stefan li Rous wrote:
> But I'm getting the feeling that peaches were not used that often
> in period cooking. Perhaps it is just the recipes I've been reading,
> but I thought I remembered one of the books saying this.

Peaches were introduced into Europe from Persia by the Arabs. 
Karen Hess says that there were some planted in the royal garden 
at Westminister during the 13th century. 

Humourally, they are cold and moist, and are best served at the 
end of the meal.  Platina suggests serving them dried, or cooked in 
honey.

Enrique de Villena (1423) gives instruction in his carving manual for 
cutting and serving peaches -- peel them, remove the pit and the 
bitter parts, and cut them into slices.  Then they are put on a plate, 
if they are not being served in wine.

There are 14th century Catalan recipes for preserving peaches in 
honey or sugar.  

Nola has one recipe for a peach pottage, which appears to be 
meant as a accompaniment to roasts: peaches cooked in broth-
based almond milk, seasoned with sugar, ginger, and drippings 
from the spit.

Granado (1599) has various recipes for peaches, including 5 
different preserves and confections.  He also has 2 recipes for 
peach pie.  One is sort of a cheescake, whose filling is a mixture of 
peach puree, various cheeses, sugar, and eggs.  The other pie 
(possibly one of the Italian recipes he plagiarized from Scappi) has 
slices of peach with spices, sugar and butter.

I'll let one of the gardeners on the list answer questions about 
growing them.  Presumably, they require mild weather, since they 
flourish in places like Georgia.

Lady Brighid ni Chiarain
Settmour Swamp, East (NJ)

Date: Sun, 4 Feb 2001 21:26:29 -0500
From: rcmann4 at earthlink.net
Subject: Re: SC - peaches

Sue Clemenger wrote:
> OH MAN....I'm drooling all the way over here in Montana....recipes
> please?

> --Maire (trying to sound pathetic but not whiney)

I was afaid that might happen.  The recipe from Nola is the only one I 
have translated.  Since I don't want to be a spoon-tease, here it is. 

Source: Rouperto de Nola, _Libro de Guisados_ (Spanish, 1529)
Translation: Lady Brighid ni Chiarain (Robin Carroll-Mann)

POTAJE LLAMADO PERSICATE

Pottage called Peach-Dish

You will take the peeled peaches, and cut them into slices, and cook them 
in good fat broth; and when they are cooked, take a few blanched 
almonds and grind them; and when they are well-ground, strain them 
rather thick with that broth.  And then cook this sauce with sugar and a 
little ginger, and when it is cooked, cast in enough pot-broth or that 
which falls from the roasting-spit.  And let it stew well for a little; and 
then prepare dishes, and upon each one cast sugar; and in this same way 
you can make the sauce of quinces in the same manner; but the quinces 
need to be strained with [the] almonds, and they should not be sour, and 
likewise the peaches.

footnote: "Durazno" is the Spanish for "peach", but "Persico" ("Persian") is 
the word for the peach tree.  The Latin name, "prunus persica", means 
Persian plum, because the fruit was introduced to Europe from Persia.

Lady Brighid ni Chiarain
Settmour Swamp, East (NJ)

Date: Mon, 05 Feb 2001 03:33:16 +0100
From: TG <gloning at Mailer.Uni-Marburg.DE>
Subject: Re: SC - peaches

From "The good Huswifes Handmaide for the Kitchin" (ca. 1594):

"To bake Peaches.
Take Peaches, pare them, and cut them in two peeces, +
take out the stones as cleane as you can for breaching of
the Peach: then make your pie three square to bake fowre
in a pie, let your paste be verie fine, then make your
dredge with fine Sugar, Synamon and Ginger: and first lay
a little dredge in the bottome of your pies: Then put in
Peaches, and fill up your coffins with your Dredge, and
put into every coffin three spoonfuls of Rosewater. Let
not your Oven be too hot. +c."

There are German recipes, too: Philippine Welser's (ca. 1545) recipe for
a peach tart [*] or a recipe for peach salad in the F¸rtrefflichs
Kochbuoch 1559/60.

In addition, there are several medical and dietetical remarks about how
and when peaches should be eaten.

Castelvetro, looking back to 16th century Italy, says peach is a
"delicatissimo frutto, e ordinariamente crudo si mangia", but he
mentions other preparations, too.

Thomas
* "pfirsych dordten zu machenn
so nim die pfirsych vnnd schel sy dau dan die keren
her auser vnd mach zway dayl aus ainer kitten
vnd las syeden daus dan jn die phrsych vnd nim
zucker zimet vnnd ain frischen buder daus dar
ein vnnd las ain fyerdel stundt bachen nim
dan syesen wein vnd butter dus jn ain pfendlin
vnnd la? an ain ander syeden vnd nim die
brye vnnd geus auff den dorttenn"
(Phil. Welser, ed. Hayer 69)

Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2001 22:41:36 -0500
From: rcmann4 at earthlink.net
Subject: SC - Peach tart recipe (in Spanish)

Here's the first peach recipe from Granado.  It's a melon tart, and 
making it with peaches is one of the variations.

Source: Diego Granado, _Libro del arte de cozina_ (Spanish 1599)

Torta de melones

Tomase el melon limpio de la corteza y de la semilla, y que no 
este muy maduro, y cortese a bocadillos, y haganse freyr poco a 
poco con manteca mezclandolo con la cuchara de contino, 
saquese y dexese enfriar, y passese por el colador, y a cada dos 
libros de melon frito an~adansele seys onzas de queso de 
Tronchon or Parmesano y seys onzas de requeson, or queso 
fresco bien majado, seys onzas de queso de Pinto mantecoso una 
onza de canela, media onza de pimienta, seys onzas de azucar, 
diez hiemas de hueuos frescos, o a lo menos seys con las claras, 
y tengasa la cazuela tortera vntada con manteca, con vn ojaldre de 
pasta algo gordo hecho de la flor de la harina, agua rosada, hiemas 
de hueuos, manteca de vacas, y sal, y su tortillon ojaldrado 
alrededor, y pongase dentro la composicion, y hagase cozer en el 
horno con manteca derretida por encima, y en estando casi cozida 
hagase la corteza de azucar, y canela, y en estando cozida 
siruase caliente.  Desta manera se puede hazer de los duraznos y 
aluaricoques, y ciruelas mal maduras.

So, who'd like to tackle this one?  There are some good 
dictionaries online at:
http://www.diccionarios.com/
and the 1726 and 1992 RAE dictionaries are at:
http://www.rae.es/NIVEL1/buscon/AUTORIDAD2.HTM

I'll post another one tomorrow.  I have been shovelling a foot of 
heavy, wet snow for an hour, and my back is aching.

Lady Brighid ni Chiarain
Settmour Swamp, East (NJ)

Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2001 07:51:32 -0600 
From: "Decker, Terry D." <TerryD at Health.State.OK.US>
Subject: RE: SC - peaches

Since Pliny mentions peaches, they arrived in Europe long before the Islamic
expansion.  One of Charlemagne's capitulares notes peach trees on the royal
estates, which, while he could have gotten them from the Moors, is highly
unlikely.

BTW, peaches are of Chinese origin and are believed to have be brought into
Persia around 140 BCE during Jang Qian's mission to find allies to fight the
Hsiung Nu (Huns).

Bear

> Peaches were introduced into Europe from Persia by the Arabs. 
> Karen Hess says that there were some planted in the royal garden 
> at Westminister during the 13th century. 
> 
> Lady Brighid ni Chiarain

Date: Mon, 26 Mar 2001 00:40:13 -0500
From: "Christine Seelye-King" <kingstaste at mindspring.com>
Subject: SC - Pottage called Peach-Dish

This weekend, I tried the following recipe translated and posted by Lady
Brighid.  It was absolutely yummy, and was declared a winner among period
recipes.  Below is the original, and my experiment last night.
Christianna

Source: Rouperto de Nola, _Libro de Guisados_ (Spanish, 1529)
Translation: Lady Brighid ni Chiarain (Robin Carroll-Mann)

POTAJE LLAMADO PERSICATE
Pottage called Peach-Dish

You will take the peeled peaches, and cut them into slices, and cook them in
good fat broth; and when they are cooked, take a few blanched almonds and
grind them; and when they are well-ground, strain them rather thick with
that broth. And then cook this sauce with sugar and a little ginger, and
when it is cooked, cast in enough pot-broth or that which falls from the
roasting-spit. And let it stew well for a little; and then prepare dishes,
and upon each one cast sugar; and in this same way you can make the sauce of
quinces in the same manner; but the quinces need to be strained with [the]
almonds, and they should not be sour, and likewise the peaches.

footnote: Durazno is the Spanish for ‘peach’, but Persico (‘Persian’) is the
word for the peach tree. The Latin name, prunus persica, means Persian plum,
because the fruit was introduced to Europe from Persia.

I took a pork roast and sprinkled ginger, pepper, and kosher salt on it.  I
had a can of white Chinese peach halves in light syrup, and I poured a small
amount of the syrup over the roast.  I cooked the roast in a medium oven for
an hour or so.  Meanwhile, I sliced the peach halves.  This was a can of
fruit that I had bought at a Chinese market some time back.  The fruit was
white, firm, almost the consistancy of a pear without the grit, and not as
sweet as a cling peach.  I think it made a big difference, I don't think it
would be as good with cling peaches, but firm, light colored plums would be
about the same texture and amount of sweetness.  I suppose quinces would be
good as well, just a very different flavor.
	I placed the peach slices, the rest of the syrup, ginger, a tablespoon or
two of white sugar, and almond milk in a sauce pan and let it cook down
while the roast was in the oven.  When the roast was done, I added a bit of
water to the pan to deglaze it a bit, and added the juices to the saucepan,
and cooked it for about 20 minutes longer.  After letting the roast rest, I
sliced it and put it back in it's pan, pouring the sauce and peach slices
over the meat.  It was just wonderful.  It was not too sweet, but I did find
that the sauce needed the small amount of sugar to bring out the flavors,
but not enough to make it overly sweet.  The ginger was a nice compliment to
the roast and sauce.  I think it might also be good if the fruit were pureed
into the sauce.  I will cook this again for our purposes, and would
certainly consider adding it to a feast menu.
Thanks for the recipe, Brighid!

Date: Mon, 26 Mar 2001 20:57:18 -0500
From: rcmann4 at earthlink.net
Subject: Re: SC - Pottage called Peach-Dish

And it came to pass on 26 Mar 01, , that Christine Seelye-King wrote:
> This weekend, I tried the following recipe translated and posted by Lady
> Brighid.  It was absolutely yummy, and was declared a winner among period
> recipes.  Below is the original, and my experiment last night.
> Christianna

I redacted this once.  I found it tasty, but too caloric for my 
personal use.  I used frozen peach slices, fresh peaches not being 
in season.  You, as I recall, can get them cheaply in season.

If you were serving this sauce at a feast, it might be amusing to 
serve peach pits as well.  You could explain to the feasters that 
you were being very thrifty, and not wasting any part of the 
peach.... :-)

[In this case, Lady Brighid is talking about the peach pit sotelties
discussed a while back on this list, not real peach pits. See sotelties-msg 
or illusion-fds-msg files for more details - Stefan]

Lady Brighid ni Chiarain
Settmour Swamp, East (NJ)

Date: Fri, 13 Apr 2001 19:48:07 -0500
From: "Michael Newton" <melcnewt at netins.net>
Subject: SC - coring fruit

> Speaking of glop, I encountered a dish of pears in syrup made for a
competition recently. The original recipe does not call for cutting, coring, or peeling the pears at all (in fact, none of the pears in syrup type recipes I've seen call for coring the pear, which is odd). The redactor had cored, peeled and cut the pears into small pieces and cooked it for some time-- the amount of wine in her redaction was minimal. Someone else pointed out that this recipe is usually done with pears peeled, cored and sliced in half, then cooked quickly. 

It occured to me that that is the way modern pears in syrup are served, and so we may be being overly influenced by 'tradition'. What do others think?
(The redaction was delicious but obviously somewhat similar to really chunky applesauce.)
> --
> Jadwiga Zajaczkowa, mka Jennifer Heise       jenne at mail.browser.net

They may have not cored the pear at all; the Czech vet at work always eats
his apple/pear, core and all. I also remember reading in _Pinniccio_,(the
book not the Disney version) that Gepedo warns his "son" to eat all of the
pear, including the core, since he might not have anything else to eat. Was
this a common thought during the Medieval ages? I don't know. But it could
be why their recipes don't call for coring the fruit. A waste not, want not
attitude.

Beatrix of Tanet

Date: Tue, 25 Aug 2009 09:38:48 -0500
From: Jennifer Carlson <talana1 at hotmail.com>
To: Cooks list <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
Subject: [Sca-cooks] Preserving peaches

Some weeks back, someone mentioned the Martha Washington's cookbook's recipe for preserving peaches in wine and, as the Oklahoma peach crop was coming in just then, I gave it a whirl.  I got a half-bushel of Porter peaches (a variety of freestones - Augustas, I think) and, deciding to go on an all-Ansteorra theme, a bottle of a Texas moscato (Ste. Genevieve), and got to work.

The result was beautiful and absolutely delicious.  The wine and peach juice made a lovely, rosy syrup with some of the richest flavor I've ever gotten putting up peaches.  The moscato added a light honey tone to the taste.

This first attempt was a complete success.  I'm having to ration how much I let the husband put on his ice cream/pound cake/oatmeal so we'll have some to enjoy this winter.  

If I were to try using ingredients closer to those of the time period of the recipe, what varieties of peaches and what wines would be appropriate equivalents?

In servicio et humilitate,

Talana

Date: Tue, 25 Aug 2009 21:27:29 -0400
From: Johnna Holloway <johnnae at mac.com>
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Preserving peaches

I took a look at the 1633 edition of The herball or Generall historie of plantes. Gathered by Iohn Gerarde of London.
It's the one online so it's easy to use. He lists in Chapter 94 the
following kinds:

"THere are diuers sorts of Peaches besides the foure here set forth by
our Author, but the trees do not much differ in shape, but the
difference chiefely consists in the fruit, whereof I will giue you the
names of the choice ones, and such as are to be had from my friend M^r .
Millen in Old-street, which are these; two sorts of Nutmeg Peaches; The
Queenes Peach; The Newington Peach; The grand Carnation Peach; The
Carnation Peach; The Blacke Peach; the Melocotone; the White; The
Romane; The Alberza; The Island Peach; Peach du Troy. These are all good
ones. He hath also of that kinde of Peach which some call Nucipersica or
Nectorins, these following kindes; the Roman red, the best of fruits;
the bastard Red; the little dainty green; yellow; the white; the russet,
which is not so good as the rest. Those that would see any fuller
discourse of these may haue recourse to the late worke of M^r . Iohn
Perkinson, where they may finde more varieties, and more largely
handled, and therefore not necessarie for me in this place to insist
vpon them."

He mentions a red peach, the Persica praecocia, or the d'auant Peach, a
white peach, and a Persica lutea, or the yellow Peach.

Hope this helps,

Johnnae

Jennifer Carlson wrote:
snipped
<<< If I were to try using ingredients closer to those of the time period of the recipe, what varieties of peaches and what wines would be appropriate equivalents?

Talana >>>

Date: Tue, 25 Aug 2009 18:49:56 -0700
From: David Walddon <david at vastrepast.com>
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Preserving peaches

For an earlier take there is always De Honesta.
These two "recipes" come from the first five books so are not included in
Martino, etc. 

BK2 #12 De Persico Preserved Fresh Peaches. To keep fresh peaches bringe
them overnight, remove them from the brine, place in a jar with salt,
vinegar and savory.

BK2 #12 De Persico Peaches in Wine. Cut them in pieces and cook, or soften
them in wine. Serve as a final course following roasted meat.

Eduardo 

Date: Tue, 25 Aug 2009 22:05:35 -0400
From: Johnna Holloway <johnnae at mac.com>
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Preserving peaches

<<< If I were to try using ingredients closer to those of the time period of the
recipe, what varieties of peaches and what wines would be appropriate
equivalents?

Talana >>>

Of course the Herball could be looked up and used in this edition
/The herball or Generall historie of plantes. Gathered by Iohn Gerarde 
of London Master in Chirurgerie/, Imprinted at London : by [Edm. 
Bollifant for [Bonham Norton and] Iohn Norton, 1597.
but it's late and it's much easier to just look up, cut and paste from 
the 1633 when it's this late.

Since I am still online with the university, I just took a look under 
"peach" and "cookery" and came up with
this one recipe from Dawson's 1587 The good husvvifes ievvell.

To make all maner of fruit Tartes.

You must boile your fruite, whether it be apple, cherie, peach, damson, 
peare, Mulberie, or codling, in faire water, and when they be boyled 
inough, put them into a bowle, and bruse them with a ladle, and when 
they be cold, straine them, and put in red wine or claret wine, and so 
season it with suger, sinamom and ginger.

There are a few more indexed under peach at medievalcookery.com

Johnnae

Date: Sat, 27 Feb 2010 08:31:06 -0600
From: "Terry Decker" <t.d.decker at att.net>
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
Subject: [Sca-cooks] Peaches was Theatre food in Elizabethan England

<<< http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100129/od_nm/us_shakespeare_snacks

*****************************************
"...imported food like peaches..."??
Peaches grow in the UK don't they? I was given to understand they had been
grown in England for most of the mediaeval period.

Angharad >>>

According to Davidson, the common wisdom has been that peaches were 
introduced into England into the 16th Century; however, a reference to 
peaches in Chaucer, two peach trees were at the Tower of London in 1275 and 
peach pits excavated from a 2nd Century fishmarket in Billingsgate, suggest 
that the common wisdom is in error.  The current thinking appears to be 
peach cultivation ceased for a time and was reintroduced from France in the 
16th Century

I haven't chased down the Tower of London reference, but several sources 
suggest that it is an account entry for two trees delivered to the Tower in 
1275.  The Chaucer reference appears to be from his (probable) translation 
of Romance of the Rose, which, being of French origin, doesn't place peach 
trees in England.

We know that Pliny wrote of the peach trees in Gaul and I have no problem 
with the idea that the Romans introduced peach cultivation into England. 
There is also some evidence that Charlemagne tried to expand peach 
cultivation in France more or less unsuccessfully.  Which leads me to the 
question of yield.  If the yields were low, then the peach could have been a 
rare and expensive fruit even if grown locally.  Espaliering fruit trees, 
pruning them to open them up and increase yields, occurred in Europe in the 
late 14th Century.  It may be that peaches were in England, but were of 
limited utility due to low yields until growers adopted the new techniques 
of arboriculture.  It's an interesting question.

Bear 

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 2010 12:10:21 -0400
From: Sharon Palmer <ranvaig at columbus.rr.com>
To: sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org
Subject: [Sca-cooks] Peaches

I brought home two pecks (about 2 gallons each) of peaches yesterday.

I want to try the Rumpolt recipe for dried peaches.  Rather than 
putting them in the sun (its raining hard right now) or using a 
dehydrator, I thought of turning my oven to warm for awhile, then 
turning it off and putting in the peaches, on a rack over a sheet pan 
Does that seem like it would work?

And Peach Latweg (also from Rumpolt)
 Make peach preserve also therefore/ and press the peaches/ like this 
you are going to press a good juice from it/ boil it quickly away/ 
and take not much sugar/ like this it is also a beautiful preserve/ 
becomes beautiful clear juice/ good and well tasting.

Ranvaig

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 2010 16:46:14 -0700 (PDT)
From: wheezul at canby.com
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Peaches - more German

Peaches are so nom!

Rontzier's Peach Torte:
One peels and lays them in the torte /
give thereon grated bread / sugar / coriander
and egg yolks beaten with wine as well as
butter / etc.

Wecker has a lot to say about peaches being bad for the ill as they
decompose in the stomach and are forbidden to the sick above other fruits.

But she gives some recipes (this is somewhat down and dirty just for the
ideation):

Good dry peaches / as are normally the yellow / are good
peeled / in fine flour coated like the apples / and thus
in fat fried / as well as with sugar bestrewed. / half or whole / as
it pleases you / but whole are easiest / also you may uncoated
brown them in fat / then with Malmsey / cinnamon/
ginger/ and sugar make a brew thereover / and only [just]
allow them to boil / if you want raisin and such things /
bestrew it in a good proportion / or rather make in in a pastry
shell.  You may all kinds of mushes all mixed as one finds
apples / prepare [this] from it.  However when you would rather tortes
or pastry make / so peel these into the pastry / chop a piece
off / that you can take out the kernel.  If you want / the crush shelled
almonds therein / or whole boiled dates / lay an hour or
tow in Malmsey or such strong wine / then prepare in the
shell with sugar and ginger / it will need goodly suger.  When the
shell hardenes / pour the wine also into it / you may also a bit of
fat prepare it with / it will be very tasty and good.
Cut the torte as a apple-mush / also lay it in
wine / prepare it in a shell (or pot) like an apple torte . Put raisins
in between / they [the peaches] also allow for preparation to keep in
various ways.  One bakes them also whole or half / and they are
then as cooked less bad [for you] than the raw.

The new Stengler Cookbook has a preserve done in clarified sugar (probably
the syrup form we've been discussing).

Katherine

Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:40:49 -0500
From: Robin Carroll-Mann <rcarrollmann at gmail.com>
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
Subject: [Sca-cooks] Recipe translation: Dried peaches

I am going to throw caution to the wind and post this.  Something
short and simple, since the hour is late and I am tired.

Dried Peaches for the Beginning of the Meal

Put them the night before to soak in good white wine and at the time
that they are to be served at the table, take them out and cast ground
sugar on top of them.

From "Regalo de la vida humana" by Juan Valles, 16th c.
c. 2009 by the Government of Navarre and the Austrian National Library
Translation by Robin Carroll-Mann

Some may remember that a little over a year ago, we were discussing
peach recipes.  The 1423 carving manual "Art de Cortar" has
instructions for carving fresh peaches and dipping the slices in white
wine.  This recipe is not as elegant as table-side carving, but would
work well when peaches are out of season.
-- 
Brighid ni Chiarain, OL
MKA: Robin Carroll-Mann
rcarrollmann at gmail.com

From: Sharon Palmer <ranvaig at columbus.rr.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Any references to peaches being used in period brewing?
Date: April 18, 2014 1:20:35 PM CDT
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

<<< And don't forget.... peach butter: >>>

If we are moving beyond brewing, Rumpolt has several references to peaches, including ways to preserve them
	Eyngemachten means anything preserved
	Confect (or confict) means candied fruit
	Latwerge is more like a fruit butter, or even stiff enough to cut.

Pfirsig Confict.	5	Peach confict (preserve).
Pfersig Kern Confict.	9	Peach kernel preserve.
Turten von Mandeln/ vnd Pfirsich dareyn gemacht. 	34	Tart made of almonds/ and peaches enclosed within.
Pfersig Lattwergen mit den Kernen.	27 	Peach lattwergen (preserve) with the kernel.

Zugemüß 161.  Pfersig Muß.    Peach sauce or pottage.  Take peaches/ and take the pits out/ put the peaches in a mortar/ and crush them/ strain them nicely thick/ make sweet/ and set on the fire/ stir well/ until it boils/ if it is too thick/ then pour wine or a little water in it/ and when you will dress it/ then sprinkle it with sugar/ so it becomes good and well tasting.

Zugemüß 162. Dürre Pfersig.  Dry peaches. Take half water and wine/ let set a boil open (come to a boil) with it/ and when you dress it/ them sprinkle it with white sugar/ like this it is a good dish.

Turten 9.  Pfersig Turten. Peach tart/ strain them/ or enclose them whole with cinnamon and sugar.

Zucker 11.  Pfersig Kern vberzogen.  Peach kernels sugar coated.

Confect  1. Take water and sugar/ and let come to a boil/ peel apples/ and cut them apart/ or take them whole/ and stab the core out with a sharp hollow iron/ that the apples remain whole/ and when the water along with the sugar comes to a boil/ then throw the apples in/ and let cook/ until they become soft pull them out on a clean board/ and let the syrup boil/ lay the apple slices in again/ and let a good boil open (come to a good boil) with it/ that it does not scorch/ pull them out/ and lay them nicely around a dish/ and pour the syrup over the top/ and let become cool.  And when you will give to a table/ then sprinkle them with small coated comfits/ like this it is good and elegant.

Confect 2. Pfersig Confect.   Peach confect made as is described before.

Confect 13. Take almonds/ that are white and well soaked in cold water/ cut them nicely lengthwise and thin/ take small raisins with it/ that are cleanly washed/ throw them in syrup/ that has been cooked thick/ and let simmer well together. Put is on a wafer/ that is pricked round/ and let it become nicely cool/ like this it is good and elegant.

Confect 18. Pfersig Kern Confect/  Peach kernel confect/ as one makes the almond confect.

Eyngemachten 10. Mach Pfersig Latwerge auch also/ Make peach preserve also like this/ and press the peaches/ like this you are going to press a good juice from it/ boil it quickly away/ and take not much sugar/ so it also becomes a beautiful preserve/ becomes beautiful clear juice/ good and well tasting.

Eyngemachten 12. Saur Limoniensafft mit Quitten/ Pfersig oder Epffelsafft.

Sour lemon juice with quince/ peach or apple juice.

Eyngemachten 13. Pomerantzensafft mit Pfersigsafft.  Seville orange juice let boil with peach juice/ becomes good and well tasting.

Eyngemachten 18. Nim~ Pfersig/    Take peaches/ peel them and cut apart/ and take the stone out/ sprinkle them on both sides with white sugar/ that is pounded small/ lay over a clean sieve/ that is nicely new/ lay the peaches in it/ and cover with a thin veil/ set in the sun/ that the bugs do not come/ and turn over often/ like this they become nicely dry from the sun/ that you can lift it up/ and give to a table nicely dry.

Eyngemachten 19. Nim~ Pfersig/   Take peaches/ and peel them/ put them in a clear syrup/ that is nicely warm/ and when it becomes thin from it/ then pour it in a clean strainer/ and boil the syrup/ until it becomes thick/ and is nicely skimmed clean/ put the peaches in again/ when the syrup has cooled down.  And of such form and manner you can preserve all manner of fruit.

The Kellermeisterey (Brewing) section has two references to peach -kernels- used to flavor wine. Peach kernels are rather like bitter almonds and also contain hydrocyanic acid.  Too many of them is poisonous, but the lethal dose is rather large.  The toxicity is destroyed by cooking, but there is no reference to cooking them here.

No reference to using peaches or peach juice in brewing, although peaches were clearly used in cooking.

Wine like Whey.
You should help it like this/ Take honey foam/ well roasted in a pan/ and a half pound peach kernels/ that are ground to powder/ then pour it with wine through a linen cloth/ also put a cup full of wine in it/ pour it in the barrel/ then the wine develops a good color.

Another Secret Art/ that one can make a wine more praiseworthy/ stronger and better tasting/ than if it was grown (matured??) by Nature.
Item:  Take the best brandy that you have/ and put into it the following stück (seasoning)/ a quarter (of a lot? ie 1/8 ounce) of galangal/ three lots (half ounce, 1 1/2 ounce) of cloves/ four lots (2 ounces) of ginger/ four lots (2 ounces) of cinnamon rind/ two pounds of peach kernels/ a pound of cherry kernels/ that one should put all into the brandy/ then let it stand together eight days/ Then you should purify (strain??) the wine/ and pour the brandy into the purified wine in each barrel/ according to your judgement and pleasure/ or good taste/ according to laudable taste/ or strength/ to the very best/

From: Robin Carroll-Mann <rcarrollmann at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Any references to peaches being used in period brewing?
Date: April 22, 2014 4:54:31 PM CDT
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

Not connected with brewing, but I know of two "recipes" in the Spanish
corpus involving peaches and wine.  I believe I've posted them here.  In
the 15th c. carving manual by Enrique de Villena, he instructs the server
who is carving fresh peaches at table to dip each slice in white wine
before serving.  The purpose was humoural, if I recall correctly.

In the 16th c. Regalo de la Vida Humana by Juan Valles, he suggests soaking
dried peaches overnight in wine.

I have enjoyed the first at an event, and tested the second at home, and
found them very pleasant, and not tasting as strongly of wine as I might
have suspected.

Brighid ni Chiarain

Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2014 13:25:49 -0400 (EDT)
From: JIMCHEVAL at aol.com
To: sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Any references to peaches being used in
	period	brewing?

And don't forget.... peach butter:

"Peach Butter. 
Take pound for pound of peaches and sugar; cook peaches alone until they  
become soft, then put in one-half the sugar, and stir for one-half an hour: 
then  the remainder of the sugar, and stir half an hour. Season with cloves 
and  cinnamon. 

Peach Butter. 
Take pound for pound of peaches and sugar; cook peaches until they are  
soft, then put in one-half of the sugar and cook slowly for half an hour,  
stirring often; then the rest of the sugar, and cook and stir for an hour and a  
half. Season with cloves and cinnamon."

....

Peach Butter. 
Use a twenty-gallon kettle. Boil twenty gallons of apple cider down to ten  
gallons, skimming well while boiling. Dip out while hot into stone or 
wooden  vessels; it must not cool in the kettle. Take five bushels of peaches, as ripe  as can be handled; wash, but do not pare them; cut away the 
sun-cooked or black  side; boil to a slush, stirring from first to last, using the boiled cider to  keep it thin. The cider must be added hot, and the mass kept constantly boiling,  and continued for five hours after the last of the cooked peaches and boiled  cider are added. Five bushels of peaches cooked should use the ten gallons of  boiled cider. A few minutes before removing from the fire add eight pounds of  granulated sugar, four tablespoonfuls of ground cinnamon, two tablespoonfuls  each of essence of lemon and essence of cinnamon. We find ready sale for this at  one dollar a gallon, and it will keep for a year. The above quantity will stir  off from thirteen to sixteen gallons of peach butter. A. R. Baxley,  Humboldt

The Peach: The Kansas Peach 1899
edited by William H.  Barnes
http://books.google.com/books?id=kcNBAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA153&dq=peach+cider&hl=en&
sa=X&ei=VlxRU9ivF6ri8gH6z4GQDg&ved=0CEoQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false

I think this is due for a revival at some cutting edge restaurant.

Otherwise, it's probably worth noting that this book entirely devoted to  
the peach does not mention peach cider. This said, there are nineteenth 
century  references to it:

"Peach cider sold then at Parramatta, for nine-pence a quart, but ten  
gallons of cider made one gallon of brandy, several degrees above proof; so as I had Doctor Balmain's  still by me, ever since I had bought"
http://books.google.com/books?id=wvI5AAAAcAAJ&dq=peach%20cider&pg=PA272#v=on
epage&q&f=false

Missionaries noted "cidre de peche" in Australia:
_http://books.google.com/books?id=OdU7AAAAcAAJ&dq=%22cidre%20de%20peche%22&p
g=PA46#v=onepage&q&f=false_ 
(http://books.google.com/books?id=OdU7AAAAcAAJ&dq="cidre%20de%20peche"&pg=PA46#v=onepage&q&f=false) 

Ironically, this item on fruit butters mentions in passing that one could  
just as well make the underlying cider with peaches:
http://books.google.com/books?id=jzLiAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA475&dq=peach+cider&hl=en&
sa=X&ei=VlxRU9ivF6ri8gH6z4GQDg&ved=0CG0Q6AEwBw#v=onepage&q&f=false

Still, the idea seems to have remained a novelty:

"The exquisite and various flavor of the North American peach, in the most  
favorable situations, and the ease with which it is propagated in such 
places,  give rise to great solicitude, that nice and careful experiments should be made  of the quality of the clear fermented liquor it would yield. 
Whether the attempt  would succeed best, if the peach were treated like the 
grape, the apple, and the  pear, in making wine, cider, and perry, or whether it would best succeed, if the  fruit were treated in the manner of the currant, experience would  determine"
http://books.google.com/books?id=_40bAQAAMAAJ&dq=peach%20cider&pg=PA684#v=on
epage&q&f=false

And while we're at it, what about melons? "very excellent cider may be made 
from melons."
http://books.google.com/books?id=h0RFAAAAYAAJ&dq=peach%20cider&pg=PA159#v=on
epage&q&f=false

(Now THAT sounds like it could be a modern summer hit.)

Jim Chevallier
www.chezjim.com

Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2014 14:20:35 -0400
From: Sharon Palmer <ranvaig at columbus.rr.com>
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Any references to peaches being used in
	period brewing?

<<< And don't forget.... peach butter: >>>

If we are moving beyond brewing, Rumpolt has 
several references to peaches, including ways to 
preserve them
	Eyngemachten means anything preserved
	Confect (or confict) means candied fruit
	Latwerge is more like a fruit butter, or even stiff enough to cut.

Pfirsig Confict.	5	Peach confict (preserve).
Pfersig Kern Confict.	9	Peach kernel preserve.
Turten von Mandeln/ vnd Pfirsich dareyn gemacht. 
	34	Tart made of almonds/ and peaches 
enclosed within.
Pfersig Lattwergen mit den Kernen.	27 
	Peach lattwergen (preserve) with the 
kernel.

Zugem?? 161.  Pfersig Mu?.    Peach sauce or 
pottage.  Take peaches/ and take the pits out/ 
put the peaches in a mortar/ and crush them/ 
strain them nicely thick/ make sweet/ and set on 
the fire/ stir well/ until it boils/ if it is too 
thick/ then pour wine or a little water in it/ 
and when you will dress it/ then sprinkle it with 
sugar/ so it becomes good and well tasting.

Zugem?? 162. D?rre Pfersig.  Dry peaches. Take 
half water and wine/ let set a boil open (come to 
a boil) with it/ and when you dress it/ them 
sprinkle it with white sugar/ like this it is a 
good dish.

Turten 9.  Pfersig Turten. Peach tart/ strain 
them/ or enclose them whole with cinnamon and 
sugar.

Zucker 11.  Pfersig Kern vberzogen.  Peach kernels sugar coated.

Confect  1. Take water and sugar/ and let come to 
a boil/ peel apples/ and cut them apart/ or take 
them whole/ and stab the core out with a sharp 
hollow iron/ that the apples remain whole/ and 
when the water along with the sugar comes to a 
boil/ then throw the apples in/ and let cook/ 
until they become soft pull them out on a clean 
board/ and let the syrup boil/ lay the apple 
slices in again/ and let a good boil open (come 
to a good boil) with it/ that it does not scorch/ 
pull them out/ and lay them nicely around a dish/ 
and pour the syrup over the top/ and let become 
cool.  And when you will give to a table/ then 
sprinkle them with small coated comfits/ like 
this it is good and elegant.

Confect 2. Pfersig Confect.   Peach confect made as is described before.

Confect 13. Take almonds/ that are white and well 
soaked in cold water/ cut them nicely lengthwise 
and thin/ take small raisins with it/ that are 
cleanly washed/ throw them in syrup/ that has 
been cooked thick/ and let simmer well together. 
Put is on a wafer/ that is pricked round/ and let 
it become nicely cool/ like this it is good and 
elegant.

Confect 18. Pfersig Kern Confect/  Peach kernel 
confect/ as one makes the almond confect.

Eyngemachten 10. Mach Pfersig Latwerge auch also/ 
Make peach preserve also like this/ and press the 
peaches/ like this you are going to press a good 
juice from it/ boil it quickly away/ and take not 
much sugar/ so it also becomes a beautiful 
preserve/ becomes beautiful clear juice/ good and 
well tasting.

Eyngemachten 12. Saur Limoniensafft mit Quitten/ Pfersig oder Epffelsafft.

 Sour lemon juice with quince/ peach or apple juice.

Eyngemachten 13. Pomerantzensafft mit 
Pfersigsafft.  Seville orange juice let boil with 
peach juice/ becomes good and well tasting.

Eyngemachten 18. Nim~ Pfersig/    Take peaches/ 
peel them and cut apart/ and take the stone out/ 
sprinkle them on both sides with white sugar/ 
that is pounded small/ lay over a clean sieve/ 
that is nicely new/ lay the peaches in it/ and 
cover with a thin veil/ set in the sun/ that the 
bugs do not come/ and turn over often/ like this 
they become nicely dry from the sun/ that you can 
lift it up/ and give to a table nicely dry.

Eyngemachten 19. Nim~ Pfersig/   Take peaches/ 
and peel them/ put them in a clear syrup/ that is 
nicely warm/ and when it becomes thin from it/ 
then pour it in a clean strainer/ and boil the 
syrup/ until it becomes thick/ and is nicely 
skimmed clean/ put the peaches in again/ when the 
syrup has cooled down.  And of such form and 
manner you can preserve all manner of fruit.

The Kellermeisterey (Brewing) section has two 
references to peach -kernels- used to flavor 
wine. Peach kernels are rather like bitter 
almonds and also contain hydrocyanic acid.  Too 
many of them is poisonous, but the lethal dose is 
rather large.  The toxicity is destroyed by 
cooking, but there is no reference to cooking 
them here.

No reference to using peaches or peach juice in 
brewing, although peaches were clearly used in 
cooking.

Wine like Whey.
You should help it like this/ Take honey foam/ 
well roasted in a pan/ and a half pound peach 
kernels/ that are ground to powder/ then pour it 
with wine through a linen cloth/ also put a cup 
full of wine in it/ pour it in the barrel/ then 
the wine develops a good color.

Another Secret Art/ that one can make a wine more 
praiseworthy/ stronger and better tasting/ than 
if it was grown (matured??) by Nature.
Item:  Take the best brandy that you have/ and 
put into it the following st?ck (seasoning)/ a 
quarter (of a lot? ie 1/8 ounce) of galangal/ 
three lots (half ounce, 1 1/2 ounce) of cloves/ 
four lots (2 ounces) of ginger/ four lots (2 
ounces) of cinnamon rind/ two pounds of peach 
kernels/ a pound of cherry kernels/ that one 
should put all into the brandy/ then let it stand 
together eight days/
Then you should purify (strain??) the wine/ and 
pour the brandy into the purified wine in each 
barrel/ according to your judgement and pleasure/ 
or good taste/ according to laudable taste/ or 
strength/ to the very best/

Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2014 17:01:28 -0400 (EDT)
From: JIMCHEVAL at aol.com
To: sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Any references to peaches being used in
	period	brewing?

For anyone who's interested in cider and fruit drink history in France,  
that's one of the subjects covered in my blog post this week:

Beyond wine, water and beer: what else they drank in Medieval France
http://leslefts.blogspot.com/2014/04/beyond-wine-water-and-beer-what-else.ht
ml

Whether the peach was common or not is relative. It's mentioned in texts  
from the start of the Middle Ages, but not frequently. Yet, as Ruas points 
out,  for some reason one finds peach remains fairly regularly in digs.

Otherwise, Aldebrandino advises the juice of peach leaves against worms,  
but says nothing about making drink from the fruit itself.

Jim  Chevallier

Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2014 17:54:31 -0400
From: Robin Carroll-Mann <rcarrollmann at gmail.com>
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Any references to peaches being used in
	period	brewing?

Not connected with brewing, but I know of two "recipes" in the Spanish
corpus involving peaches and wine.  I believe I've posted them here.  In
the 15th c. carving manual by Enrique de Villena, he instructs the server
who is carving fresh peaches at table to dip each slice in white wine
before serving.  The purpose was humoural, if I recall correctly.

In the 16th c. Regalo de la Vida Humana by Juan Valles, he suggests soaking
dried peaches overnight in wine.

I have enjoyed the first at an event, and tested the second at home, and
found them very pleasant, and not tasting as strongly of wine as I might
have suspected.

Brighid ni Chiarain

Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2014 18:06:17 -0400 (EDT)
From: JIMCHEVAL at aol.com
To: sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Any references to peaches being used in
	period	brewing?

In fact Aledebrandino suggests eating "peskes" with good wine, mainly to  
counteract their "bad humors". Oh, and their tendency to cause bad breath, 
which  one may be permitted to doubt.

Jim  Chevallier

Date: Thu, 24 Apr 2014 17:14:30 -0400
From: Sharon Palmer <ranvaig at columbus.rr.com>
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Any references to peaches being used in
	period brewing?

<<< In the 15th c. carving manual by Enrique de Villena, he instructs the server who is carving fresh peaches at table to dip each slice in white wine
before serving.  The purpose was humoural, if I recall correctly. >>>

It probably also kept them from turning brown, like we sometimes dip 
peaches and apples in lemon juice.  A sweet wine might add sugar too.

Ranvaig

Date: Fri, 25 Apr 2014 06:03:30 -0500
From: "Terry Decker" <t.d.decker at att.net>
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Any references to peaches being used in
	periodbrewing?

Wine is acidic primarily from the tartaric, malic and citric acids in the 
grapes.  Whether this is enough to keep the peaches from oxidizing, who 
knows?

Bear

-----Original Message----- 
Would the wine keep the peach from turning brown though?

I thought the lemon juice worked because of it's acidity. In which case, 
vinegar would also work, but wouldn't be as tasty. :-(

So would dipping peach or apple pieces in wine keep them from turning brown?

I can see where dipping peaches in a sweet wine might increase the 
sweetness, though. Or perhaps a reduced-wine sauce.

Stefan

<the end>

Edited by Mark S. Harris	peaches-msg	Page  of