A Few Notes on Seventeenth Century Fruit Carving Techniques
Back in the C17th, elaborate forms of carved fruit were apparently all the rage at high-status banquets, or so several sources suggest.
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Giles Rose’s 1682 Recipe for ‘A Melon Tart in Slices’
Tired of the same old slice-and-scoff melon eating method? Looking for something a little different? Giles Rose has a C17th suggestion.
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Thomas Jenner’s 1653 Recipe for ‘Syrupe Gresta’
If you’ve been wondering what to do with your thinned-out, unripe grapes then wonder no more: here’s a C17th suggestion for you.
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Sir Théodore Turquet de Mayerne’s 1658 Recipe for ‘Paste of Pippins’
Here’s a C17th recipe for decorative sweetmeats made from boiled sugar and apple pulp, shaped to resemble plums.
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William Salmon’s 1696 Recipe for ‘Apple Florentines’
Here’s an early, C17th version of a “Florentine” dish that’s much simpler than later recipes that bear the same name.
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John Murrell’s 1630 Recipe for ‘A Quince or Warden Pie’
Here’s another rather tasty-sounding, seventeenth century pear pie recipe to add to the steadily growing collection.
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Gervase Markham’s 1623 Recipe for ‘A Warden Pie or Quince Pie’
Cooking pears and quinces should be in season round about now and here’s an idea for how to put them to delicious use.
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Giles Rose’s 1682 Recipe for a “Pippen Composte”
What this C17th recipe boils down to – quite literally – is a dish of cooked apples in apple jelly, which sounds pretty good to me.
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William Rabisha’s 1675 Recipe ‘To Pickle Green Figgs’
I’ve been looking for a good way to make use of drastically under-ripe figs; I wonder if this C17th pickling recipe might fit the bill?
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Gervase Markham’s 1623 Recipe for ‘A Pruen Tart’
This seventeenth century recipe for damson tarts sounds absolutely delicious. I think I’ll be giving this one a go.
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John Worlidge, on the Pleasures of Gardens and Orchards
A few wise words from the seventeenth century, courtesy of the author of Vinetum Britannicum, on the “purest of humane pleasures”.
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John Worlidge’s 1678 Recipe for ‘Currant Vinegar’
If you’ve ever wanted to know how to make your own vinegar then you’re in luck; Mr Worlidge’s C17th method shows you how.
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Sir Kenelm Digby’s 1669 Recipe for ‘Marmalute of Red Currants’
This C17th recipe for a marmalade of redcurrants sounds tasty, but is typically vague in the detail department.
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Hannah Glasse’s 1742 Recipe for ‘Rhubarb Tarts’
This C17th recipe is the earliest published method for cooking with rhubarb that I’ve found to-date.
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Robert May’s 1665 Recipe for ‘Taffety Tart’
This C17th receipt calls for thin pastry, layers of apple, sugar and lemon peel;, iced over with rose-water butter-cream, and it sounds both simple and delicious.
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John Worlidge, on Growing Pears for Perry
Mr Worlidge outlines the advantages of growing pears rather than apples in wet, heavy soils, and tells us the best C17th sorts to plant for perry.
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Robert May’s 1665 Recipe for ‘Warden or Pear Tart’
Here’s a seventeenth century recipe for a classic pear pie. Packed full of sugar and spice, it’s also rosewater-iced, which sounds nice…
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Thomas Jenner’s 1653 Recipe for ‘Preserving Medlers’
This C17th recipe for medlars in syrup sounds interesting, but reading it left me somewhat confused and bemused,
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Sir Hugh Plat’s 1636 Recipe for ‘Preserving the Dry Pulp of Cherries’
This C17th method for making cherry, prune or damson leather offers a useful means of preserving your glut of orchard fruits.
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John French’s 1667 Recipe for ‘Water of Fruits’
Please find enclosed 1 (one) instruction leaflet for your C17th home distillation kit; brick furnace, alembic and stave barrel not included.
