The Armour Archive

how early did pickled onions and pickled eggs start being made? where, who and when. also, what else was pickled?

I have seen recipes from Germany, 12th century I believe, for pickled vegetables. I will ask the lady who had them to see if I can get a copy.

Kenric

that would be great. curious also about pickled meats. thanks.

Hundreds of years B.C., if not thousands. I've read that Sumerians used vinegar as a food preservative.

I've seen a 13th century recipe for "jugged" veal, which in modern parlance would be canned, even though it's in a glass jar rather than a can. Sauerbraten. Yummy! ...with Gingersnap sauce !!!

If I recall, the jugged veal was followed with a beef canneline in coffin (mincemeat pie) recipe in the text.

Ernst wrote:I've seen a 13th century recipe for "jugged" veal, which in modern parlance would be canned, even though it's in a glass jar rather than a can. Sauerbraten. Yummy! ...with Gingersnap sauce !!!

If I recall, the jugged veal was followed with a beef canneline in coffin (mincemeat pie) recipe in the text.

MMMMM, potted meat! But on the bright side, it's better than lutefisk!

Hrólfr

Hrolfr wrote:

Ernst wrote:I've seen a 13th century recipe for "jugged" veal, which in modern parlance would be canned, even though it's in a glass jar rather than a can. Sauerbraten. Yummy! ...with Gingersnap sauce !!!

If I recall, the jugged veal was followed with a beef canneline in coffin (mincemeat pie) recipe in the text.

MMMMM, potted meat! But on the bright side, it's better than lutefisk!

Hrólfr

Trees, rocks, dirt, old turnshoes...ANYTHING is better than lutefisk!

Kevin O'Shaughnessy

Kevin O'Shaughnessy wrote:Trees, rocks, dirt, old turnshoes...ANYTHING is better than lutefisk!

Kevin O'Shaughnessy

So, what is your REAL opinion on lutefisk, praytel?

I was up in Minnesota the other week and completely forgot to try Lutefisk. Bummer. Am I truly missing something?

Brian W. Rainey wrote:I was up in Minnesota the other week and completely forgot to try Lutefisk. Bummer. Am I truly missing something?

I lived in Minnesota for 3 years, and forgot to try Lutefisk. Not a bummer.

I was disappointed with lutefisk.
It was one of the culinary horrors of my childhood, something my mother remembered with anguish from her childhood. (As one of the courses from the Christmas Eve's midday.)
When I tasted it did not really taste anything particular. Slightly fishy, with rather gelatinous feeling... Most of the taste was due to sauce with allspice seasoning. It was not the horrendous stuff I had come to expect.

Than again I bought the stuff ready, without bothering to treat dried fish with lye(NaOH?) and then trying to get the lye soaked off. So it maybe it did not have the aroma of home-made stuff.

ok... whats lutefisk?

anyone got the recipe?

Lutefisk- Lyefish- (Lipeäkala)

Dried fish.
Soaked in lye solution for couple of days - presumably to get it softer?
Than soaked in water couple of more days to get the lye off.
Boiled.
In Finland served with the basic milk-based souce (thickened with butter and wheatflour, what the heck is it called again) seasoned with allspice.
Swedish tradition may differ a bit.
Traditional dish for Christmas Eve or the Eve of Three Kings Day.

Nowadays you can skip soaking in lye and water and get the stuff ready to boil. At least in Finland and presumably in Minnesota too.

Since you are interested in pickled foods you might want to try the traditional Swedish soured herring, surströmming, at some point if you can get your hands on a can some time. Salted lightly, left to sour in the solution and canned. Considered a delicacy by some. The taste that is. Smell is awful. Mercifully not available here.
As a method of pickling souring has been astonishingly widespread. Especially in areas where salt has been imported and costly. Like Northern Sweden and Finland.

(edited to add comment of surströmming)