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8/9/2019 food ! ghj[1]
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Food of the MiddleFood of the MiddleAgesAges
By: Erin SheahanBy: Erin Sheahan
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Methods of FoodMethods of FoodPreservationPreservation
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Food PreservationFood Preservation
During the Middle Ages, there was not a great extent ofknowledge on the topic of preserving food. Although this is true,they had very effective methods of preserving their food.
The purpose of food preservation is to treat the food so that itwould slow down or safely stop the process of spoiling.
Some of these methods would include:-Salting-Smoking-Pickling-Drying-Sweet Preserves-Fermentation-Confits-Freezing
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SaltingSalting
This was the most common method for preserving meat and fish,since it could make it last much longer.
Although it was very effective on meat and fish it was not veryeffective on vegetables and fruits and they would spoil very fast.
There are two methods of preservation when using salt.-Dry Salting: when the meat or fish were buried in salt.-Brine Curing: this is when the meat is soaked in salt water.
When using salt as a preservation method, a permeant salt tastewas left on the meat. To disguise this, the meat was washed off andmixed with spices to mask the pungent taste.
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SmokingSmoking
Smoking was another commonly usedmethod of preservation for pork andmeat. Meat was cut into small stripsand soaked in a salt solution.While it isdrying it is hung over a fire, it will thusabsorb the smoke flavor. The salt
solution is not necessary, but it aids inthe removal of moisture anddiscourages bacteria growth and flies.
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PicklingPickling
Another commonly used practice of preservationis pickling. This is the practice of immersing food(commonly fresh vegetables) into a liquidsolution.
The simplest form of pickling was by using asolution consisting of water, salt, and herbs.Herbs and spices were added to the mixture forflavoring.
The pickling could be done by either boiling thefood in the mixture, or simply leaving the food inthe mixture for long periods of time. After food ispickled, it is placed in a sealed jar, often with the
juice it was marinated with.
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DryingDrying
Drying is one of the most versatilemethods of preservation. Grains could
be dried by sunlight or air before storingin a dry place. Fruits could be sundriedor oven dried depending on weather
and climate. Meat could be sun and/orair dried, either outdoors or under ashelter to keep from flies and elements.
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Sweet PreservesSweet Preserves
Although fruits were normally dried,they could also be sealed into honey.
Honey was not only limited to fruit, itcould also be used to preserve meat.Occasionally fruit might be boiled in asugar mixture, but this was a rare event
because only the wealthiest familiescould afford an expensive import suchas sugar.
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FermentationFermentation
Most methods of preservation slow down orstop decay, fermentation actually does theopposite. It accelerates the decay of foods.
The most common ingredient of fermentationwas alcohol.
Common products made from fermentation:wine, beer, mead, cheese, and cider.
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ConfitsConfits
In the modern day times, confit refers to any typeof food that is immersed in a substance forpreservation. As we all know, the Middle Ages
were a very different time. During the Middle agesa confit referred to potted meat, such as fowl orpork.
The meat was salted and then cooked for anextended period of time in its own fat, it thencools, causing sealing. When stored in a coolplace it would last for months.
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FreezingFreezing
Freezing was a very rare method ofpreservation, but it was not unheard of. In
castles and large homes equipped withcellars, an underground room packed withwinter ice could keep foods cool formonths.
An ice-room was labor intensive and wasvery uncommon, but on rare occasionsthey were present.
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Food of the DarkFood of the DarkAgesAges
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BanquetsBanquets
A banquet in this time consisted of 6 courses.
There were strict rules of table manners, howpeople ate, and where they sat.
They used spoons and knifes for eating, forkswere considered scandalous at the time.
Instead of plates, they used hard pieces ofbread called trenchers. These soaked upblood and liquids from food.
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Upper Class vs. Lower ClassUpper Class vs. Lower Class
There was a vast difference in the daily mealsbetween the Upper Class and the Lower Class.
Many of the ingredients used for the meals of theUpper Class were extremely expensive and couldnot be afforded by the commoners.
Travel by the Crusaders prompted a new interestin beautiful objects and elegant manners.
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Daily MealsDaily Meals
Both the upper and lower class had on average 3 meals a day.
The upper class would always eat food with silverware, sometimeseven gold dishes.
Lower class would eat from wooden or horn dishes. Every personhad their own knife, spoons were rarely used because most liquidswere drunk from a cup.
Meal times (for upper class):-Breakfast: Food and drink served between 6-7 oclock in themorning.
-Dinner: Food and drink served between 12-2 oclock during the day.-Supper: Substainstial meal with food and drink and entertainmentserved between 6-7 oclock at night.
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Meals for the Upper ClassMeals for the Upper Class
The daily meals for the upper class consisted of ahuge variety of food. Vegetables were limited,this was because the food grown on the grounds
were peasant food and were not fit for thenobility. Only a few vegetables were fit to gracethe table of the nobles.
Only the nobles could hunt boar, deer, andrabbits and hares. These were used often in the
meals.
Their food was highly flavored with expensivespices.
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Meals for the Lower ClassMeals for the Lower Class
The usual diet of the lower class wouldinclude pottage, bread, milk, cheese, beef,pork, and lamb.
Since only the nobles could hunt certainanimals the punishment for poaching wasvery serious. If caught poaching, it couldresult in having your hands cut off or evendeath.
The poor could not afford the spices enjoyedby the upper class, so usually their food wasvery bland.
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FastingFasting
The people of the Middle Ages werevery religious, and in their religion they
were sometimes banned from eatingmeat.
Certain religions banned eating meat
on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays,lent, advent, and on the eves of manyreligious holidays.
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DrinkDrink
The people of the dark ages loved to
drink, and seeing that the water wasoften unclean it was a necessity.
The lower class drank ale, mead, and
cider while the upper class drank manydifferent types of wine.
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Unhealthy DietUnhealthy Diet
The diet of the people of the middle ageswas very unhealthy, especially the nobles.
They ate very little fruits and vegetablesbecause they were wary of foods that werenot prepared. Usually vegetables would onlybe found in stews, while fruits would only be
found in pies and other deserts. Dairyproducts were also considered a commonersfood. Little was known about nutrition and
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Staple Diets of the ClassesStaple Diets of the Classes
Lower Class:
Rye or barley bread
Pottage
Milk
Cheese
Beef, pork, and lamb
Fish (if they had access to river)
Homegrown vegetables and fuits
Nuts
Honey
Upper Class:
Manchet bread
Variety of meats
Variety of fish
Shell fish
Spices
Cheese
Limited fruits and vegetables.
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CookingCooking
If you were apart of the upper class then yourcastle would have a great kitchen with manyserfs and servents. The poor had to cook in
their smalls huts over an open fire. Methods of cooking:
-Spit roasting-Baking-Boiling-Smoking-Salting-Frying
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Work CitedWork Cited
Jon. "Food in the Middle Ages." Kyrene SchoolDistrict - Redirect. Web. 12 May 2010.."Middle Ages Food." Middle Ages Food. Web. 9May 2010. .
Snell, Melissa. "Medieval Food Preservation."About. Web. 7 May 2010..