This is one of three entries I presented at the A&S Competition at Junefaire 2013. The requirements of the competition stipulated three objects with a single page of documentation each. It was quite difficult to keep to a single page but here it is.  A longer work is in process. The photo is of conserve presented that day.

Conserve of Strawberries.  1573,English

Presented by Rycheza z Polska

Today we think of jams jellies, preserves and conserves as little more a smear of color for our morning toast.  However once they were also considered to be medicine and the making of them was considered to be the special concern of the lady of the manor.

This Conserve of Strawberries comes from The Treasurie of Commodious Conceits, & Hidden Secrets, and may be called The huswiues closet of healthfull prouision. By John Partridge 1573.

With the expansion of printing in 16^th century, and the rise of the middle class, books of this nature were very popular.  They spread the skills of the stillroom among the rising middle class and recipes often included wines and cordials, candies and comfits, marmalades, preserves, and conserves like this one.

           To make conserue of Strawberies, With the vertue of the same.

           chapter. xxx.

                Take Strawberies .i. quart clene picked and washed, set them on the fyre til they be soft, strain them put thereto two times as much suger in powder, as waight of the strawberies, let them seeth tyll the suger be incorporated wt ye straberis put it in a Glasse or earthen Pot well glased.

                The vertue of the same.

                The conserue of Strawberies is good against a hot liuer, or burning of the stomack, and specially in the feruent heate of an ague.

Our modern strawberries are hybrids bred from European stock with the wild strawberries that were growing in North America.  Medieval strawberries were still generally gathered wild and that may account for the small quantity called for in this conserve.  The other ingredient, sugar, had long been regarded as medicinal.

Process:  Measured pared and cut strawberries to one quart.  Heated over low heat (4) in dry pot cooked strawberries until soft and then pushed though sieve until nearly all pulp was in through  weighed 15 ¾ ounces  Was unable to continue same night so refrigerated pulp until the next night, reweighed 15 5/8 ounces.  Weighed out twice that in granulated cane sugar and combined with strawberry pulp.  Mixture very quickly started to show signs of jelling, but I cooked it a bit more to be sure.  Filled 9-½ cup jars.

The Treasurie of commodious Conceits, by John Partridge, 1573

Transcription © 2010 by Johnna Holloway