02-28-2022, 09:57 PM
(10-27-2021, 10:27 AM)Nathan Ross Wrote: kavanDid the Romans have raspberry jam?
They might have had some sort of fruity spread - here's a recipe for apricot jam, for example. But without sugar as a preservative and sweetener (presumably they used honey instead?) the result probably would not have tasted much like our jam today.
There are various ways to preserve fruits. The key is to remove moisture until the RH is below about 45% which prevents bacterial and fungal growth. The reason they add sugar, is because sugar is hygroscopic, and it allows the fruit to remain "wet" whilst the RH is still low - this is what jam is - a mixture that has a low %RH due to the sugar, which still retains enough moisture to move i.e. be "spreadable". The sugar is not needed to preserve the fruit, but without the sugar, at the required %RH, the mixture becomes solid. And, at the extreme you get dried fruit.
I'm not sure I used raspberries, but I did preserve some fruit by mashing it up and then drying it as a sheet (seeds included). It can then be rolled up. It then has the consistency of licorice all sorts.
You can also preserve fruit in alcohol and vinegar.
Oh the grand oh Duke Suetonius, he had a Roman legion, he galloped rushed down to (a minor settlement called) Londinium then he galloped rushed back again. Londinium Bridge is falling down, falling down ... HOLD IT ... change of plans, we're leaving the bridge for Boudica and galloping rushing north.
