Lily Alexander

Happy Birthday Patrick !!!

Many thanks to you all for the birthday wishes. My evil twin thanks you too :)

Thank you all for the birthday wishes.

Try this one :

http://www.blackbeardfestival.com/

Information taken from the food timeline.

http://www.foodtimeline.org/

http://www.foodtimel...y.html#jellyjam

Jelly, jams & preserves

The origin and evolution of sweet fruit jelly, jams and preserves if fascinating. We are also including our notes on savory jelly (calve's & isinglass). If you need more information please let us know! The primary differences between these items are the texture of the product and the method of manufacture. Jam contains small chunks of fruit, jelly is almost perfectly smooth, preserves contain large chunks or whole pieces of fruit. Sweet jelly requires fruit juice with a *jelling* agent (isinglass, hartshorn, calves foot, gelatine powder). Jam and preserves are basically real fruit preserved in sugar. Definitions and products have changed over time. Gelatin is a much broader and more complicated topic, as the ingredients have also changed through time. Savory jellies (most notably aspic) proliferated from Medieval times to the early 20th century. These notes concentrate on sweet products. If you are looking for savory dishes let us know.

Modern definitions here:

"The word "jelly" derives from the Middle English, geli, and ultimately from the Latin gelare, "to freeze."..."Jam" differs from jelly in being made with fresh or dried fruit rather than juice and has a thicker texture..."Preserves" differ from jams and jellies by containing pieces of the fruit."

---Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink, John F. Mariani [Lebhar-Friedman:New York] 1999 (p. 171)

Historic definitions & evolution:

JAM, PRESERVES & CONSERVES

"Jam remains one of the unsolved mysteries of culinary etymologies. No conclusive evidence has been found for the origin of the word, but most authorities agree that the likeliest explanation is that it describes the way jam is made by crushing or jamming' fruit together. Two early references seem to support this: first Hannah Glasse in her Art of Cookery (1747), using a curious Italianate spelling: "To make Raspberry Giam."...The word begins to emerge in the 1730s; the first record of it is in the Dictionarium Britannicum (1736) of Nathan Baily, who essays a fanciful derivation from the French j'aime, (I love it', on the ground that that was what children used to day...formerly, when they liked any Thing'. Before that, other words used for fruits (and other parts of plants, such as flowers) preserved in sugar included conserva, a borrowing from Italian or medieval Latin, first recorded in 1502, comfiture (1558), and the still current conserve (1530) and preserve (1600). Nowadays we take jam with bread as a matter of course, but until comparatively recently it was a luxury...Up until the nineteenth century, fruit preserves might just as often be eaten on their own, as a dessert, or as a filling for tarts..."

---An A to Z of Food and Drink, John Ayto [Oxford Univeristy Press:Oxford] 2002 (p. 170-1)

"Jam, a mixture of fruit and sugar boiled together, poured into jars, and sealed to give a long-keeping preserve with a wet semi-solid consistence, known to a food scientist as a gel. Jams, and related preserves such as fruit pastes, jellies, and marmalades are based on widespread and ancient methods of preserving fruit. Similar confections are made throughout Europe and the Middle East. Successful jam depends on the interaction of three things in the correct proportions: sugar, pectin (long chainlike molecules occurring in the cell walls of plants), acid. Fruit contains all of these, but the jam-maker always adds more sugar, and sometimes pectin and acid."

---Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 1999 (p. 412-3)

[NOTE: This book describes both modern and historic methods in detail. Ask your local public librarian to help you find a copy.]

"The earliest kind of jam making...dates back to pre-Roman times, when fruit pulp was mixed with honey and spices and dried in the sun. In the first century AD, Greeks made a preserve, using their abundant crops of quinces, by stuffing pieces of peeled and pipped raw fruit tightly into jars filled with honey. After a year the fruit became soft as wine-honey'. This Greek quince preserve was called melomeli' (apple: melo, in honey: meli). The Romans later reversed the words into melimela' and improved the preserve by cooking the fruit in the honey with pepper and spices and sealing the jars to make them airtight. Quinces had a high pectin content so that when cooked, preserves made with them would have had a very solid texture. Pectin is a vital ingredient for successful jelly and jam making... By the 17th century...cane sugar was more readily available, and preserving fruit with sugar became an affordable option. Recipes that previously used honey were easily adapted...The English had their own particular version that included pieces of warden pear, but seemed to prefer the Portuguese quince preserve. Using their sugar from India and their abundance of quinces, the Portuguese had developed their own specialty, which they called marmelada' (like the Roman melimela')...As early as the sixteenth century, little chests of marmelada were included in the cargoes of Portuguese merchant ships arriving in English ports. Gradually the same process was applied to other fruits, which then came to be known as a marmalade' of pears, damsons, or plums..."

---Pickled, Potted and Canned: How the Art and Science of Food Preserving Changed the World, Sue Shepard, chapter on sugar (p. 163-174) [this is only a tiny excerpt of this book...it is well worth the read]

JELLY (Fruit)

The fundamentals jellying process was known in ancient times. These techniques migrated from the Middle West to Europe with Crusaders and evolved with technological advancements and new ingredients.

"The history of jelly, chronicled by Brears (1996)...is complex. Generally, it would seem that confectionery type jellies, and jelly preserves, developed from attempts to conserve pectin-rich fruit extracts...Modern dessert jellies, on the other hand, appear to be descended from medieval dishes based on calves' feet or other meat stocks, carefully clarified and flavoured. A wide range of gelling or setting agents was known to medieval cooks. The animal kingdome was represented by gelatin in the form of meat stock, isinglass, and hartshorn. Plants provided pectin-rich juices from quinces or apples; and various kinds of gum...Late medieval and 16th-century cooks made savoury (or savoury/sweet--many had an ambivalent character) jellied dishes using meat such as capon, chopped fine, mixed with cream or almond milk, flavoured with spices, sugar, or rosewater. These were known as cullis, gellys, or brawn. Another 'set' dish was a leach, made from cream or almond milk with isinglass. A sweet crystall gelly' was made with calves' feet stock, highly spices (ginger, pepper, cloves, nutmeg), sweetened, and further flavoured with rosewater. These dishes, which are recorded in early 17th-century cookery books...were ancestors of sweet confections such as blancmange as well as of the explicitly savoury aspic dishes which proliferated in the 19th and early 20th centuries."

---Oxford Companion to Food>, Alan Davidson [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 1999 (p. 417)

Great, like I don't have a hard enough time keeping the dog out of the litter box as it is. *sigh*

Thanks for starting this topic again William.

Happy Birthday Diosa !!!

Ahoy Lads & Lasses,

Just a quick note to let you all know that plans for the Fort Taylor Pyrate Invasion are underway and will be taking place in 2012. The dates for this year's event are Nov 30-Dec 2.

We just started updating the website for this year and will continue to update throughout the year as information becomes available.

http://www.forttaylorpyrates.com/

There are also some discussions started on our FB group. http://www.facebook....30021940343737/

Thank you all for your continues support of FTPI and look forward to an awesome event in Key West 2012.

YHS, Lily

Just saw on Facebook that the PIP portion of this years (2012) Key West pirate festival is being canceled. Does anybody know of this will have any effect on the FTPI?

We are sad to learn of PIP's hiatus this year. However, plans for the Fort Taylor Pyrate Invasion are still in the works. The dates for this year are Nov 30 - Dec 2.

Ticks

This is my favorite journal so far. Thank you.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a New Years filled with love & laughter.

Happy Birthday William !!!

Happy belated Birthday Stynky !!!

Awesome pics DB. Thank you.

Welcome aboard Skeleton Pirate. It was great meeting you in Key West and thanks again for the awesome video.

My personal favorite from this year is from Skeleton Pirate. Somewhere around the 3am hour he tells me, "There is a drunk girl in my tent and I don't know what to do with her"

Update on meals. Aside from the pig roast, meals are not being provided this year. The Savory Sow will be in the encampment and will be providing items for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They will be open from 6-11 for breakfast, 12-4 lunch and 5-8 dinner, bar/snack food 4-11. Prices range from $4.00-$7.00 breakfast ($1.00 for coffee & tea), $3.00-$6.00 lunch and $6.00-$8.00 dinner, Bar/Snack food $1.00-$3.00. Menu's will be provided in your welcome packets.

If you plan on providing your own meals, there will be cooking fires available. Firewood will be on hand for your use but if you plan on using charcoal, you will have to provide your own.

My internet use is pretty limited so if you have questions that need answers right away, please call my cell. It's glued to my hand. 585 329 4625.

The weather is gorgeous.

Yes to cooking fires. There will also be a food vendor this year. I'll have a better update after tomorrows meeting. Safe travels all.

Iron Jon,

I'm so glad you knew what tree that is. That's been my million dollar question for a while now.

2011 FTPI Updated Encampment Information

Living History – A vital component to this year’s event is living history. All crews are required to present their own demonstrations. They will be taking place throughout the day except during the battle. This is meant to be an enjoyable learning experience for our visitor’s. Anything you can contribute from a historical perspective will greatly add to the public’s experience. Crew Captains and/or representatives, please provide a list of demonstrations your crew plans on providing and return to Lily by Nov 15^th.

Email: lilyalexander@frontiernet.net or fax 1-877-643-FTPI (3874)

Settlin’ O’ Scores – Taking place throughout the day will be Settlin’ O’ Scores. All fighting pairs are welcome and encouraged to take out your revenge on each other in the ring. Signup sheet will be available during the morning meetings and at Lily’s tent.

Fires and Braziers – Fire pits and cook camps are only being allowed in designated areas and will be shared by all members of the encampment. You are welcome and encouraged to use braziers at any time of day. In the period encampment, coleman’s may only be used during the hours when the park is not open to visitors. Fire pits will not be allowed in the modern camping area. However, braziers and coleman’s can be used at any time.

Firewood/charcoal – Firewood is being provided for your use. If you bring your own, PLEASE DO NOT BRING BAYWOOD. Charcoal is not being provided but can be easily obtained locally.

Showers – Hot showers will be provided for your use. As a requirement from the Fort, it is mandatory that we only use “Green Products”. A supply of Dr Brohners Soap will be available for your use. If you plan on bringing your own, please look for the “checkmark” image on all labels. A list of approved products can be found at the following website: www.greenseal.org The showers will be in operation from 7:00pm – 7:00am during the encampment.

Duty Roster – There are a small amount of camp duties that will need to be performed this year. Gate Watch (6:00pm – 3:00am) and Town Crier (10:00am – 5:00pm). Gate watch shifts will be 2 hours in length and two people per watch are recommended. Town Crier shifts are 2 hours in length with one person minimum and two people per shift are recommended. All crew captains and/or representatives will be provided a list of the positions needed to be filled one week prior to the festival. It will be up to the crew captains/representatives to fill these required positions and return to Lily at check in.

Shipping Items - The Fort will not be accepting packages this year. Any and all items that need to be shipped in advance must be sent to Scarlett Jai. Please contact her directly for shipping information and to let her know that something may be on its way. Email: jaisomers@yahoo.com

Registration forms are now due. Even if you are still unsure of your attendance, please get your forms in.

http://iammaryread.c...lunteerReg.docx

Here's a list of those that have not sent in registration forms: If you sent one in but did not get an email confirmation in return, you are not registered. Please contact me.

Fairge Iolair:

Callenish Gunner - Wall Tent/great hall/ark

Salty - Wall Tent

Hamish - Wall Tent

Mercury:

Captain Jim - Double Oar House

Patti - Hotel

Morgan - Double Oar House

Tommy - Double Oar House

Natalie - Hotel

Emily - Hotel

Sorry about that. I hate this new word stuff. I can send a later version to your email.

For those that may be bringing artillery pieces this year, we have some addition cannon procedures for you.

1. Fort Taylor Park Blackpowder Safety Rules call for minimum four person cannon crews. Besides the three persons required to work the front of the gun, work the vent, and powder monkey; a battery commander will be designated and expected to oversee the operation of cannons firing as a group, and will be counted as the required fourth person.

2. The Fort Taylor Park Blackpowder Safety Rules for maximum charge weights are heavy maximums. The charges we will be using are approximately 2/3 of these maximums at the most, with the 1F blackpowder the Fort will be supplying.

3. Cannon cartridges will be rolled in quantity only for that day’s battle and or demonstrations, at a rolling party in the morning after the artillery safety meeting as in the past. At least 6 layers of heavy duty aluminum foil are expected to form the cartridge around a wooden or PVC former that is well sized to the bore of the gun. Inadequate amount of foil and poorly fitting cartridges have been identified as a safety risk.

4. We will be including “brushing the vent” and “wet and dry sponging” in the loading drill in order to conform with the National Cannon Safety Rules, also known as the AAA, or Artilleryman Rules.

5. Sponges need to have end disks of material similar to the cylindrical covering to completely moisten and dry the end of the bore as well as the walls. That is, a paint roller on a stick works fine, but needs a furry end cap.

6. Persons working the front of a gun and powder monkeying the charges need to have thick leather heavy duty welding type gloves. Persons working the vent need at least lighter weight all leather gloves. Additional personal protection needs to be considered by any person working a gun, such as eye and ear protection, and clothing of natural fibers or leather.

7. To conform with the Fort Taylor Park Blackpowder Safety Rules requiring approval of the gun drill, all cannon crews should send a representative to attend the Friday morning artillery safety meeting to discuss and/or demonstrate their loading drill and misfire procedure.

8. Each cannon and its associated loading tools need to be inspected for conformity with the Fort Taylor Park Blackpowder Safety Rules before firing at the event by the persons designated by the Fort Chief Safety Officer.

9. We intend to be firing with linstock and there will be a supply of quickmatch for quill primers. We will have available some vent brushes, but crews will have to supply their own second sponge for wet and dry sponging.

Additional cannon procedures.pdf