Cauldron Cooking in Medieval England

cauldron, caldron [ˈkɔːldrən]
n
(Cookery) a large pot used for boiling, esp one with handles
[from earlier cauderon, from Anglo-French, from Latin caldārium hot bath, from calidus warm]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003

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caul·dron also cal·dron (kôldrn)
n.
1. A large vessel, such as a kettle or vat, used for boiling.
2. A state or situation of great distress or unrest felt to resemble a boiling kettle or vat: a cauldron of conflicting corporate politics.

[Middle English, alteration of cauderon, from Norman French, diminutive of caudiere, cooking pot, from Late Latin caldria, from feminine of Latin caldrius, suitable for warming, from calidus, warm; see kel-1 in Indo-European roots.]

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While looking over the Museum of London.org site, I came across this lovely Cauldron. I'd never seen this one before and this is one of those pots that I am excited to see because, while it is fairly broken, it shows different handles and some fairly modern looking feet. I spoke briefly in a previous post about pipkins and tri-pod pipkins, so the cauldron, at least this one, is one step above a pipkin. It's like the father of cookpots. This one has feet and it's big. It's handles on either side really show that this thing was ment to be full of liquid and hauled up. It probably had a lid by the deep gallery it has (potter term... inside lip I guess you would call it). There wasn't one on the site, but I would assume there was one by the size and because it is a cauldron (it's cooking use, there is a need for a lid).

Accession number: 18931
Collection place: London
Production date: Medieval; late 13th-mid 14th century
Material: ceramic; earthenware
Measurements: H 240 mm
Museum Section: Medieval
Summary: Largely reconstructed London-type ware cauldron with opposed, angular loop handles, glazed internally.
Location: Object stored at Mortimer Wheeler House (Ceramics and Glass store)
Category: Medieval glazed ware.
Sub-category: London-type ware.

Pipkins and Late Medieval cooking

While being a potter and being in the SCA, a number of people seem to want the "pipkin," however, I believe they may feel that the pipkin automatically comes with three "feet" or legs. Not the case.

In history, cook pots come in all shapes and sizes. The tripod pipkin, does indeed, comes with three legs (stands or short rods, if you will that are attached to the bottom of the pot, balancing the vessel). There are also skillets and a variety of pots for cooking as one could imagine looking at our cooking stores.

Here is a sample of a standard pipkin, with a pinched pouring lip and pulled handle.

Accession number: A20607
Collection place: London
Production date: Late Medieval; 15th century
Material: ceramic; earthenware
Measurements: H 97 mm; DM (rim) 132 mm; W (with handle) 207 mm.
Museum Section: Medieval
Summary: Complete Late London-type ware pipkin with pinched pouring lip, and thin, clear glaze inside and out.
Location: Object stored at Mortimer Wheeler House (Ceramics and Glass store)
Category: Medieval glazed ware.
Sub-category: London-type ware.

Cooking in Late Medieval England

Cooking really hasn't changed all that much over the centuries. A good shape, once it is figured out, is used culture to culture, for hundreds of years. It is particularly true with the cookpot. Styles and decorations may come and go, but for the most part, the roundness and basic shape really is stand from early BC until even now.

Since I am just showing samples of Late Medieval England right now, here is a "jar" or a cook pot.

Details as follows:

Accession number: 5821
Collection place: Hertfordshire
Production date: Late Medieval; mid 14th-mid 15th century
Material: ceramic; earthenware
Measurements: H 143 mm; DM (rim) 165 mm
Museum Section: Medieval
Summary: Late Medieval Hertfordshire Glazed ware (2419) cooking pot.
Location: Object stored at Mortimer Wheeler House (Ceramics and Glass store)
Category: Medieval glazed ware.
Sub-category: Late Hertfordshire glazed ware.