Wardonys in Syryp

There are several recipes in Two fifteenth-century cookery-books : Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430), & Harl. MS. 4016 (ab. 1450), with extracts from Ashmole MS. 1439, Laud MS. 553, & Douce MS. 55 Thomas Austin which feature pears that have been stewed in wine, sweetened with sugar or honey, and flavored with cinnamon and other varied spices. The first recipe that I interpreted was Perys en Composte which was declared the favorite of the two recipes which I interpreted. The second was Wardonys in Syryp, a very flavorful dish.

It is possible that the Warden pear suggested in the recipes below refers to the Worcestor Black Pear, which is first referenced in Bedfordshire's Warden Abbey in the 13th century. If this is true, then this is one of the oldest known pear cultivars. The pear itself is mahogany colored with russet patches and soft white or cream colored fruit. It is incredibly hard and gritty and must be cooked in order to make it edible. Picked in late October, early November they can keep until April. It was this incredibly long keeping time that perhaps made them a popular item on the medieval table.

Another possibility is that the Warden was a general name given to any pear variety that was long keeping and needed to be stewed or cooked prior to eating. It may have come from the Anglo-Saxon word Weardon, meaning to preserve.

.x. Wardonys in syryp.—Take wardonys, an caste on a potte, and boyle hem till þey ben tender; þan take hem vp and pare hem, an kytte hem in to pecys*. [? ='in two pieces.' ]; take y-now of powder of canel, a good quantyte, an caste it on red wyne, an draw it þorw a straynour; caste sugre þer-to, an put it in [supplied by ed.] an erþen pot, an let it boyle: an þanne caste þe perys þer-to, an let boyle to-gederys, an whan þey haue boyle a whyle, take pouder of gyngere an caste þerto, an a lytil venegre, an a lytil safron; an loke þat it be poynaunt an dowcet.
- Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430), from Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books

Interpreted Recipe Serves 1 as main, 2 as side

1 pear, peeled, cored and cut in two pieces
1 tsp. cinnamon powder or 1 stick of cinnamon
3/4 cup red wine
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. ginger
Pinch of saffron

Gently poach pears until almost tender. While the pears are poaching bring the wine, sugar, ginger, vinegar, saffron and cinnamon to a boil and cook until mixture has thickened and reduced. When the syrup has thickened add the pears and cook until the pears become tender and serve.

I believe that this recipe, like the perys in compost could be made up to two weeks prior to an event. However, the pears would continue to soak up the color of the wine they were cooked in, and that would eliminate the beauty of the white flesh of the pears as soon as you cut into them which I found to be one of the most striking features of the recipe.

The taste testers really enjoyed this recipe and I believe this dish will find its way regularly onto my table, especially when pears are in season.

Similar recipes

Ancient Cookery [Arundel 334] (England, 1425)

Warduns in syruppe. Take wardens (pears), and pare hom clene, and scthe hom in red wyn with mulberryes, or saunders, tyl thai byn tendur, and then take hom up, and cut hom, and do hom in a pot; and do therto wyn crete, or vernage ||, or other gode swete -wyne, and blaunch pouder, and sugur, and pouder of gynger, and let hom boyle awhile, and then serve hit forth.

Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books (England, 1430)

Peris in Syrippe. Take Wardons, and cast hem in a faire potte, And boile hem til thei ben tendre; and take hem vppe, and pare hem in ij. or in iij. And take powder of Canell, a good quantite, and cast hit in good red wyne, And cast sugur thereto, and put hit in an erthen potte, And lete boile; And then cast the peris thereto, And late hem boile togidre awhile; take powder of ginger, And a litell saffron to colloure hit with, And loke that hit be poynante/ And also Doucet/

Thomas Awkbarow's Recipes (MS Harley 5401) (England, 15th century)

To make a Syrop of Wardons. Recipe wardons & seth þam til þai be softe in clene water, or cast þam in a syve & rost þam. Pyl þam & shere þam in resonabyl byg pecis; þan take rede wyne or swete wyn or whyte wyne or gode ale, sugur & pressyd hony & bole it, & take powdyr of gynger & canell & cast it þerin boylyng, &annis in confyt; & when it is sodyn cast in þi wardons & serof it forth.